There's a new kid on the compact car block, and its name is Chevy Cruze. The car is General Motors' first serious attempt at a C-segment car to be sold in all major worldwide markets. It is also the latest (and best) attempt by Chevrolet to build and sell compact cars in the ultra-competitive North American compact-car marketplace.

Before we get into the specifics of how the 2011 Chevy Cruze rides and drives, a little background is in order.

With exception of the Chevy II and Nova in the Sixties, Chevrolet has not had a truly competitive small car that has delivered the sales volume expected since the Corvair first appeared in the fall of 1959. The Vega is possibly the best-known failure, despite generating strong initial sales. More recently, the Cavalier and Cobalt simply haven't measured up to the competition, especially from the Far East.

Around 2005, GM made an effort to address this issue. Company officials knew that importing such European-built small cars as the Saturn Astra to the United States would be a stopgap measure at best. Leveraging its worldwide design and engineering resources in Asia and Europe, the company began rolling out the Cruze in major markets in 2008.

The Cruze is based on the global Delta II/J300 front-wheel architecture co-developed primarily by GM-Daewoo and Opel. Built in South Korea, China, Russia, India, Thailand, Australia, and now at Lordstown, Ohio (where the plant underwent a $300-million upgrade), this vehicle's importance cannot be underestimated. Global volume is expected to exceed 350,000 units annually once U.S. production gets up to full speed.

With the first 2011 Chevrolet Cruze sedans now arriving at U.S. dealerships, Chevy marketers believe their new offering is more than a class-competitive entry. They are confident it will be segment-leading in many categories, including safety, standard equipment levels, fuel economy, and overall quality.

"We set out to redefine the compact segment by offering customers more of the features they want for less money than comparably equipped competitive models," says Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet Small Car marketing director. "The Cruze offers significantly more value than the competition--and the vehicle it replaces--with standard equipment that is appreciated by today's consumers."

Against almost every one of its targeted competitors--the Ford Focus, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Corolla--the Cruze offers more standard equipment and safety features. And, in most cases, the features more than offset the higher base prices when compared model for model.

Chevy is taking a calculated risk here, convinced that, once consumers walk into the showrooms, their salespeople will be able to illustrate their value-pricing proposition.

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze will be offered for retail sale in four models.

The Cruze LS starts at $16,995 and includes:

• A standard 138-horsepower 1.8-liter Ecotec engine and six-speed manual transmission
• The most standard safety features in the segment, with 10 airbags, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control, anti-lock brakes,collapsible pedal system, and power rear-door child-safety locks