Posts Tagged ‘Cobalt’

European launch for Chevrolet Cruze on track for April 2009

The new Cruze is already on sale in South Korea and will arrive in Europe almost 18 months before the U.S.

While General Motors’ financial strife may be putting many of its development plans on the back burner for now, a statement from Chevrolet’s European Executive Director confirms that the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze will remain on schedule for its debut in the European market in just a few months.
(more…)


GM Launched Cruze in Korea

Branded as the Daewoo Lacetti, the Chevy Cruze has been passed onto the population of South Korea. A nation known for it’s small cars, the asian version of the Cruze will fit right in.

The same cannot be said about the European and North American versions. With the European economies declaring a recession and General Motors asking for government support, the future of the Cruze is uncertain.

The Cruze was to go on sale in Europe in March 2009 and in the United States in mid 2010 as a replacement for the aging Cobalt line. To be built in Ohio, the next generation global small car will have a fuel efficinent 1.4L engine along with a 6 speed transmission.

As of the latest news, GM will be delaying the Cruze for a year, along with most of it’s other vehicle launches as a result of weakening market demand and widening losses.


Chevrolet Cruze to get 45-mpg

Entering production in April 2010 at the Lordstown, Ohio plant in the United States, the Chevy Cruze is sure to be a hit. With the initial release of the vehicle in mid 2009 in Europe, GM will have the kinks worked out in time for it’s North American release.

There have been widespread rumors in regards to the efficiency of the vehicle. The outgoing Cobalt, currently gets 33-mpg on the highway and it’s special fuel efficiency program (XFE) counterpart gets 37-mpg on the highway.

On August 12th, 2008 Beth Lowry confirmed the new upcoming Cruze will get 9-mpg better gas mileage then the current Cobalt. We are not mathematicians, but 37 + 9 is 46-mpg, but we dare not argue with a press release. The success of the Cruze is essential to the survival of General Motors, as it seems only it’s compact segment is performing in terms of sales.

The Cobalt, which is confirmed to be leaving in 2010 has been a consistent performer, with sales of approximately 200,000 units annually. This compact segment is particularly important to each of the Big Three, as each company has been posting losses due to it’s heavy presence in the truck market. Therefore the key players view the compact segment as opportunity to make up for lost sales in other areas caused by higher gasoline prices.

The Cruze according to General Motors press releases, will be powered by a 1.4L turbocharged global engine, which is said to produce 140hp. No word yet on an SS model, which has been an important part of sport compact tuning since it’s debut. It will be slightly larger in size then the Cobalt, however smaller in size than the Malibu.

General Motors has set $150 million aside for development costs for the Cruze, as well as $350 million for refurbishing the Ohio plant for manufacturing the vehicle. Amidst of cutbacks, the Lordstown, Ohio plant is one of the few to receive new product and an increase in capacity. This is part of a larger scale turnaround plan to fully revitalize General Motors and turn it profitable.

CEO Rick Wagoner recently revealed a full size foam replica of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze at a recent news conference at Lordstown, Ohio General Motors manufacturing plant.


GM to Release more Chevy Cruze info on Aug 21st

via MotorAuthority

To drum up excitement for the new Cruze, GM will be releasing first details and productions plans as early as next week. The carmaker will officially announce a multi-million dollar investment into its Lordstown assembly plant in Ohio on Thursday August 21 and release the first official set of photos for the new Cruze (leaked picture above). The actual car will be shown for the first time in October at the Paris Motor Show but it isn’t expected to enter production until late next year. The Cruze will eventually replace the Cobalt in North America and will be sold in other markets as a Daewoo. Power for the North American version is expected to come from a 1.4L turbo four-cylinder that’s good for 40mpg (5.88L/100km) on the open road, and likely to get something close to 30mpg (7.8L/100km) in city use.



Google Yahoo

Join Cruze Chat

    Register for free on Cruze Chat