Badged as the Daewoo Lacetti in Korea and the Holden Cruze in Australia, it is known everywhere else in the world as the Chevrolet Cruze. Already available in Mexico (that’s right, Mexico), the Cruze will go on sale in this part of North America in the third quarter of next year as a 2011 model.

Earlier today, GM released new details as well as some of the first official interior shots of the newest model to wear the bowtie. The Cruze, which will be built at the General’s Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant, is expected to hit showrooms in the third quarter of next year.

“Cruze is already a hit across Europe and Asia; and now, it’s coming to America to challenge the status quo,” said Brent Dewar, GM Vice President, Chevrolet Global brand. “Along with the Volt electric vehicle, Cruze is the latest tangible example of how Chevrolet is working on exciting products that range from gas-friendly to gas-free.”

According to the press release, the new Cruze will include the following features:

•    New family of efficient four-cylinder engines, including a 1.4L turbo and 1.8L
•    Six-speed automatic and manual transmissions
•    Ten standard air bags, including frontal, side-impact, roof rail head curtain, rear seat side air bags and new knee air bags
•    Electronic stability control with rollover sensing
•    Bluetooth, USB connectivity and navigation system
•    XM Satellite Radio and OnStar
•    MacPherson strut front suspension and Watts Z-link rear suspension, with a family of 16-, 17- and 18-inch wheels
•    Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes
•    Fuel-saving, rack-mounted electric power steering

The stakes

While the Chevrolet Volt represents the direction the manufacturer is taking with leading edge technology, chances are slim that the company will ever make enough money on the model to even recover its development costs. But expectations for the Cruze are much higher. Not only is GM hoping for a hit with its latest small sedan, it is pulling out all the stops in order to change the way Americans think about what a small car should be.

A case in point – the body shop at Lordstown was retooled with the latest equipment in order to produce a body with gap tolerances of 3mm or less between most exterior panels and minimal production variances.

Inside, the Cruze features a headliner covered in a knit material that is color and grain-matched to the interior pillar and other moldings, while the seats are color-matched (a’ la the Malibu) to the instrument panel accent trim – giving the entire interior a high-quality feel. Instrument panel gauges are backlit using LED technology and all Cruzes feature a standard driver information center.

New powertrain

Standard on LT and LTZ models is a 1.4-liter turbo four producing 138 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque, while the base LS model with feature a normally-aspirated 1.8-liter four with 136 horsepower and 123 lb.-ft. of torque. But here’s the kicker – both come with either a 6-speed manual or optional 6-speed automatic transmission.

Here at LotPro.com

We have often been accused of promoting an agenda that includes small cars as well as anything that competes with domestic products. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us here grew up loving Detroit iron. And throughout the fifties and the early sixties, we saw the vehicles (not the “product”) coming out of the factories here in the Midwest as the best the world could produce.

But much of that luster was lost as the big three came to rest on its laurels – while missing the boat on smaller cars in their own backyard (even as their European subsidiaries pumped out some of the better smaller rides).

But small cars weren’t the segment that was being lost to the imports. Starting with Acura in the late eighties, the best of Detroit’s luxury makers gradually lost ground to the Japanese and then the Germans, so that by the nineties, both Cadillac and Lincoln (Chrysler effectively killed off the badge in 1990 when the Imperial became a K-car) had become also-rans in the segment (the 1982 Cimarron comes to mind, as does Cadillac’s V8-6-4 engine).

A renaissance (an era, not the building)

Beginning in 2002, however, a revival began at Cadillac with the introduction of the first CTS sedan (a 2003 model). This was followed by the STS sedan in 2004 and the second-generation CTS in 2007.

One year later at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, Cadillac unveiled the CTS Coupe Concept, a stunning designed based on the CTS sedan, promising its eventual production and today, the company announced that 2011 CTS Coupe would, indeed, begin arriving in Cadillac showrooms in the spring of 2010.

“Cadillac has always been an emotional brand – it’s about delivering art regardless of body style,” said Max Wolff, director of exterior design for Cadillac. “With the CTS Coupe, it was about taking something very strong – the CTS Sport Sedan – and extending its potential.”

Virtually unchanged

The actual production coupe carries over virtually unchanged from the concept car. Wheelbase is shared with the sedan, but height and length are 2” lower and 2” shorter than the four door. Although based on the sedan, the coupe shares only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille with its sibling.

“CTS Coupe is the new focal point of Cadillac, expressing both our design and technical capabilities,” said Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac general manager. “It is intended to appeal to a new generation of car enthusiasts.”

According to Cadillac, other key design features include:

•    Classic hardtop styling, with no conventional B-pillar
•    Touch-pad operation for the doors removes the need for conventional door handles, creating a technical, clean profile
•    A windshield laid at a faster angle (62.3 degrees) and a long, nearly horizontal backglass area combine to create a sleek, aerodynamic look
•    Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
•    Diamond cut-style rear fascia with mesh lower grilles
•    Center-outlet exhaust with twin dihedral-shaped tips that pass through the rear fascia
•    Signature vertical lighting, highlighted with LED light pipes
•    Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
•    Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio.

Here at LotPro.com we see that General Motors is once again dipping into the bin of nameplates past to come up with the moniker of its next mid-size sports sedan, the Buick Regal. The official announcement came at a meeting of Buick-GMC dealers this morning.

“The transformation of Buick began with our luxury crossover, the Buick Enclave and continued this year with the launch of the 2010 LaCrosse premium sedan,” said Susan Docherty, Buick GMC General Manager. “We’re thrilled to announce that the Regal will be the next member of the Buick family.”

The Regal nameplate

Originally introduced in 1973 as an upscale version of that year’s Century, the Regal was originally offered only as a hardtop coupe with rear opera windows (hey, it was the 70’s).

In 1978, the Regal was downsized and began its 9 year run (reign?) with the noteworthy option of a 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6 engine, making it one of only 2 turbocharged domestics (along with the Buick LeSabre) and one of only 4 turbocharged vehicles available in the U.S. (along with the Saab and the Porsche 930).

Third and fourth generation versions followed in 1988 and 1997, respectively, with the fourth generation Regal GS clocking a ¼ mile ET of 14.7 seconds from its 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 that produced 240 hp and 280 ft.-lb. of torque.

The General eighty-sixed the Regal in 2004 and it was replaced by the Buick LaCrosse in 2005. And although the brand has been famous for attracting the blue-haired crowd, it appears that these customers still remember the name since, according to the press release, it “continues to be one of the top Buick nameplates recalled by consumers even though it’s been out of the market for the past six years.”

The new Buick Regal

Unofficially, Bob Lutz confirmed to Scott Burgess of The Detroit News back in August that the new Regal will be the same vehicle (with minor cosmetic changes as reflected in the teaser photo) as the one that was launched in China in November of 2008, which is based on the same architecture as the Opel Insignia.

Yesterday marked the beginning of production of the latest generation Vauxhall Astra at the U.K. subsidiary of Opel at GM of Europe’s Ellesmere Port facility – one of Opel-Vauxhall’s largest assembly plants and the only one in Western Europe that will build the Astra.

As a reflection of the new reality in the automotive industry, Ellesmere competed against GM assembly facilities in Trollhätten, Sweden, Antwerp, Belgium and Bochum, Germany back in 2007 in order to secure the rights to produce the new Opel.

2010 Opel/Vauxhall Astra

Making its premiere at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the sixth generation of the Astra is based on General Motors new Delta architecture – the same platform that GM is using for the Chevrolet Volt and Cruze models.

Unlike the previous generation, which languished in Saturn showrooms, the new 2010 Opel Astra features all-new sheet metal featuring sleek curves that replace the rather staid design of the fifth gen model.

To compliment its new alluring style is a broad selection of both gasoline and diesel engines. In addition to the base 1.4-liter naturally aspirated engine and an optional 1.6-liter turbo (from the Opel Insignia), GM has added a new 1.4-liter turbo unit that, according to the General, is expected to deliver fuel economy savings of up to 8% over both older engines.

Diesel offerings include 1.3, 1.7 and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines with an ecoFlex version offering improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions expected sometime next year.

The new Astra will initially be offered in a five-door version, while a three-door GTC coupe and station wagon will come to market late next year and, in early 2011, Opel plans to add a four-door sedan and a cabrio version featuring a retractable hardtop.

If only

In the meantime,  Saturn dealers on this side of the pond can only watch from the sidelines and wonder what could have been.

The view from Auburn Hills

For those of us here at LotPro.com, the auto industry has always been a source of unending entertainment and events this week have certainly not proven us wrong.

Supermini goes large

On Wednesday, Fiat announced that the world’s largest Fiat 500 – five times the its normal size – would be coming to London for an event the company calls “The Big Smile.”

Designed to generate an awareness and interest in the new 500C, the 5:1 model has previously appeared at auto shows, although the latest iteration simulates the “open top” 500C, rather than the sedan through the use of a projection of the sky on the inner lining of the car’s roof.

If you happen to be in London between August 28th and September 2nd, it might be fun to check out the “big” Fiat, along with assorted roaming entertainers, stilt walkers and food stalls on Oxford Street.

Buick’s Saturn Vue/Opel Antara clone gets the axe

In a rapid reversal of events, GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens reported on his “Fast Lane” blog yesterday that the compact Buick CUV that he announced in Traverse City a few weeks ago and that had been described by Stephens, himself, on August 10th as a “beautiful new crossover” that would “debut our new plug-in hybrid technology” and “firmly put Buick, and GM, front and center in the advanced technology game” was history.

According to his blog, the small SUV “received consistent feedback from large parts of all the audiences (at a future product showcase at the company’s Milford Proving Ground) that it didn’t fit the premium characteristics that customers have come to expect from Buick.”

In the blog, he goes on to state that, “We were all struck by the consistency of the criticism of the compact crossover. And what we decided to do in response is a good example of the essence of the new General Motors… acting quickly, and boldly, and listening to feedback from customers, employees, dealers, media and just about anyone else with an opinion.”

Considering the fact that the erstwhile Pontiac Aztec also received less-than-glowing reviews from its focus groups (and we all know how that project ended), the decision to “86” the Buick was probably a prudent one.

The good news, however, is that the hybrid technology originally intended for the vehicle will be, according to the same blog, “applied to another vehicle, at no delay.”

Images courtesy of Fiat U.K. and General Motors

A first

At LotPro.com, we love cars that get great fuel economy. So it was with keen interest that we read this week that General Motors had announced that the Chevrolet Volt had become the first mass-produced vehicle to claim more than 100 mpg in the composite fuel economy rating. The EPA results also showed an electrical efficiency rating of 25 kilowatt hours/100 miles in the city cycle (equivalent to 230 miles per gallon).

Unlike conventional gasoline engines, the mileage testing on the Volt was performed using a new set of fuel economy standards that has been devised by the EPA specifically for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs).

The EPA’s new methodology for PHEVs places more weight on the city driving cycle and uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled, as opposed to miles per gallon, to define the efficiency of plug-ins (as in the aforementioned 25 kWh/100 miles). Given the current cost of electricity (11 cents per kWh), a Volt owner would pay about $2.75 for the amount of electricity it would take to travel 100 miles – an average of about 3 cents per mile.

The Volt

The Volt, you will remember, is GM’s most recent foray into the realm of pure electric vehicles and it is scheduled to start production near the end of next year and will be designated as a 2011 model. According to company estimates (using pre-production prototypes), it is expected to travel up to 40 miles on electricity alone from a single battery charge with an overall range of more than 300 miles through the use of a flex fuel-powered engine-generator.

“From the data we’ve seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” said GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson. “EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”

The numbers

“The 230 city mpg number is a great indication of the capabilities of the Volt’s electric propulsion system and its ability to displace gasoline,” said Frank Weber, global vehicle line executive for the Volt. “Actual testing with production vehicles will occur next year closer to vehicle launch. However, we are very encouraged by this development, and we also think that it is important to continue to share our findings in real time, as we have with other aspects of the Volt’s development.”

Images courtesy of General Motors

Newest Buick

Late last week, General Motors offered up a teaser image of a new Buick crossover vehicle that will be introduced as a 2011 model. According to the press release, the as-yet-to-be-named crossover will seat five and will first arrive in 2010 powered by a new family of direct-injected gasoline engines.

One year later, in 2011, a plug-in hybrid version will arrive and it’s expected to be the first commercially available plug-in SUV produced by a major automaker.

“Buick has always been at the forefront of new technology, so it is only fitting that the brand should debut our new plug-in hybrid technology in a beautiful new crossover,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of product development. “This will firmly put Buick, and GM, front and center in the advanced technology game.”

Gasoline version

They new hybrid will be smaller than the current Buick Enclave. According to Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, “Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller. We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand.”

The first engine to appear in the smaller SUV will be GM’s Ecotec 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine; while an optional 3.0-liter directed-injected V-6 will be available that is expected to deliver 30 plus mpg on the highway.

Plug-in version

They hybrid version will be powered by a modified version of the General’s current 2-Mode Hybrid system using advanced lithium-ion battery cells and the charging technology that was developed for the Chevrolet Volt.

The 8 kWh battery – containing half the energy of the Volt’s battery pack – can be fully recharged in four to five hours by connecting the vehicle to a conventional 110V household electrical outlet. If early testing is any indication, the Buick SUV should be capable of electric-only propulsion for more than ten miles at low speeds, while over-the-road the vehicle can use any combination of electric or gasoline engine power.

In addition to the battery pack, the hybrid’s powertrain system also includes two electric motors, an electronic control and battery management system, as well as a 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6 flex-fuel engine.

Déjà vu

If this all sounds strangely familiar, it should be remembered that earlier this year, before General Motors had decided to sell off the Saturn division, it was announced that the Saturn Vue 2-mode hybrid would also be available in a plug-in version. And while GM is tight-lipped on whether the new Buick is based on the Vue’s underpinnings (which, itself, is based on the German Opel Antara), chances are good that it is.

Images courtesy of General Motors

GM Desert Proving Ground

At LotPro.com we did some digging around and discovered that General Motors opened its Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona in April 1953. Although the company already had a much larger Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan that it had opened in 1924 as the auto industry’s first dedicated testing facility, the hot, dry Arizona weather enabled GM to test vehicles in weather and road conditions that were unavailable in southeastern Michigan.

Harley Earl with the Firebirds in Arizona

In addition to the dry climate, nearby Williams Air Force Base also made it difficult for civilian airplanes to fly in the nearby area, which “happened” to include the test track, without a special clearance. At its peak, the proving ground was home to more than 1,000 GM employees.

But things began to change rapidly in the 80’s and 90’s, and what once had been a very rural area southeast of Phoenix was rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the Southwest. In 1993, Williams Air Force Base closed and in 2000, General Motors announced that it was closing the Mesa complex and would be relocating its hot weather vehicle testing facility. GM sold a portion of the site in 2004 and the remainder in 2006 with the provision that it could lease the property back until the end of this year.

GM moves from Mesa to Yuma

Today, General Motors and the U.S. Army officially opened the company’s newest test facility on the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, located in, naturally, Yuma, Arizona in the southwest corner of the state.

The ceremony today marked the end of most of the additional construction required to build the infrastructure required for a modern automotive testing facility on a portion of the government proving ground that GM is leasing.

“This new facility meets several of our important product development needs,” said Ken Morris, executive director, Vehicle Integration, Proving Grounds and Performance Division. “We have a longer hot weather testing cycle, we have great partners with the Army and the city of Yuma, and we have a facility that will meet our needs in the years to come.”

Just the facts

Here is how GM describes the new Yuma Proving Ground:

The new facility will employ 75 engineers, technicians, and support staff, have 40 miles of roads, and cover 2400 acres of property on the Yuma site. The bulk of the work with be hot weather related testing, powertrain, ride and handling, and other vehicle development activities. Yuma has proved to be a perfect fit for GMs needs with a longer hot weather season than the Mesa area, relatively isolated and secure from photographers looking to get shots of the latest models being tested, and excellent support capabilities from the Yuma community.

The Yuma facility includes:

* 3.5 mile Circle Track (3 lanes)
* 1.4 mile Straight Track (2-3 lanes)
* 3.1 mile Ride Road (2-4 lanes)
* 1,000’ X 1,000’ Dynamics Pad
* Interior Noise Road
* Noise Pass-by Facility
* Misc. Grades

Other interesting facts:

* Located on the US Army military proving ground and artillery range
* 2400 acre site
* 24 acre building campus
* 98,000 sq/ft of building area
* 12 miles of perimeter security fencing
* 8 archeological sites
* 87 lane miles of 12 ft test tracks & roads using ~110,000 tons of asphalt and 4,000 cubic yards of concrete
* Almost 2,700 linear feet of concrete arch culverts were built using over 8,000 cubic yards of concrete.
* Saguaro Cactus, wild burros, coyotes, wild bees & rattle snakes

Yuma’s Avg. Rainfall 3.25”; Summer Temp. 109/81 F; Winter Temp. 69/46 F

Images courtesy of General Motors

Something to talk about

There hasn’t been a lot of good news coming out of General Motors’ Renaissance Center headquarters lately. Just yesterday, the company announced that it would extend the normal two week summer closing of thirteen of its plants for up to nine weeks to help clear a backlog of unsold new cars from its dealers. So it has to be with a certain sense of relief that the marketing folks at Chevy have finally got something to talk about that has nothing to do with layoffs, plant closures and bankruptcy.

Grand Sport

Today, GM’s Chevy division announced that the Grand Sport is returning to the Corvette lineup. The announcement, made at the annual Corvette Birthday Bash held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, heralds the return of one of the most storied names in the history of the Corvette.

Back in 1962, Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov began a semi-secret program within General Motors’ Chevrolet division to produce as many as 125 lightweight prototype Corvettes based on the new 1963 Stingray in response to what Ford was doing with the Shelby Cobra. After assembling five of the prototypes and racing (Grand Sport #004 won an SCCA race at Watkins Glen in August) as well as testing them at Sebring in the fall of 1963, plans called for a debut at the 12-hour race in 1964.

1996 Grand Sport

Before that could happen, GM brass announced that the company would follow the 1957 AMA anti-racing resolution to the letter and the company’s involvement with NASCAR, along with everything else (including the Grand Sport) would cease. The company also ordered that the prototypes (which included three coupes as well as two convertibles – coupes whose tops were removed) be destroyed.

Fortunately, all five were hidden away at Chevrolet engineering and the three coupes were eventually campaigned by “privateer” racers such as Roger Penske and Jim Hall.

2010 Corvette Grand Sport

Although the Grand Sport moniker made a brief appearance in 1996 when a total of 1,000 were produced (810 coupes and 190 convertibles) with the LT4 engine, the latest iteration will replace the current Z51 package and promises to push the current standard Vette closer to the performance of the Z06 model.

The new Grand Sport will be available in either coupe or convertible body styles and will be offered with the current LS-3 powertrain with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The engine will be rated at 430 horsepower and 424 lb-ft. of torque with the standard exhaust system or 436 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft. of torque with an optional two-mode exhaust system.

The list of Grand Sport features includes:

•    Wider front and rear fenders – including specific front fenders with integrated Grand Sport badges
•    Z06-style front splitter and tall rear spoiler
•    Functional brake ducts and extra cooling
•    Unique 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels; painted finish standard and chrome finish optional
•    Large 275/35ZR18 tires in front and 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear
•    Z06-size brakes, including 14-inch (355 mm) front rotors with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340 mm) rear rotors with four-piston calipers
•    Specific manual transmission gear ratios
•    Specific rear axle ratio on automatic-equipped models

The Grand Sport can be ordered with the 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT trim packages and the coupe option also includes a removable roof. All of the Corvette’s exterior colors are offered and an available “Heritage” package, offered in four colors, adds front fender hash marks as well as two-tone seats with “Grand Sport” embroidery.

New York 2009

As the last of the major auto shows in the U.S. for 2009, many expected that the show would be a sleeper – especially given the current economic conditions. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth as evidenced by a couple of the intros that took place today.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

May of us here at LotPro.com can remember when the Grand Cherokee led the charge of the luxury SUVs into the marketplace. Since that time, it has become increasingly lost in the sea of domestic and import brands. Although the phrase “better late than never” comes to mind, time will only tell if the new 2011 model will ever enter the marketplace, which is a shame.

With a platform shared with the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the newest GC has a claimed 146 percent increase in tortional stiffness over its predecessor along with unibody construction and a fully-independent air suspension that gives the vehicle an adjustable ground clearance of anywhere from 6.6 inches to a towering 11.1 inches.

The previous generation’s too-busy sheetmetal has also been cleaned up resulting in a less caricature-like “Jeep” face as well as smoother lines. A new base 3.6 liter V6 is at the bottom of the power line-up, while the V8 choice is a 5.7 liter Hemi with 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque equipped with cylinder deactivation technology.

2010 GMC Terrain

The 2010 GMC Terrain was a bit of a shock to many of us here at LotPro.com. Although GM has a styling history of questionable styling directions – a.k.a. the Pontiac Aztek – most of the current Lutz-influenced models have ranged from successful (Malibu) to stunning (CTS). And while the Terrain’s twin, the Chevy Equinox, is no paragon of automotive design, its nicely flowing lines radiating back from its signature grill make it one of the better-looking entries in this segment. The Terrain, on the other hand, appears to suffer from a lack of design cohesion: Its bulging fender flares seeming to contrast sharply with its Audi-esque grille.

Under the hood, things are, thankfully, better. In keeping with the current drive for fuel economy, the base 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine will deliver 21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway in front-wheel drive versions, while the optional 3.0 liter V6 is rated at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway while both feature six-speed automatic transmissions.