New Cruze will replace GM’s Cobalt

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Spy photos of a camoflauged vehicle seen in Europe, believed to be the new Chevrolet Cruze.

By Don Shilling

The Cruze is called an evolution of the Cobalt.

It’s been the Chevrolet Cruze that’s been lurking under the camouflage in the recently released spy photos of General Motors’ new small car, an analyst said.

Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with AutoPacific in Southfield, Mich., said she is certain the car in the photos is the Cruze and it will be built in Lordstown as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt.

GM said this week that the Cruze would be built at GM’s Lordstown complex, but officials wouldn’t comment on photos that have been taken by freelance photographers of a small car that’s being tested in the U.S. and Europe. The car’s design has been partially hidden by black and white tape or leather wraps.

Brinley said GM doesn’t have another small car program in development, so the photos must be of the Cruze.

She added that the arrival of the Cruze will mean the end of the Cobalt, which has been made in Lordstown since 2004. Earlier, there had been some industry speculation that Cobalt production would shift to Mexico.

The photos show that the Cruze has a traditional styling that builds on what the Cobalt offered, Brinley said.

“The Cruze is an evolution of the Cobalt,” she said.

The Cobalt had a short run, but that wasn’t really because GM is disappointed with the car, she said. The change reflects GM’s decision to sell the same small car around the world, she said.

GM has said that moving to a global small car will allow it to trim development and production costs. Brinley added that an international car needs a name that will work in many places.

GM and Suzuki had a joint venture that sold a car in Asia that was called the Cruze, so GM knows that name works, she said. Often a name that works well in one country can have a derogatory meaning in another, she said.

The new model is to be shown at an auto show in Paris in October. Brinley said production at a European plant will start next year. Those models will be shipped to Europe and Asia.

GM has said that production at the Lordstown complex will start in 2010, but Brinley said she wouldn’t be surprised if Cruze production started locally at the end of 2009.

The Cruze models sold throughout the world will have some differences because countries have different vehicle regulations, she said.

For example, both the front and back ends will have slightly different looks because of varying bumper requirements. Also, headlights will be different because of regulations on how much light can be emitted. The models likely will have different suspensions because Americans prefer a softer ride than Europeans, she said.

In the meantime, the Lordstown complex has started producing the 2009 model of the Cobalt. The new version has increased power and fuel efficiency, said Nancy Libby, a Chevrolet spokeswoman.

Modifications to the engine give the car 155 horsepower, compared with 148 for previous models. The Cobalt SS, which has a supercharger, has 260 horsepower.

The engine changes and tires with less rolling resistance also provide more fuel economy.

The 2009 Cobalt with automatic transmission is rated at 24 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. The 2008 model was rated at 22/31.

The 2009 Cobalt with a manual transmission is rated 26/37, both of which are one mpg increases over the Cobalt XFE models that were introduced recently.

New for the 2009 model year is a four-door sedan for the Cobalt SS. The supercharger had been available only in a coupe.

shilling@vindy.com