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And that’s also a big tick for GM Holden's small-car future.
The Commodore's baby brother, the compact Cruze — which goes on sale on June 1 with a sub-$25,000 starting price and into local production next year in Adelaide — earned the top ranking from the Australian New-Car Assessment Program following a series of local crash tests.
It joins the locally-made Commodore and Ford Falcon with a five-star rating.
The Cruze is the first Korean-made member of the Holden family to gain five stars, as the baby Barina is still only a four-star car despite recent safety updating and the larger Viva also gets four stars. The Captiva SUV, also a four-star performer, is built in Thailand.
Development of the Cruze is part of a global program which will spawn a range of mid-sized models around the world. The Cruze is already selling in Europe with a Chevrolet badge and a similar car is sold in Britain as the Vauxhall Insignia.
The crash result confirms the Cruze's safety package ahead of its local launch, although pricing is still secret. Even the basic model comes with six airbags, ESP stability control and anti-skid brakes.
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