The 2011 Chevy Cruze is Chevrolet’s latest attempt to beat the old guard Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic in the small car segment. Competing with such entrenched vehicles as the Civic and Corolla means that Chevy has an uphill battle with the Cruze. To make matters worse for Chevy and better for buyers, the Cruze also competes with the Ford Focus and VW Jetta.  The 2011 Chevy Cruze is packed with available technology and luxury features that help set it apart from the competition.

The 2011 Chevy Cruze comes with available Bluetooth connectivity, XM radio, a USB port to connect and charge an MP3 player, Onstar with available mobile information iPhone app and navigation and ultrasonic rear parking assist. The Cruze can also be outfitted with power heated leather seats, remote start and 10 airbags.

Standard on the 2011 Cruze is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 136-hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. The 2011 Chevy Cruze also has an available turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 138-hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. Despite the Cruze’s small engine size and turbocharger, its power and gas mileage ratings are on par with the competition.

The Cruze’s torque output is better than the Corolla, Civic and the Ford Focus, but quite a bit less than the VW Jetta‘s 170 lb-ft. The 2011 Cruze is rated at 24-mpg city and 36-mpg highway. The Corolla gets 28 city and 35 highway, the Civic gets 26-mpg city and 34-mpg highway, the Focus gets 25 city and 35 highway and the Jetta is rated at 24 city and 32 highway mpg.

Interior room in the 2011 Chevy Cruze is comparable to the competition. The Cruze’s 39.3 inches of front headroom and 37.9 inches of rear headroom put it right in the middle of the pack. Legroom in the Cruze, 42.3 inches in front and 35.4 in rear, is also very close to the competition. The Cruze’s 15.4 cubic feet of trunk space put it ahead of every competitor except the Jetta, which has 15.5 cubic feet.

Where the 2011 Chevy Cruze has an advantage over the other cars in this segment is that it is brand new. The Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic were last redesigned in 2006 and the Focus was redesigned in 2008. The 2011 VW Jetta is also recently redesigned, so there are two options for buyers looking for fresh styling.