Here's to a prosperous life for beautiful new GM baby
Celebration, excitement and optimism rightly fill the air at the Lordstown General Motors Assembly Plant and at Chevrolet dealerships throughout the Mahoning Valley and the nation as the long-awaited next-generation Cruze compact car proudly rolls into the world.
Coming-out parties for the sleek and sophisticated debutante of the automotive universe have begun amid much fanfare, hoopla and high expectations. The enthusiasm of Tom Brittain, president and dealer at Brittain Motors in East Palestine, likely mirrors that of other Chevrolet dealers who are receiving their first shipments of the automobile this month.
“Everything that Lordstown has built has continuously improved from the beginning,” he said. “We have no doubt that the new Cruze will be even better than what we expected,” he told The Vindicator’s business writer Kalea Hall last week.
That pride has its seeds in GM leaders who designed and engineered the vehicle and the 4,500 employees of Lords- town GM who have carefully and assiduously worked over the past year to ensure its quality matches its hype.
Some, like United Auto Workers Local 1112 President Glenn Johnson at the plant, make an apt comparison between the delivery of the new Cruze to the delivery of a baby.
“It’s like the birth of your child,” said Johnson, who represents 3,000 assembly plant workers in Lordstown. “It makes you proud – proud for our members to see that come to fruition.”
To be sure, the new compact vehicle that many expect to lead its market line this year represents the product of commitment, hard work and a passion for unqualified excellence.
And that pride and optimism are not the simple sentimental response of local doting parents. Other faraway sources have sung the praises of the Cruze as well, plus the vehicle comes from a great lineage of older siblings.
COUNTING CRUZE’S STRENGTHS
After all, the Valley-produced vehicle has ranked as the No. 1-selling compact throughout much of its six-year life. Consider just a few ways in which the next-gen model is out to keep that tradition alive and strengthen its already respectable family name:
In its design, the Chevrolet Division has updated the Cruze’s unassuming look for a more expressive, smoother build. Its more lanky yet leaner look – 2.7 inches longer overall but about 200 pounds lighter – serves up sweeter eye candy for those whose taste gravitates toward sleekness and sophistication.
In its technological inner workings, the next-gen version really gets its geek on. For example, it boasts enhanced connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to easily access navigation, hands-free texting, calling and music
In its value, the new Cruze gives its competition a run for the money. Its pricing, similar to 2015 models, ranges from $17,495 for the Cruze L manual transmission to $23,995 for the Cruze premier automatic. In money-saving fuel economy, it’s capable of reaching 42 miles per gallon on the highway, a level unsurpassed in its lucrative segment of the vehicle market.
With all of those – and other – attributes, we hold little doubt that the first months of the darling Cruze’s life will be greeted with many ooohs, ahhhhs and buys. Strong sales mean supercharged production levels at the Valley’s largest industrial employer, job security for its 4,500 workers and an increased impact on the overall Mahoning Valley economy. Clearly, there’s much to celebrate.
The aura of celebration only will be heightened in coming weeks and months as the Lordstown plant gears up for its 50th anniversary of operation. April 28 will mark five decades since the first Chevrolet Impala rolled off the assembly line at the sprawling brand-spanking new automobile-making behemoth in the Mahoning Valley.
Now, as then, all eyes focus squarely on the future. We have little reason to doubt that the hard work, commitment and detailed planning that went into the birth of the next-generation Cruze will steer the local automaker toward healthy growth and ongoing success throughout this exciting launch year and well beyond.