Favorable reviews greet rollout of Lordstown-built Next-Generation Cruze

Staff report

LORDSTOWN

From the looks of it, the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze is considered a top contender in the compact-car segment.

The talk of it focuses on the class-leading technology, styling and safety features.

The feel of it is that it’s a hit.

“I believed all along from when I first saw the car that it would eventually be the No. 1 vehicle in it’s segment,” said Glenn Johnson, United Auto Workers Local 1112 president, which represents about 3,000 assembly workers at the GM Lordstown plant.

Now the launch on this top-contender has hit a roadblock in a two-week production suspension, but Johnson says they will get through it.

“We have gone through worse things,” Johnson said.

During the same week the restyled 2016 Chevrolet Cruze started to receive positive reviews from auto blogs and media outlets, GM announced the suspension because of supplier issues after the Japan earthquakes.

The suspension begins today and will continue during the week of May 2.

Three other GM North America plants: Fairfax, Kan.; Spring Hill, Tenn.; and Oshawa, Ontario, also will have suspended production because of the earthquakes.

The suspensions are not expected to have a significant impact on GM’s four-year production plans in North America.

“Once the down time is completed and our production schedules and part availability allow, we will begin making up those lost units, which we expect to be complete by the end of the year,” said Thomas Mock, Lordstown plant spokesman.

Some of the workers at the plant, where 4,500 are employed, will receive layoff notices for the suspension and others will continue to work.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com