Media await Cruze unveiling

Photo by: Special to The Vindicator

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SHOWTIME COMING: The official unveiling of General Motors Corp.’s Chevrolet Cruze is Wednesday. The automotive press will be in Los Angeles to get a close-up look at the Lordstown-built, fuel-efficient small car that replaces the popular Chevrolet Cobalt.

Industry writers like what they’ve seen of the Cruze so far.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

The automotive press is eagerly awaiting the official unveiling Wednesday of the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze.

Several trade publications said this week they will be checking out the car at the Los Angeles Auto Show to determine if it’s the premium small car that General Motors has promised.

“We’re particularly interested in how the car’s interior looks in person, and we’ll be sure to bring you photos when the car officially debuts,” AutoGuide.com said.

NextAutos.com said the Cruze appears to be an upgrade over the Chevrolet Cobalt, which is now made at GM’s Lordstown complex.

“Inside, a nicely designed cabin sports higher-grade materials than the Cobalt, and it looks really upscale, especially with the two-tone leather trims,” the report said.

The Cruze and the Chevrolet Volt are to be highlighted as fuel-efficient models during GM’s press conference on the first day of the auto show’s media preview. GM has said the Cruze will get up to 40 mpg on the highway.

GM has shown the Cruze in the U.S. before but those were models produced in Asia. The Lordstown-built model is to be launched between July and September of 2010.

Motor Trend said it is encouraged that GM is billing the U.S. model as having top-notch quietness and having more interior and cargo room than Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

“Based on the [overseas] models we’ve driven so far and the U.S. version’s impressive set of features and options, the 2011 Cruze may indeed have what it takes to stay out of rental lots and roll into the garages of customers countrywide,” the report said.

Trade-publication writers are eager to drive the Lordstown-built car.

“We’re really eager to get our hands on one equipped with the new Ecotec 1.4-liter turbocharged four [cylinder]. This engine may only be good for 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, but that should be plenty of grunt to make the Cruze a spunky little steer,” NextAuto.com said.

Motor Trend said it expects to drive a U.S. model in the next several months.

In a news release issued in advance of the auto show, GM emphasized the improvements that will come from a $350 million overhaul of the Lordstown complex. Included in the work was the installation of new body-framing and welding equipment that will improve the quality of construction, GM said.

Exterior panels will have gaps of 3 millimeters or less, which will give the cars a solid look, the automaker said.

shilling@vindy.com

Details on the Chevrolet Cruze:

Price: Not announced.

Available: Will be launched between July and September 2010.

Engines: The base LS model will have a 1.8-liter engine with 136 horsepower, while the LT and LTZ models will feature a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with 138 horsepower and increased torque.

Handling: An upgraded suspension and rear axle system, as well as a stability control system, are designed to provide increased balance during turns.

Standard: 10 air bags, electric power steering, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

Options: Leather and heated front seats, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar, and Bluetooth.

Source: General Motors