That sales projection for the new compact car to be built in Lordstown far exceeds that for the company’s new electric car.

By Don Shilling

General Motors is highlighting the importance of the Chevrolet Cruze as it shows off the Lordstown-built car at a Detroit car show.

The Cruze is critical to the automaker’s future, even more important than the Chevrolet Volt, said Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman.

The executive told The Detroit Free Press that the Volt, a plug-in electric car, is receiving much attention from the automotive press, but its importance paled compared with the high-volume Cruze. GM hopes that Cruze sales will reach 1 million worldwide, while Volt sales are expected to be about 60,000.

The Cruze already is in production in other countries, but the U.S. launch is scheduled for this summer.

The Cruze was one of the small cars featured at a news conference that GM had Monday at the North American International Auto Show.

James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said he was impressed when he drove the European version of the Cruze, and he’s hoping the U.S. version will perform as well.

“We’re all very anxious to drive it. That’s where, hopefully, its advantage lies,” he said.

The Cruze features a six-speed automatic transmission, and two of the three trim lines have a turbocharged engine.

The transmission is designed so that it has enough gears to save gas at highway speeds but still have power to handle rapid accelerations. The turbocharger delivers more air to the engine, which boosts accelerations.

“We hope it provides a Honda Civic-like driving experience, where it’s fun to let it rip every now and then,” Bell said.

While the Cruze styling doesn’t stand out, it’s clear that GM has upgraded the interior of the car with better materials and design, he said.

Overall, he said the Cruze is a huge improvement over the Chevrolet Cobalt, which has been made in Lordstown since 2004.

“The Cobalt showed up ill-prepared, but the Cruze looks like it will be equal to or better than the competition,” he said.

GM has been trumpeting the fuel economy of the Cruze, which it said will get up to 40 mpg on the highway in a high-efficiency model.

Bell said he expects that model to be released a few months after the first Cruze models are launched. GM hasn’t been specific about the fuel economy for the other Cruze models.

shilling@vindy.com – source

Tags: Chevrolet, Cruze, GM, James Bell
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Air Design is Mexico´s number one OEM fabricator of car accessories and polyurethane ground effects. Since 18 years Air Design is supplier of all major car brands in Mexico like GM, VW, Ford, Peugeot and many more.

For Chevrolet Mexico Air Design designed a complete styling kit for the new 2010 Chevrolet Cruze. This styling kit consists of a front bumper, side skirts, rear end apron, four door moldings and a rear spoiler (wing of type flush). This styling kit is the only kit in the world for the Chevrolet Cruze that is 100% approved by GM mechanics and has a perfect fit thanks to the math data of GM and vehicle surface scanning.

All Air Designs ground effects are made from special flexible polyurethane which makes it extra durable. Air Designs spoilers are made from stiff hardened polyurethane. At Air Designs plant in Morelos Mexico there are 7 high pressure polyurethane presses to produce their body kits. On all their products Air Design offers a 5 year warranty.

The flyer: Right click save as
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Tags: 2010 Cruze, Air Designs, Chevrolet, Cruze, GM, styling kit
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LOS ANGELES – General Motors, battered and bruised but still swinging, is taking a shot at Honda and Toyota with the Chevrolet Cruze, an attractive if pedestrian compact sedan it promises will deliver as much as 40 mpg on the highway.

The General unveiled the 2011 Cruze here at the Los Angeles Auto Show and said it would deliver best-in-class fuel economy in a package far nicer than you might expect from a compact car. The Cruze is aimed squarely at the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, and Brent Dewar, GM vice president for Chevrolet, says it will “challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be.”

“We believe that Cruze will raise the bar in this highly competitive, value-oriented segment,” he said.

But the Cruze is more than a sharp compact with sporty pretensions. It is the vanguard in General Motors’ campaign to rebrand Chevrolet as a nameplate offering smaller, more fuel-efficient automobiles.

“It changes the rules for the compact car class,” Dewar said. “Cruze will reinforce our ‘gas-friendly’ theme by delivering best-in-class fuel economy with up to 40 mpg highway in the high-efficiency model.”

That high-efficiency model sports a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine producing 138 horsepower and 148-pound-feet of torque. It is mated to a six-speed gearbox — both a manual and automatic are offered — and features electric power steering to further improve efficiency. GM didn’t offer any specific fuel economy numbers beyond the highway figure. The top-of-the-line LS model get a 1.8-liter four-banger.

General Motors is packing the Cruze with gadgetry. StabiliTrak electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes are standard, as are 10 airbags. You can get an optional Pioneer stereo with six speakers and the obligatory iPod jack. XM satellite, OnStar, navi and Bluetooth are options. GM says the car has a 5-star safety rating.

The car is attractive, if somewhat conventional, with a wide stance, arched roof and a sharply raked windshield. “It’s fresh, clean and modern,” said Mike Simcoe, head of design for Chevrolet. “An expressive design with a timeless sense of style.”

Timeless might be going a bit far, but the Cruze is more muscular than the Civic or Corolla. It’s got a long wheelbase with short overhangs, and it looks more like a mid-size sedan than a compact. It’s handsome inside, with a “twin cockpit” design Simcoe said was inspired by the Chevrolet Corvette.

The Cruze rolls into showrooms next fall. No word yet on the price.

source story

Tags: 40mpg, Chevrolet, Cruze, fuel economy
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Chevy U.K has officially released pricing and information on the upcoming Chevy Cruze. The Cruze will be offered in 9 different trim levels and 3 engine choices. Sometimes less is more, which we suspect will be this case.  Too much complexity and the potential customers will be running away in confusion.

CHEVROLET ‘CRUZES’ AHEAD ON PRICE…

* Price announced for Cruze, from £11,545 on-the-road
* Exceptional spec levels even on entry-level car
* On sale from July 2009

Keeping an eye on money has never been more topical, and the good news for Chevrolet customers is that the all-new Cruze will be true to the brand’s traditional value-for-money ethics despite its premium styling and build quality.

The newcomer, which has the stance of a four-door coupe, will start from just £11,545 on-the-road, and will arrive at UK Chevrolet retailers in July.

It will be offered with a choice of four engines – 1.6 (113PS) and 1.8-litre (141PS) petrols featuring variable valve timing for maximum performance and efficiency, plus two diesels, both 2.0-litres and with a choice of 125PS or 150PS power outputs. Automatic transmission will be offered on the petrol models.

The range will kick off with the 1.6 S, which enjoys a comprehensive list of standard equipment despite its value price tag. As well as remote central locking, the model features follow-me-home lighting, a feature normally reserved for premium cars, a quality CD-radio system, electric front windows, a fully-adjustable driver’s seat and steering wheel, six airbags, ESC, upmarket soft-touch cabin materials, and premium blue-backlit dashboard dials. The 1.6S A/C model, at £11,995, also adds air conditioning.

The LS model, expected to be the best-seller in the range, starts at only £12,595 for the 1.6 manual variant and includes air conditioning as standard, plus other upmarket features such as 16-inch alloy wheels, a chrome edged radiator grille, front fog lights and reverse parking sensors.

Flagship of the range will be the LT, which comes in 1.8 petrol or 2.0-litre diesel guise, starting at £13,595. For that, you get a list of specification that’s truly befitting of a luxury car, including cruise control, climate control, an automatic anti-dazzle rear view mirror, an upgraded high-output stereo, electric rear windows, chrome detailing and 17-inch alloy wheels, plus the option of an integrated satellite navigation system.

The Cruze will also spearhead Chevrolet’s campaign in the 2009 World Touring Car Championship, which kicked off on March 8 in Curitiba, Brazil. The UK round of the WTCC takes place at Brands Hatch on July 19 – just in time to coincide with the car’s UK introduction.

Tags: Brazil, Chevrolet, Chevy Cruze, Cruze, price, release, UK, united kingdom, WTCC
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