Cruze Hits The Street In Korea, Still In US Development Hell
Automotive News [sub] tells us that GM’s big hope small car, the Cruze, has gone on sale in Korea as the Daewoo Lacetti. The replacement for Top Gear’s one-time “reasonably priced car” comes with a 1.6 liter four-banger, making 116 hp and costing only $7,948 in devalued Won. With production underway in Gunsan, Korea, GM needs only develop US-market trim and begin production of its 1.4 liter turbo-four engine to bring the Cruze stateside. Unfortunately, GM is on a zero-development budget for 2009, meaning production at Lordstown, OH is on hold. We won’t expect any news of US production of the Cruze until the Department of Energy writes up regulation controlling the $25b in retooling loans needed to get Lordstown rolling. Still, it’s nice to know that, unlike certain other GM vehicles in the pipeline (cough, Volt, cough) the Cruze is already on the road, if only in Korean spec. If GM can’t find the money to build and sell a small, already-developed economy car, well, it makes one wonder what they’re doing in business at all.
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Redbarchetta : That is Mike Grimaldi, Pres GMDAT, and formerly the GM Exec that brought the GMT 800 program together in the 90's, the program where the Silverado became the best pickup in the world. Also the guy that hit the hole in one at the Buick Open and had to donate the prize.
As the current/recent (2004-2008) Suzuki Forenza (eg Daewoo) is actually a significantly better car than the Lobalt (and about on a par with the Versa/Corolla of the same vintage), I would say it would still help GM. Granted, none of the above are going to scare Toyohondissan.
Delaying the Cruze due to low funds is like taking an unpaid day of work because your car is low on gas. Priorities people!