Cruze Hatchback to be made in Mexico

January 7, 2016 at 12:10a.m.

lordstown

Lordstown union leaders would have been happy to have the Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback come to the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant.

But instead, the vehicle will be produced at the Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, plant and the local plant will continue to build the Cruze sedan.

“As a leader of the auto workers in Lordstown, I would be wrong if I would say I wasn’t disappointed that there was product out there and we didn’t have the opportunity to build it,” said Glenn Johnson, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1112. “We have plenty of work. We are going to continue to build all of the sedans here and be willing to listen to any other work that’s out there.”

The 2017 Cruze Hatchback will debut at the North American International Auto Show, which starts Monday.

The hatchback comes with the technology and the “dynamic driving attributes” that are in the all-new 2016 Cruze sedan. The hatch adds “a functional and sporty choice for customers,” GM says.

The hatchback will go on sale in the fall of this year.

The next-generation Cruze sedan will hit sales floors this spring. It comes with a sleek style, and a lighter, yet larger body than the current model.

The new Cruze has 2 inches more in rear legroom. It is 250 pounds lighter to enhance its performance with the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. The new Cruze is expected to go from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds. The fuel economy of the new Cruze exceeds that of the previous model with 40 mpg highway compared with 35 mpg highway in the previous model, the automaker said.

Connectivity also is enhanced with the availability of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As for safety, the new Cruze comes with 10 airbags and some crash-avoidance technologies that are typically kept for more-expensive vehicles.

“Our focus is on our next-generation Cruze,” said Robert Morales, president of the UAW Local 1714. “It is a vehicle that is in high demand. The membership has worked hard to come to where we are today.”

The 4,500-some workers at the Lordstown plant have built the Chevy Cruze, a top-selling compact car for GM, since 2010.

About 1.5 million Cruzes have been built at the plant. Its success is expected to pave the way for the new Cruze.

Globally, there have been more than 3.5 million Cruzes sold since 2008.

“I still believe in our Cruze and I believe that people will purchase our Cruze,” Morales said.

The Cruze Hatch comes with the same, 106.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan model, but has wraparound taillamps. It opens to offer 18.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. With the rear seat folded, cargo space expands to 42 cubic feet, according to GM.

The 2017 Cruze Hatch will be offered in LT and Premier trims, and with the RS package.

“With 9 percent market growth in small hatchbacks last year, it’s the perfect time to bring the Cruze Hatch to America,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and Global Chevrolet. “As Cruze continues to set the tone for Chevrolet globally, it articulates the brand promise of offering cars with the latest technologies, more features and greater efficiency, performance and safety with fresh, distinctive styling.”

Jack Nerad, executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, explained that adding a new version of the Cruze is a pretty low investment and it provides a chance for the automaker to dip into another market.

“I really don’t think we will see a resurgence of them,” Nerad said of the hatchback models.

“I don’t see a lot of enthusiasm for the traditional hatchback. Maybe they see a hole in the market I don’t.”