First drive: Holden Cruze Sportwagon

Holden Cruze Sportswagon.

Practicality is the new black. It seems that adding versatility, not sportiness or luxury, is the latest fashion in the car market.
Look no further than the small-car market, with the recent influx of small wagons; Volkswagen (Golf), Peugeot (308) and Opel (Astra Sports Tourer). Holden is the latest to join that group with the new Cruze Sportwagon.
It is built in South Korea, not South Australia where the hatch and sedan are made, but otherwise mirrors the the current range, with one major exception.
The Sportwagon misses out on the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine from the hatch. Instead it gets a choice of the 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel. Both engines use the same six-speed automatic transmission.

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Holden has kept the range simple with two choices – the CD and CDX.
The CD is equipped with 16-inch alloys, cruise control, Bluetooth with voice control, rear parking sensors, auto headlights and a six-speaker stereo.
The CDX, which is only available with the 1.8-litre, adds 17-inch alloys, leather trim, heated front seats, front fog lamps, climate control air-conditioning and chrome highlights.
Both models come with six airbags (dual front, side and curtain) and stability control.
The wagon adds $2000 to the equivalent sedan and hatch models. The CD petrol starts at $25,790 (plus costs), the CD diesel is priced from $29,790 and the CDX petrol is $29,040.
Importantly, the boot space is increased by 55 litres over the hatch, offering 500 litres with the rear seats up and 1478 litres once you drop the seats.
Not surprisingly, the Sportwagon feels the same to drive as the hatch. The extra length of the wagon isn't noticeable on the move, and it's small enough to be comfortable in the city.
Holden only had the CDX on the launch drive, so we weren't able to sample the diesel, which only makes up about 20 per cent of sales for the hatch and sedan.
The 1.8-litre petrol remains an underwhelming proposition. It lacks low-down pulling power and needs to be revved hard to access its power.
Our drive was with no luggage and only one passenger, so we'd be interested to see how the 1.8 performs with five passengers and a boot full of luggage.