08/21/2008, 4:02 PM

Chevrolet News

GM dropping $500 million on Cruze in North America

General Motors invited Leftlane to visit the Lordstown, Ohio, plant where the Chevrolet Cruze will be produced beginning in mid-2010. During our visit, we learned that GM plans to spend more than $350 million to retool the factory for a total exceeding $500 million to bring the Cruze into North American showrooms

GM is entirely revamping its Lordstown plant, which currently produces the Chevrolet Cobalt and similar Pontiac G5, for the 2011 Cruze. According to a Youngstown, Ohio, newspaper, the state is giving GM more than $80 million in incentives to keep building cars at the Lordstown plant.

There was no shortage of pomp and circumstance at the ceremony, with elected officials from local, state and federal governments addressing the gathered crowd. Rick Wagoner — GM CEO — and Ed Peper — head of Chevrolet were also on hand for the event.

Lordstown Mayor Michael Chaffee even had a little fun with Wagoner, handing him basketball jersey from the local Red Devils high school, which included free lifetime admission to the high school’s games. Wagoner attended and played basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

 
 

08/21, 4:08 PM

posted by:

C6Racer

This should be interesting.

08/21, 4:09 PM

posted by:

jonnycat

1st comment. That looks so much nicer than the current offerings.

08/21, 4:11 PM

posted by:

frost

it’s good that GM is building it here in North America, and keeping jobs in the US, rather then sending them all to Mexico, or Korea

08/21, 4:13 PM

posted by:

441Zuke

the could have spent more on a better name.

08/21, 4:17 PM

posted by:

ryanpstr

Stupid question but would the Cruze be rebadged as a Pontiac G5 variant in the near future since the current factory is at present assembling both cars in the same plant? I mean, a new grille, a different steering wheel, revised taillights, and some rims could do the trick..

08/21, 4:18 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

At least it’ll be produced by the same people that made the Cobalt. Hopefully this time Pontiac will not get it’s own “G4″ version. I also hope that there is a coupe version of this car… b/c right now it’s not looking very likely. Or do they think that coupe sales will eat into the Camaro market too much?

08/21, 4:24 PM

posted by:

hbcbob3

I’d say leave the coupe to the Camaro market.

Zuke: Cruze is better than Civic, turd. :D

08/21, 4:24 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

I’m really starting to get curious as to why there is absolutely no info so far on a 2 door version. I hope Chevy isn’t thinking of abandoning the coupe like Dodge did with the Neon.

08/21, 4:38 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

Actually… is the Civic coupe the only compact coupe on the market?

Let’s see…

Ford… Focus… nope.
Toyota… Corolla… nope.
Hyundai… Accent… nope.
Kia… Spectra… nope.
Nissan… Sentra… nope.
Suzuki… SX4… nope.
Scion… tC… a ha! We have… one.
Dodge… Calibur? It’s not even a car.

Of course I’m not mentioning Cobalt… as this is what is getting replaced.

So… it looks like the Compact FWD coupe market is going… going… gone.

08/21, 4:39 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

Seriously, if you look at the upcoming small car offerings by the Japanese Big 3 and the US Big 3, the US offerings promise to be far more interesting.

08/21, 4:40 PM

posted by:

neptronix

Cruze is not better than civic.. civic means something.. cruze reminds me of a hollywood actor name or some crap.

I hope they do well with this car.

What sucks is that we don’t get the turbo sport compact version and probably not getting the diesel one either. I certainly hope we get the coupe. This country needs more good looking economy cars. the current civic, mini cooper, and yaris are the only 2-door economy car i see as looking halfway decent. i’d mention the scion tc but it’s not an economy car. and at 29mpg hwy, the vw rabbit doesn’t really qualify either :p

08/21, 4:41 PM

posted by:

Vosotros

RaineMan, Ford sells a coupe version of the Focus in the US.

08/21, 4:41 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

Raineman, the Focus offers a coupe. Not a handsome coupe, but it only has 2 doors.

And whereas the Civic sedan look hideously retarded, the Civic coupe looks very nice.

08/21, 4:42 PM

posted by:

crackerhemi

Where is that HOMORR? Looks like your theory about states not paying domestic companies and only paying imports to keep making cars in America is wrong. Then again, who listens to any of your garabge anyway.

08/21, 4:43 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

A new Focus coupe? Really… hmm… I haven’t seen one.

08/21, 4:44 PM

posted by:

Vosotros

The Focus coupe looks vaguely like the old Escort coupes to me. Not really a compliment. But they offer one. And the Focus is actually a great driving car - even on its circa 1998 platform. Shame Ford made them ugly (to these eyes) and plasticky inside.

08/21, 4:45 PM

posted by:

hbcbob3

So enlighten me…what does Civic mean?

08/21, 4:46 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

Oh god… I just looked up a pic… it looks like an aborted attempt to recall the days of the Cosworth Escort.

08/21, 4:51 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

Civic is a word that appeals to a sense of duty (for the retards that like to think they owe their fellow man something.

Cruze is a word that appeals to your sense of baggy pants and no underwear.


The Cruze is also the better looking car.

08/21, 4:54 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

Baggy pants and no underwear FTW! Hahahahah. How about no.

08/21, 4:55 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

You don’t have the 2 door Focus in the US??? Or the 2 door SX4??? Or the 2 door Accent??? You have to be making this up.

08/21, 4:56 PM

posted by:

hbcbob3

Ah…ok.

08/21, 4:56 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

My bad…I was confusing the SX4 hatch with the sedan.

08/21, 5:08 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

I don’t consider hatch-backs to be 2-door. It needs to have something besides a rounded off back end in order to be a coupe. The tC and Eclipse are coupes… the Focus is too. But the Accent is definately a 3-door.

08/21, 5:13 PM

posted by:

neptronix

we have the 2 door focus but it looks like hell.
I don’t know WHO designed those taillights but they look super retarded. they are way too small and in the wrong place for the car. The new focus is also rather large.. i don’t even know if it fits in the compact category at all.

what we really need is the comeback of the integra/celica/mx3 type cars.. a slightly hopped up version of the standard economy car motor in a small aerodynamic body.. scion tries to do this but the closest they get is like a 2900lb monster version of the celica with a camry engine :(

08/21, 5:22 PM

posted by:

inline6

Just an observation, but I think it bodes well that, no matter what people are saying, just hours after both of these stories are posted, we have a combined total of 101 comments about the new Cruze. No matter what you might think about it, we are talking about it. And when it comes to Chevy’s passenger car lineup, getting people talking is what they want.

08/21, 5:27 PM

posted by:

megeebee

Personally, I would have kept the Cobalt name. But apparently they plan to produce the existing Cobalt simultaneously for a time and that would have been confusing. But, speaking as a supporter of the General, I wish that model names would be retained more often.

08/21, 5:40 PM

posted by:

anti-believer

I think they should bring back Vega name!

(joke)

08/21, 5:55 PM

posted by:

inline6

To be completely honest, Nova would have been better to bring back. Just like they did Malibu and Impala.

08/21, 6:00 PM

posted by:

olds307

LOOKS nice. Hate the name, and question the GMDAT origin of the platform.

08/21, 6:15 PM

posted by:

ktulu

Clearly, this car is importtant.

Mexico is in North America

I don’t like rebadging. Especiallu chevy 2 podntiac rebadgeing.

a coupe is MANDO!

Cruze is better than civic, por should be, 1ce it exists.

we should get a turbodiesel

the Civic sedan & coupe look hideously retarded

the Focus is actually a great car

Baggy pants and no underwear? just make sure u put ‘em on 4ward!

LI like the SX4

hatchbacks R 3-door.

th last thing we really need is the comeback of the integra/celica. The mx3 was cool, I thinl (was that the bubble-shaped 1 w/ the 1.8 V6?)

Yeah, the convo about the cruz is a good sign 4 GM.

“Impala” should be callen something else. a Real Impala is V8 & RWD.
THIS IS NOT A DAEWOO

08/21, 7:08 PM

posted by:

carstuff

My guess is that the 2 door version will be a Pontiac. Turbo 1.4L or perhaps a turbo 1.6.

All different sheet metal, all different interior. My guess is that it would share the interior with a non chevy coupe used elsewhere in the world.

08/21, 7:28 PM

posted by:

carstuff

Then again they may not have just released the info yet on a chevy coupe.

08/21, 7:31 PM

posted by:

02WRXPSM

Baggy pants and no underwear? just make sure u put ‘em on 4ward!

This, my friends, is wisdom for the ages.

08/21, 8:37 PM

posted by:

tzu13

I still have a hard time believing that “Cruze” was the best name they could come up with. Of course, I think it would’ve made the most sense not to change it all, but maybe that’s just me.

08/21, 8:39 PM

posted by:

steve333

I wonder if they are just going to keep the Cobalt SS Coupe, although it wouldnt make much sense having 2 names.\
Cruze is the dumbest name for a car I’ve heard in a long time.
Just keep it Cobalt, or if they have to change it:
Nova
Monza

The name Cruze alone will cost Chevy thousands of sales.

08/21, 9:34 PM

posted by:

bigp

nice one gm

08/22, 8:39 AM

posted by:

sj79

who cares about the name? The car looks good and will get great fuel economy. The cobalt was a decent effort that was competitive in many ways but lacked style. This car promises to challenge the 3 and civic as a potential class leader. The best part is it comes out a year after the 3 and the same year as the new civic. The corolla will be left in the dust once those cars hit the market. Not that it’s a great car right now.

08/22, 12:30 PM

posted by:

oldraven

The word Civic hos more to do with systems of Civilisation than a sense of duty. Usually referring to towns and cities. The Civic has its name because it’s meant to be a city car. A civic car. Made for the urban world, not the country.

08/26, 8:22 PM

posted by:

THawkoo

“Cruze is not better than civic.. civic means something.. cruze reminds me of a hollywood actor name or some crap.”

Or how about what you actually do in a car…. LOL

Retard.

 
 
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