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Cruze excels in Oct. sales
Dealer: Eco arrival will add to allure
By Grace Wyler
Lordstown
Mahoning Valley auto dealers had a hard time keeping the Cruze on their lots in October as the new Lordstown-built compact car continues to top even General Motors’ expectations.
Regulators rated the Cruze Eco model at 42 miles per gallon in highway driving this week, exceeding GM’s promise of 40 mpg.
Local car buyers snapped up 39 Cruzes last month, making the car the Valley’s sixth most-popular new- vehicle purchase in October. Nationwide, GM sold 5,048 Cruze units last month.
“The Cruze is flying off the shelf,” said David Sabolsky, general manager of Spitzer Chevrolet in North Jackson. “It’s a great sign.”
Demand likely will continue to increase with the arrival of the Cruze Eco in January, Sabolsky added.
This week’s EPA rating puts the Eco at the top of the compact segment in terms of fuel economy and beats out several hybrid models, such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Toyota Camry Hybrid.
And at $18,895, the Eco will be an attractive alternative to more-expensive hybrid and electric vehicles, Sabolsky said.
“I think the public will see the value of this car,” he said. “It shows Chevrolet is really going after the imports.”
October Cruze sales were limited by a short supply of the new car, but area dealerships said they are starting to build up Cruze inventories.
The Lordstown General Motors Complex, which launched the Cruze in early September, has been ramping up production slowly as the company continues to emphasize quality over speed. The plant is expected to accelerate to full production speed by the end of this year.
“Inventory is getting better,” said Doug Sweeney, president of Sweeney Chevrolet in Boardman. “It’s slower than we would like it to be, but it is ramping up.”
Demand for new vehicles has increased significantly in the past year, Sweeney said. The dealership’s year-to-date sales of new Chevrolet models are up 137 percent compared to 2009, he said.
Three Chevrolet vehicles — the Malibu, the Silverado 1500 and the Equinox — topped the list of the Valley’s most-popular new vehicles in October. The Ford Focus and the Ford F-150 also were among the Valley’s top-sellers last month.
Overall, local dealerships sold 1,674 new vehicles in October, up from 1,171 sold in October 2009.
Year-to-date sales were up 8.5 percent over 2009. Dealers sold 16,422 new vehicles in the first 10 months of 2010, compared with 15,123 sold in the same period last year.