GM CEO: the Chevy Cruze "will surprise most customers"
Chevy Cruze - Click above for high-res image gallery
To compete with Ford Focus, other compact vehicles and for the higher-mpg car market in America in gereral, GM will be bringing out the Chevrolet Cruze next year. Over on the GM Fastlane blog, CEO Fritz Henderson has addressed GM's small-car strategy. For a company long associated with SUVs and muscle cars, the new GM will have its work cut out for it to convince people that they no longer want/need all those gas-guzzlers tGM promoted in years past and should consider a compact GM car instead. Henderson wrote:
If you haven't heard, next year we'll roll out an all-new compact that will surprise most customers with its terrific fuel efficiency (approaching 40 mpg highway), appealing interior design and spacious five-passenger cabin. This new car, our Chevrolet Cruze, will feature a small but very powerful 1.4 liter direct-injection turbo-charged gasoline engine in an attractive and affordable package. Now, we recognize that small-car buyers have long held Asian imports to be best-in-class in this segment, and we know that simply fielding a competitive car won't cut it. That's why we're out to beat the competition.Is that going to be enough?
Gallery: Paris 2008: Chevrolet Cruze
[Source: GM Fastlane]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Snowdog 6:58PM (6/12/2009)
I am searching for my next car. I would give the cruise a chance IF:
1: It comes in a hatchback. I won't buy a sedan, they just don't offer the practicality and versatility of a hatch. This being GM. I imagine the list stops here.
2: That turbo burns RUG and not premium. Or there is a decent non turbo version. I prefer the reliability of normally aspirated engines.
3: everything else: It gets good reviews, the numbers are as good as claims, I find it enjoyable to drive with a good feeling manual transmission/clutch.
But of course North Americans only want sedans(right GM), so I will have to look at Fiesta/Fit/Mazda3...
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falcon5768 11:10AM (6/13/2009)
Have fun looking. The only company that makes a hatch right now thats a REAL hatch is Honda with the FIT, and compared to the old Civic or Focus hatches it PALES in how nice those where, though it is a lot roomier.
They just cant sell a proper hatch in the US. Saturn got close with the Astra and we all saw how well that went. Supposedly Buick might be getting the Astra's replacement but that remains to be seen.
Snowdog 11:24AM (6/13/2009)
Mazda 3 isn't a real hatch? VW Golf isn't a hatch? Subaru Impreza? To me a real hatchback, is a car with a door on the back. It doesn't have to look a certain way, it just has to offer that functionality.
Mazda does the right thing offering both a hatch and sedan and from what I see on the road it looks like the hatch is extremely popular (I see more hatches than sedans in Mazda 3s).
Anyone looking for small basic transportation will find more practicality with a hatch. By not having a hatch, GM automatically cut itself out of that market.
GM tends to create it's own self fulfilling prophesies. Like people don't want small cars.. No they just don't want the crappy small cars GM built. Or people don't want hatchbacks, no they just don't want the crappy hatchbacks GM built.
Jimbo 7:42PM (6/12/2009)
The Cruzer competes with the Focus, not Fiesta. The Viva and Spark will compete with the Fiesta.
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Sebastian 9:04AM (6/14/2009)
My mistake. Post has been changed. Thanks.
why not the LS2LS7? 9:22PM (6/12/2009)
No it won't be good enough. One of GM's big problems is buyers won't give them a chance. I don't see this changing soon, in fact it'll probably get worse now that they are bankrupt.
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Matt 9:00PM (6/13/2009)
I'm not so sure, Ford has managed to turn over a new leaf in the past few years, and has been selling the Fusion and Focus despite its inability to make a small car that was worth a crap prior to those models. The smallest car I know of that they sold on American soil in any volume was the fox body mustang and it was a piece... i know, I had one. After that car I swore I'd never buy another Ford, but their newest offerings have changed my mind.
In reality, GM has been turning the ship for a few years now. The G8/Camaro Zeta platform and the Sigma platform used in the Cadillac CTS/SRX/STS are far superior to the models they replaced, and despite being full sized they are definitely steps in the right direction. Possibly the biggest benefit of the Zeta cars (that will disappear after the Camaro) is that GM now has experience in making good cars, and they're ready to implement their advancements in the Cruze's smaller body without outsourcing cars the Koreans didn't want (see Daewoo Kalos/Aveo). I for one am looking forward to the Cruze and believe that if GM wants to survive, this car has to be the best they've ever built. I think they can do it and all they haters are going to be eating their words come next year :)
win39 9:37PM (6/12/2009)
Any new GM car is going to have to test well in comparison to others in their class in those car mag comparos and get a good score for reliability after the first year in Consumer Reports. If they do well then larger numbers of people will start buying them in their second and third year. If they do like GM cars in the past, GM will continue its ignominious slide into history.
Yeah, I like hatchbacks too. We are repeatedly told there is no market, but they have no problem supplying minority interests with things like Hummers and convertibles.
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jharlan@aol.com 10:19PM (6/12/2009)
There is a pervasive feeling that Japanese offerings are superior to GM, but Buick has consistently proven itself to be superior quality. It will take some time to win back generations of consumers who have been burned by low quality offerings and low resale value.
Fritz is right. The new offerings will have to be superior for GM to survive. The only problem is all auto manufacturers are trying to field improved and superior cars, so the the bar keeps rising. Nothing static will survive.
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Kruisin66 10:26PM (6/12/2009)
What will mpg be by the time this hits showrooms? 6 months ago, Chevy was quoting 45 mpg highway for the Cruze. Latest posting was 39
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John Rowell 12:25AM (6/13/2009)
I hope they can make it, but it's going to be really hard playing catch-up. GM should have recognized the signs long ago, now they're paying for it.
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polo 12:49AM (6/13/2009)
Sorry, this is one UGLY car. The front end looks jacked up beyond belief.
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Chris 1:15AM (6/13/2009)
Looks a lot better than their current offerings of small cars.
Shock Me 2:32AM (6/13/2009)
I have to disagree Polo, I find the Cruze much better looking than its sibling the Spark. Oddly enough the new Japanese offerings are rather bland in style (with the notable exception of the somewhat impractical Honda Clarity). Perhaps that is a result of their success? While not as exotic as say a Fisker Karma or an Aptera, I could see myself in this vehicle if has the quality I found in my last three Buicks. It would only be a 10 mpg increase on the highway for me, so will be interested to know what that number will be.
Dave 7:49AM (6/13/2009)
I saw it at the NYC Auto Show and it looks good in person.
I'd certainly say its better looking than the current Civic which is hideous and the current Corolla and Focus which are sleep-inducing
Snowdog 9:53AM (6/13/2009)
@Shock.
It is just barely passable in looks. To me it looks like it is aimed at 17 year olds with exaggerated lines. Sure it looks better than the Spark/Viva, which seems aimed at 5 year olds, but that isn't saying a lot. But I would prefer something more classy.
There are a lot better looking small car designs out there: Kia Forte comes immediately to mind as a nice clean design that looks like it was made for adults.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/11/2010-kia-forte-sedan-priced-from-14-390/
The 2010 Opel Astra looks very sharp and elegant:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/13/officially-official-2010-opel-astra-revealed-ahead-of-frankfurt/
Or the new Fiesta:
http://www.yosax.com/2010-ford-fiesta-for-us-market
So forget leading in looks. It better deliver on quality/drivetrain/driving.
And needs more Hatch.
PeakOyle 8:31AM (6/13/2009)
That car is so ugly it would scare a dog out of a Butchers Shop.
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Thomas 8:35AM (6/13/2009)
I hate to say it because I know it is a tradition but I think Chevy should come up with some sort of alternate logo (not to be confused with brand) for its small cars. I think the Cruze looks great but somehow I just can't get past that bow tie emblem. It is too closely associated with last century and last century's mindset in particular.
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Mark 8:43AM (6/13/2009)
They could start by getting rid of the unappealing name.
Cruze?
Volt?
Impact?
seesh. please just use some cryptic numbers and letters together and rest on the Chevy name. I'm serious.
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UH2L 9:08AM (6/13/2009)
If the Cruze is anywhere as good as the Chevy Malibu is relative to its own segment competition, it will do fine. To all the naysayers, just drive one. And I think he's trying to bring down the expectations on the fuel economy, (although they shouldn't have raised them in the first place). If the Malibu (2.4 / 6 spd auto) gets 34 mpg hwy and I've repeatedly seen real 37 mpg on the highway with my mom's 2004 Saab 9-3 Linear (2.0 t / 5 spd auto), the GM Powertrain engineers will get this Cruze to hit 40 mpg with no problem.
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