GM on Cruze Control: New Small Chevy Delay Confirmed. Ish.
Thoze of you who were wondering why Chevy would build both the Cobalt AND the new Cruze have stopped wondering by now. Last Thursday, Business Week speculated about cash conflagration-caused cuts to GM product development, including the possibile delay of the new new new Malibu and, perhaps, GM’s Next Small Thing, the Chevy Cruze. The typographically-challenged eGMCarTech.com now reports the Cruze delay as a done deal. I mean, a not done deal. “As times get worse, GM is doing all it can from laying off salaried workers, selling brands and closing plants. Latest reports from sources say that the much anticipated 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which was supposed to be GM’s major opportunity to lure in fuel-efficient conscious customers, will be delayed almost a year. The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze was originally set to arrive in April of 2010 as a replacement to the Cobalt. Sources now say it has been pushed back to 2011.” What about that $500m investment in Lordstown for Cruze engine production? That’s SO two months ago. Hmmm. For a business operating on five-year product cycles, how bad must thingz be for the General to make such a quick– and public– about-face? Very bad indeed.
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Well, thankz for uzing an image with a German number plate anyway. Will thiz lure me into buying a GM product (Opel)? Eh no... don´t think so. Will stick with the uzual VW. German Guy P.S. Can you pleaze conzider buying one of our Mercz?
So because you're running low on cash, you'll sell the Cobalt another year? You'll run even more low on cash when 2,500 Cobalts are on every dealer's lot unsold. Just stop making it!
The Cruze would be a competitive small car as a 2009 model. By 2011 there will be a new Civic, Mazda3 and probably Corolla. The Cruze will look dated right out of the gate and be doomed to be another GM fleet stuffer. Why can't GM ever seem to get beyond playing catch-up?
Dont believe it! We WILL see the Cruz! Just be a little patient and try to understand that probably 25% of these "unnamed sources" are a friend of a friend of a friend that is a file clerk at a supplier that supplies copy machine paper to a supplier of a supplier of G.M.! Freedom of the press means JUST THAT!