Chevrolet dealers are competitive when it comes to servicing costs, so regular maintenance bills should not be too hefty. The most economical engine is the 1.7-litre diesel with the manual gearbox that has a claimed average economy of 62.7mpg.

Currently the lowest emitting engine is the 1.7-litre diesel mated to the manual gearbox. It emits 117g/km of CO2 which means it sits in VED Band C .

In Autumn 2013 a new low emitting 109bhp variant of the 1.7-litre diesel will be available that reduces CO2 emissions to 99g/km.

The Cruze should be problem free. Its engines and gearboxes are used in a variety of other cars and are well developed. This model also comes with the company’s five year warranty giving adequate cover if anything were to go wrong.