GM will add 9 new vehicles to Chevy line

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- General Motors Corp., coming off a makeover of the upscale Cadillac line and the redesign of its Lordstown-built Cavalier, will add nine new vehicles to its high-volume Chevrolet brand in the next few years.
The models include a high-roofed crossover vehicle, code named HHR. It is scheduled for the 2006 model year and will be targeted to young families, said Gary Cowger, president of GM North America.
Speaking at an automotive seminar Thursday in this northern Michigan city, Cowger said the design of the HHR is a blend of Chevy's upcoming SSR roadster and the 1949 Suburban.
Crossover vehicles, which typically have characteristics of a car, minivan and sport utility vehicle, were the fastest growing category among U.S. autos last year.
GM hopes the four-cylinder, five-seat HHR and the other new vehicles will boost Chevy's annual sales to 3 million a year. Chevrolet, which accounts for more than half of GM's annual volume, sold 2.6 million vehicles last year.
Cowger said GM hasn't determined pricing or production levels for the HHR or where it will be built, but it will be produced on a modified passenger car platform.