The Auto Writer

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Just like a kid who can’t wait to unwrap his gifts on Christmas morning, GM has been revealing its latest offerings ahead of their official auto show debuts. The most recent vehicle to take an early bow is the Chevy Cruze, the long awaited replacement for the Cobalt, a compact model representing GM’s world car thrust.

Advance Previews

GM’s advanced release of information surrounding the Chevy Cruze follows what the car manufacturer has been doing with several models this year including the Chevy Camaro, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX, and the Buick Regal. A new urgency has gripped GM, a company desperately wanting to make sure that every product launch receives total media saturation in hopes of capturing new customers.

Production for the North American Cruze will begin late next Spring, which means that Chevrolet showrooms won’t be stocking these cars before the Summer. This means that there will be a two year interval between when the first Cruze models hit the market in South Korea last fall (as the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere) and when customers will see the car in the USA and Canada.

Global Cruze

Indeed, the Chevy Cruze itself is currently being sold in China and Europe while the Holden Cruze is available in Australia and New Zealand. Opel’s version of the car is called the Astra, demonstrating that the Cruze and its name variants will soon penetrate every GM global market regardless of whether Chevrolet, Vauxhall, Holden, or Opel sell the car. Yes, GM has finally put together a true world car, a model that will compete with the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and the global Ford Focus.

The North American debut for the Chevrolet Cruze is scheduled for the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show which will hold its press days on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Kicking things off will be a keynote address by GM president and chief operating officer Fritz Henderson who will speak at the Motor Press Guild (MPG) breakfast Wednesday morning.

Lordstown Production

Soon thereafter, it will be Chevrolet’s time in the spotlight which will GM the chance to showcase a production ready Cruze for the first time to a North American audience. That car will be built at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio facility which received a $350 million makeover in advance of Cruze production.

Powered by 1.4L turbo and 1.8L I4 engines and paired with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, the most fuel efficient version of the car should approach 40 mpg city. Other hybrids, diesels and the diminutive Smart ForTwo, the Cruze will be one of the most fuel efficient gasoline powered cars when it finally hits the market later next year.

Source: GM Corp.