Chevy Adds Content to Small Cars

Chevrolet is reinventing its small-car strategy with the Cruze, Aveo and Spark.

"Everything you know about the small cars that we have done for the U.S. in the past does not apply anymore," says Margaret Brooks, product director for Chevrolet's small and compact cars.

The Cruze compact and Aveo subcompact will move away from economy-car status, with a long list of standard equipment, such as air conditioning and heated outside mirrors. The Spark minicar, though, will be targeted at budget buyers.

Chevrolet's strategy relies on engineering outside the United States. U.S. sales for the German-engineered Cruze begin in the third quarter, followed late in 2011 by the Korean-redesigned Aveo. The Spark goes on sale in 2012.

Today, Chevrolet's small-car lineup consists of the Aveo, Cobalt and HHR. Combined U.S. sales of the three models was 214,082 in 2009, down 37 percent from 2008. The Cruze will replace the Cobalt; the HHR will be dropped in 2011.

Brooks says Chevrolet revisited its standard-equipment strategy for the Cruze and Aveo to appeal to buyers "moving down from bigger cars."

"They are not looking to be in the lowest-priced vehicle in the lineup," she says. "They want a richly contented vehicle. We are going to market with really nicely equipped cars."

Brooks adds: "Cruze is clearly a core product for Chevy."

As for the Spark, which will be the lowest-priced Chevrolet, the standard-equipment level will not be as extensive. "Spark has a different role to play," she says.









Cruze

The Cruze is the successor to the Cobalt, although the price point will be higher and the list of standard equipment longer. The Cruze comes with air conditioning, power windows and door locks -- all options on the Cobalt -- plus 10 airbags.

GM has not revealed the Cruze's base price. The Cobalt has four airbags and a starting price of $15,710 with shipping.

Brooks says that for the Cruze, "Most people are surprised the target customer is more apt to be in the 40 to 50 age group, more apt to be an empty nester" or a family needing a second vehicle.

The Cruze is aimed at the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

The Cruze was developed by GM's Adam Opel r&d center in Ruesselsheim, Germany, on the automaker's new global compact platform. U.S. production is slated for Lordstown, Ohio. One model, a four-door sedan, will be offered.









Aveo

Brooks says: "The Aveo is a sporty car in the European sense, and it is going to have sporty ride and handling characteristics to go along with it." An Aveo, she says, "has a more youthful personality than a Cruze."

The car is engineered by GM Daewoo Auto & Technology in South Korea on GM's new global small-car platform. The Aveo will be assembled in Lake Orion, Mich. Two models are planned, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback. Competitors will include the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris.









Spark

The Spark will be the smallest car GM sells in North America. GM has not announced where the U.S. version of the Spark will be assembled.

One model, a five-door hatchback, is planned. The Spark is engineered by GM Daewoo on GM's new minicar platform. The European version is 143.3 inches long, about 3 feet longer than the Smart ForTwo.

Today, the two-passenger Smart "is one competitor" for the Spark, Brooks says, but "we think there will be additional cars coming in that space."

Volume in the minicar segment is hard to predict, Brooks says. But, she adds: "We do know from our research, there are customers, especially in urban areas, that really like the compactness of the car, the affordability, the fuel economy."

'Green' Cruze to debut at New York auto show

General Motors Co. will unveil a high-efficiency version of the Chevrolet Cruze at this week's New York International Auto Show.

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model, available in the fourth quarter of this year and powered by a 1.4-liter Ecotec turbocharged engine, will get an estimated 40 miles per gallon on the highway with a six-speed transmission.

The Cruze has been labeled by GM executives as the Detroit automaker's most important new launch vehicle aimed at boosting fuel efficiency and meeting tougher federal regulations. The Cruze is a bet by GM that customers will want a small car in large volumes at a time when crossovers and full-size sport-utility vehicles remain popular in the U.S. marketplace.

"The Cruze Eco delivers hybrid-like efficiency without the price tag," said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet marketing.

GM already has added a third shift of production, and is adding 1,200 workers at its Lordstown plant in Ohio to produce the Cruze. GM also is investing $350 million to retool the plant and install new manufacturing equipment.

"This investment helps secure the best possible manufacturing footprint to react to market demand and deliver vehicles faster to our customers," Campbell said.

The Cruze also will be available in a sportier version, equipped with unique fascias, rocker moldings, a rear spoiler and fog lamps.

The Cruze Eco model, meanwhile, will get greater fuel economy thanks to several features that enhance aerodynamics, reduce the vehicle's weight and rolling resistance.

"Anything you can do these days to get extra mileage out of a vehicle is going to be a benefit," said auto analyst Erich Merkle of Autoconomy.com in Grand Rapids.

"Not just from a sales perspective, but also from the overall perceived image of the brand. When you're talking about 40 plus miles per gallon out of a compact car, you really start to beat your competition, such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic."

The Cruze is one of two major launches this year that could help burnish the Chevrolet brand. The Volt, an extended-range electric car, follows late this year and will let commuters travel up to 40 miles on electric power.

The Volt's engine kicks in after its battery is drained by about 70 percent to sustain the battery's remaining charge to keep the car running for several hundred miles.

"For a company like Chevrolet that is thought to be a real lagger in fuel efficiency, they represent leadership in terms of overall fuel efficiency performance," Merkle said.

GM Back's Black Box Bill

GM supports legislation to require so-called "black boxes" in vehicles to collect crash data, and it is willing to support additional "reasonable" auto safety legislation.
Meeting with reporters Friday, GM's new vice president for government relations, Robert E. Ferguson, said GM backs legislation in the works from Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, to mandate event data recorders.

"I think EDRs ought to be in every car," Ferguson said. "Devices ought to be readily available so that law enforcement can find out what happens to vehicles involved in crashes."

Similar to black boxes on airplanes, auto recorders collect data for the last five seconds of a crash, including vehicle speed and whether the driver was wearing a seatbelt and applied the brakes, reports The Detroit News.

GM began widely installing the predecessor version of today's event data recorders in vehicles in the 1990 model year, and they became standard equipment in light duty vehicles in the 1995 model year.

Chevy Cruze finalist for World Car of the Year,
Camaro finalist for World Car Design of the Year

According to TheAutoChannel.com, the World Car Awards announced that Chevrolet Cruze is a finalist for the prestigious World Car of the Year Award, and the Chevrolet Camaro is a finalist for the World Car Design of the Year Award. The winners will be announced at the New york International Auto Show on Thursday, April 1.

The Cruze is one of the 10 finalists for the World Car of the Year Award, as selected by a jury of 59 international automotive journalists, based on their experience with each candidate as part of their professional work. The jury members constitute a balance of representation from Asia, Europe, North American, South America, as well as other parts of the world.

The jurors' next step is to re-evaluate the "top ten" cars, in preparation for a final round of voting in February. They will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance.

"Being a finalist for the World Car of the Year confirms the momentum behind Cruze," says Jim Campbell, Chevrolet General Manager. "More than 125,000 customers in Asia and Europe have already chosen the all-new Cruze. That strong acceptance on the world stage makes us confident that Cruze will be successful here in the U.S. as well when it goes on sale in the third quarter of this year."

Cruze has already earned the top rating of five stars from the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP). According to EuroNCAP, Cruze is the first passenger car to receive maximum scores in both the frontal offset collision test and side impact crash test since EuroNCAP began providing crash test ratings in 1997. Cruze also received best-in-class, five-star crash safety ratings in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) testing in Australia, and the Chinese New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) testing in China.

The is one of four finalists for the World Car Design of the Year, as selected by a jury of five design experts from around the world. The 59 World Car Awards jurors will now vote on the expert's design recommendations.

"It's rather humbling to be nominated for the best new design in the world," says Tom Peters, executive director, GM performance cars and full-size trucks. "The nomination is a tribute to the passion of many individuals who worked so hard to make the dream of the new Camaro come to life."

According to Yahoo!, Camaro was the most-searched vehicle in 2009. Camaro has also received the Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award, and was named an All-Star by Automobile Magazine. Since its introduction in 2009, Camaro has outsold Mustang for seven straight months.

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Phillips Chevrolet has the Largest Chevy inventory in Illinois! With everyday low prices and a constantly evolving inventory of new Chevy Cars and Chevy trucks, Phillips Chevrolet is a great place to go for a Chicago Chevy Dealer. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com.

Three Chevy's Named to Kelley Blue Book's Top 10 Family Cars

Kbb.com recognized three Chevrolet vehicles as their 2010 Top 10 Family Cars, which are the Equinox, Suburban and Traverse. The list represents the best vehicles for families, based on factors such as resale value, fuel efficiency, capability and kid-friendliness. Here's what Kelley Blue Book had to say about Chevrolet line-up.

2010 Chevrolet Equinox: In the highly populated crossover category, the Chevy Equinox stands out from the crowd as a vehicle that competently embodies function and form. In addition to an upscale interior and bold exterior styling, the Equinox is also able to achieve a class-leading 32 mpg on the highway(in four-cylinder form).

2010 Chevrolet Suburban: Even when carrying nine passengers, the Chevy Suburban still offers a cavernous 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Still not enough? Hook up a trailer and the Suburban can tow up to 9,600 pounds. Beyond sheer size and strength, the suburban delivers a comfortable ride and plenty of occupant-codding niceties.

2010 Chevrolet Traverse: Boasting more cargo volume than even its Chevy Tahoe stablemate, the Traverse is the biggest crossover on the road, yet it beats the fuel economy of many smaller three row vehicles. Chevrolet's lower starting price makes it our choice for families.

Phillips Chevrolet has the Largest Chevy inventory in Illinois! With everyday low prices and a constantly evolving inventory of new Chevy Cars and Chevy trucks, Phillips Chevrolet is a great place to go for a Chicago Chevy Dealer. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com

Bloomington Gold Corvette Show

Bloomington Gold is the grand daddy of Corvette shows. Bloomington Gold can trace its roots back to 1973, when a group of Corvette enthusiasts gathered in Bloomington, Illinois to display their cars and swap extra parts with one another. They called it the Bloomington Corvette Corral, a one-day show on a two-acre section of the McLean County Fairgrounds. It was a hit from the start, with 1500 people in attendance, 112 Corvettes shown in the concours show and 19 vendors with parts and products. The 2010 Bloomington Gold Corvette show will take place in June 24-27 in St. Charles Illinois. Come see Phillips Chevrolet at the show.

#1 Retail Selling Dealership Award

Phillips Chevrolet, located in Frankfort, IL, was recently presented an award from General Motors. It honored the dealership as the 2009 calendar year #1 Retail Selling Dealership in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. The award was presented at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. It is the 4th year in a row that Phillips has won this award.

Pictured in above are (L to R) Phillips Chevrolet Salesperson Matt Braley; Internet Director Brian McMahon; Service Advisor Dan Kachinsky; Salesperson Phil Jarad; Service Director Bill Featherston; General Sales Manager Michael Maheras; Sales Manager Rafat Alamawi; Salespeople Rami Alamawi and Jaime Birks; and Finance Manager Yasin Yassin.

Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com