With all the focus on small cars and fuel economy, there’s some good news for sporty and performance minded individuals looking for a GM product that suits their desires. In an online web chat GM’s new North American president Mark Reuss made some exciting comments about the potential introduction of both a Chevy Cruze Coupe and a RWD sedan based on the Australian Zeta architecture.

“2 door Cruze is a nice idea, and it may show up in the global market,” said Reuss. “As we have 2 door Cobalts currently, NA [North America] would naturally look at a Cruze 2 door, but I believe our small car portfolio will be WAY beyond what it is now, so a 2 door something still is needed.”

This really comes as no surprise, as Chevy has often delivered a coupe model shortly after the sedan.

Next up, Reuss made a surprising remark when asked if a rear-wheel drive sedan based on the Australian Zeta platform could eventually make its way state-side. “Quite possibly,” he remarked, something which is sure to be celebrated by those who bemoaned the demise of the Pontiac G8. Currently, the only Zeta platform model available in the U.S. is the Camaro, although some reports have suggested a next-generation Camaro could ride on a more adaptable Zeta architecture that could also be used for a North American sedan.

If Chevy does decide to move ahead with a rear-drive sedan for the North American market, it’s not likely to arrive for several more years. By then, the Cruze Coupe will most certainly be on the market and perhaps even a high-performance Cruze model.

[source]

Tags: 2012 chevrolet cruze coupe, american cars, Chevrolet, chevrolet cruze coupe, chevy, domestic cars, mark reuss, zeta
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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
More info: ventas@airdesign.com.mx // www.airdesign.com.mx

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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