2011 Chevy Cruze: First productions photos

un-dee said:
Yeah but why do you think people buy Porsches, BMWs and Ferraris in a country where you are only allowed to drive 65mph. I say apart from the enthusiasts most people just buy them because they are "premium", which is exactly what we're on about.
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Or they just buy them for the badge.

There are better cars for the money then any of those you listed. But people would still rather buy those, because of the image they project. They sell more exotics in California and Florida, then most of the world combined. And those cars spend the vast majority of their time collecting dust in a garage.
 
It's the exactly same thing here, in Romania. People buy cars only for the badge, especially BMWs, Audis and Mercedes. These are people who i bet they don't even know how many cylinders their car has. Take a look at this guy, for example(not my picture):
http://img355.imageshack.**/img355/1219/ferraricu2locurisi3pasauz7.jpg

Anyway, I think this Cruze looks better than the Lacetti we get, and it would be great to replace it, or at least join it in the list of models sold here.
 
un-dee said:
That was my point :) Spectre said Americans don't do that. I say people everywhere do it.
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No, the point Spectre is making is that Americans don't buy very similar cars that are within the same family just due to the badge (like the Audi A3 vs VW Golf). And based on sales figures, it certainly seems to be true.
 
bartboy9891 said:
No, the point Spectre is making is that Americans don't buy very similar cars that are within the same family just due to the badge (like the Audi A3 vs VW Golf). And based on sales figures, it certainly seems to be true.
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I wouldn't buy an A3 over the Golf for the badge either. But I would buy it because it looks better.
 
un-dee said:
That was my point :) Spectre said Americans don't do that. I say people everywhere do it.
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Yep. I was just talking about the builders though, not the buyers. "There's a sucker born every minute" and all that.
 
bartboy9891 said:
No, the point Spectre is making is that Americans don't buy very similar cars that are within the same family just due to the badge (like the Audi A3 vs VW Golf). And based on sales figures, it certainly seems to be true.
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Bingo. That is, in fact, my point. An example - the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango (the "lesser" badge) are twins, with about as much difference as there is between a Golf and an A3, maybe a little less. The Aspen offered nothing that you couldn't get on a Durango for less, and it was (not surprisingly) a total flop in the marketplace.

That is what I'm referring to as badge snobbery. Buying a Ferrari because of the name is *brand* snobbery. :D And, yes, that happens here, just like everywhere else. But badge snobbery (defined as buying the same car with a different badge because the "badge is better/more prestigious")? Nope, just doesn't seem to happen here in the US.

US consumers can reject a product for "badge-engineering" even when there *isn't* an actual platform being shared, but the two products come from the same company AND have the misfortune to look somewhat alike. Part of why the X-Type was a failure was because it literally looked like the then-current Taurus with Jag fascias bolted to it. Some consumers looked at it, thought, great, a Jaguar Taurus, and went elsewhere. This has been proven by Jaguar surveys.

Badge snobbery just doesn't exist in the US in any meaningful fashion. Mostly because of all the people that got burned by it in the 70s and 80s, capped off by the Cimarron.

klankymen said:
I wouldn't buy an A3 over the Golf for the badge either.
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Apparently the vast majority of your fellow Europeans *would*. Go figure.
 
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klankymen said:
And you know this how? Are there surveys?
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I know this from travelling in Europe, dealing with Europeans on various motoring fora, and talking with Europeans in my circle of friends and family... In addition to reading survey results and watching TopGear - even TG has talked about it with the Skoda/VW thing.

Case in point - who do you think was buying all those gussied up Mondeos sold as X-Types after 2003??? It sure wasn't *us*.
 
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Of course most people would have an A3 over a golf, were the price the same, cos with an A3 you get a bit better interior, a less bland design and a car that's a bit less common than a golf. But are most people ready to pay the price diffenrence? No, of course not, look at the sales figures.
 
H0nzik said:
Of course most people would have an A3 over a golf, were the price the same, cos with an A3 you get a bit better interior, a less bland design and a car that's a bit less common than a golf. But are most people ready to pay the price diffenrence? No, of course not, look at the sales figures.
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Not what I am saying. I am saying that the typical European market car buyer would purchase a stripped down no options A3 instead of a loaded Golf at the same price.

N
 
back on topic.

I like the Chevy Cruze. the Cobalt drives very well but there is VERY little to like about the styling. i actually like the look of the 00-02 Cavalier coupes over it, despite the platform being superior. They quite honestly should have got the car to market faster instead of redesigning the Aveo, badged it as an 09 and started selling it late last year, similar to how they approached the GMT900 platform. refresh the Cobalt with similar styling, gave it the option of the 2.4L or the 2.0L ecotec turbo, and everyone wins. This "making a car we needed yesterday, and bringing it to market tomorrow" crap has gotta stop.
 
Spectre said:
Not what I am saying. I am saying that the typical European market car buyer would purchase a stripped down no options A3 instead of a loaded Golf at the same price.

N
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May be. But I would also rather buy a stripped down Keira Knightley that can't cook, at the same price as a loaded Rosie O'Donnell who cooks and cleans - assuming they're the same price.

Anyways, I'ma stop arguing, we won't reach much of a conclusion here, you guys can get back to discussing a car that looks like every other car to me.
 
klankymen said:
May be. But I would also rather buy a stripped down Keira Knightley that can't cook, at the same price as a loaded Rosie O'Donnell who cooks and cleans - assuming they're the same price.

Anyways, I'ma stop arguing, we won't reach much of a conclusion here, you guys can get back to discussing a car that looks like every other car to me.
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Except in the case of the A3, it's not Keira Knightley vice Rosie O'Doughnuts. It's Angelina Jolie in a pretty designer frock versus Angelina Jolie in T-shirt and jeans and no makeup - but with lots of skills and a bunch of jewelry accentuating her desirability. One's cheaper than the other, but they're essentially the same thing.
 
Spectre said:
Except in the case of the A3, it's not Keira Knightley vice Rosie O'Doughnuts. It's Angelina Jolie in a pretty designer frock versus Angelina Jolie in T-shirt and jeans and no makeup - but with lots of skills and a bunch of jewelry accentuating her desirability. One's cheaper than the other, but they're essentially the same thing.
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So you're saying people like shiny things? Holy shit!
 
I see more than a little whiff of epica in that front end.
 
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GM has announced it will invest $370 million in a new 552,000 square-foot plant in Flint, Michigan to produce the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engines intended for duty in the Chevy Cruze and Chevy Volt. The engines will be rolling off those new lines in two flavors ? turbocharged with 140 HP and 148 lb-ft of torque for the Cruze, and a non-turbocharged 100 HP version for the Volt. The plans also indicate the 1.4-liter is destined for service in two additional U.S.-bound models expected to debut in the 2011 time frame ? helping GM to their planned goal of "one-third of...North American engine volume will be four-cylinders by 2011."

GM's 'Boost' In Efficient Four-Cylinders Includes More Turbos
Strategy Highlighted by the 2011 Chevy Cruze's new 1.4L Turbo that is Expected to Be a Fuel Economy Leader

FLINT, Mich. ? GM will double its global production of small four-cylinder engines (1.0L to 1.4L) by 2011, with more than half of the increase coming in North America. The strategy is highlighted by an all-new, 1.4L Turbo engine that will power the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.

The 1.4L Turbo enables great vehicle performance and fuel economy. In fact, the Cruze is expected to be a fuel economy leader in its segment when it launches in mid-2010, and its new engine reinforces GM?s commitment to replacing larger-displacement engines with more compact, advanced four-cylinder engines that optimize performance and fuel savings.

One-third of GM?s North American engine volume will be four-cylinders by 2011, and 21 percent of the four-cylinder volume will be turbocharged ? a seven-fold increase over today?s volume of turbo engines.

?Power-dense four-cylinders such as the 1.4L Turbo are an integral part of GM?s portfolio of advanced propulsion technologies, including cam phasing, direct injection, Active Fuel Management, clean diesels, hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles, six-speed transmissions and electric propulsion,? said Tom Stephens, executive vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Global Quality. ?GM is focused on delivering vehicles that look great, are fuel efficient and fun to drive.?

The Chevy Cruze is such a vehicle. It is an all-new, global compact car that will be built for worldwide distribution at GM?s Lordstown, Ohio facility. It will be offered with the 1.4L Turbo in North America, along with additional small-displacement engines for models sold outside of North America.

A non-turbocharged 1.4L variant will serve as a secondary energy source for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. For trips up to 40 miles, the Volt?s primary source of power comes from its lithium-ion battery. When the battery?s energy is depleted, the 1.4L engine activates, generating electricity to power the Volt for several hundred additional miles until its battery is recharged.

1.4L Turbo details

At 100 horsepower per liter, the new turbocharged 1.4L has the power of a larger engine but retains the efficiency of a small-displacement four-cylinder in most driving conditions.

?Because of the turbocharger?s on-demand power and responsiveness, it?s like having two engines in the same vehicle ? one for power and one for fuel economy,? said Stephens. ?It?s truly the best of both worlds.?

The 1.4L?s turbocharger is integrated within the exhaust manifold, for reduced weight and greater packaging flexibility in smaller vehicles. A reinforced crankshaft and stronger connecting rods are unique, delivering additional strength to support the engine?s pressurized, high-rpm performance.

Estimated power ratings for the 1.4L Turbo will be 140 horsepower (104 kW) with a torque rating of 148 lb.-ft. (200 Nm).

In addition to the Chevrolet Cruze, GM will introduce the 1.4L turbo in the U.S. in two additional GM models in 2011.

Global engine family

GM?s small four-cylinder gasoline engines include displacements of 1.0L, 1.2L and 1.4L. The engines were designed with fuel efficiency in mind, including technology such as full variable valve timing that optimizes power and fuel efficiency across the rpm band.

More importantly, torque for these engines ? the pulling power that is felt when accelerating from a stop ? is generated at lower rpm, for strong, off-the-line launches and confident acceleration at all speeds. Supporting powertrain features, such as torque converter design and transmission gearing, accentuate engine power and contribute further to the feeling of performance.

All engines in the family have premium design elements that contribute to world-class smoothness and durability, including:

* Dual overhead camshafts
* Roller-finger follower valvetrain
* Chain-driven camshafts
* Flow-controlled oil pump
* Piston-cooling oil jets
* Thermal management

The engines also incorporate numerous mass-reducing features, including a cast iron block with a hollow frame structure, hollow-cast camshafts, and on non-turbo engines, crankshafts with hollow-core main bearing journals and connecting rod journals.

http://jalopnik.com/5054712/gm-offi...-for-chevy-cruze-volt-to-be-built-in-flint-mi
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Wow that is one tiny motor. I hope other manufactures will bring in some smaller turbo charged units for better fuel economy and possibly performance.
 
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Just a few days after the abrupt revealing of the Orlando minivan concept, another Chevy Paris Show model has been fully uncovered. This time it?s the 2010 Cruze sedan and as with the Orlando, it appears that the live shots are from an official GM studio photo shoot of some kind. What?s important here is of course the interior photography as this is the first time that we get a glimpse of the Cruze?s ?swoopy? dashboard that borrows a few design elements from the Malibu such as the instrument panel styling

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/09/chevrolet-cruze-sedan-fully-uncovered.html
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