With this, General Motors can claim to be the numero uno manufacturer of the world. VW sold 8.16 million units in 2011 and although Toyota has yet to report its total volume for last year, but last month the Japanese company estimated its annual sales at 7.9 million vehicles.

GM enjoyed a very strong 2011 with a total growth rate of 7.6 percent when compared with 2010. The cherry of the eye for General Motors was Chevrolet with the brand moving 4.76 million units around the world in 2011. Leading the sales for Chevrolet globally was the Cruze compact sedan, which shifted 670,000 units. Other global platforms, such as the Sonic and Spark (by that we mean Beat!) also contributed to Chevrolet’s success.

The key markets that were responsible for GM’s impressive comeback were Russia, Turkey and Germany which posted year-over-year increases of 49%, 30% and 21%, respectively.

Now here is a twist – GM reported the sales of SAIC-GM-Wuling partnership as its own which amounted to 1,285,820 units. As GM does not have a controlling stake in the partnership, this practice is definitely questionable. If you remove that share, VW becomes the number manufacturer in the world. Anyways, we will let GM have the bragging rights for now!

Source: LeftLane News

But a few of them REALLY caught our attention.

First up is the Beat music edition which features:

• Custom Orange color with white graphics
• White alloy wheels
• A chrome tip muffler
• White OVRMS
• And as the name suggest, a custom Music System

GM said it was testing the response of the public to the orange color for the showroom models.

Next in my personal favorite – A customized Cruze featuring:

• LED headlamps
• Smoking hot alloy wheels
• Mercedes E-Class like rear tail lamp with LEDs
• And a RockFord Fosgate music system

This vehicle is another study but there was no clarity on whether GM will list these accessories in the brochure. What GM did tell us, without being specific, was they believed a lot could be done with the Cruze.

Simple and sweet, ain’t it?

Left – Chevrolet Cruze facelift; Right – Front fascia of the current Cruze

Back home, GM’s most successful launch since mid-2009 is the Cruze. The Beat diesel comes close, but after the boring performance of the Optra Magnum and the pull-out of two premium segment cars – SR-V and Forester – who would have expected the Cruze to beat all odds and force the competition to advance diesel engine plans?

The Cruze was shown first at the Paris Motor Show back in October 2008. Its been about three years since it was put on the market and it rightfully deserves a cosmetic makeover. The guys over at AutoForum.cz have posted an image of the upgraded model which wears a new multi-slab grill as opposed to the current model’s beehive design. The air dam has evolved from a quadrilateral to a hexagon. Fog light houses are shaped to resemble a right-angled triangle that’s ready to prove the Pythagorean theorem.

Under the hood, GM will be tempted to transplant the updated Captiva’s 2.2-liter VCDI engine that is more fuel economical and better to drive. General Motors has started working on a range of next generation EcoTec petrol engines likely to feature on the Cruze facelift in the coming years. It has tested a full EV guise and is working on sending out a Volt-based variant into the market in the next few years. Future variants are likely to come out sporting the updated looks.

[Source - AutoForum.cz]

Yes, Chevrolet is celebrating its 100^th birthday this year and the Cruze just sold its 1 millionth unit worldwide

Designed by Daewoo and engineered by Opel, the Chevrolet Cruze development program spanned over 27 months at a cost of US$4 billion. A total of 221 prototypes were tested in Australia, Canada, China, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Launched in and around the same time as GM filed for bankruptcy, the Cruze project had so many hopes riding on it.

Happily the Cruze delivered everything it was expected to. Today, the Cruze is the best seller in its segment in US and has been for the last 10 months. Globally, the Cruze is sold in more than 100 countries and is Chevrolet’s top-selling nameplate.

Back home, the Cruze revived Chevy India from the slumping sales of the Aveo and the Optra. The stunning looks, coupled with a diesel engine and class leading warranty, the Cruze is a very fabulous buy in its segment.

The teaser campaign is live on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/guesswhoisbackinblack

One has to cough up around 16k rupees extra for the improved Cruze. Watch out for the ads on Times Of India tomorrow morning.

Cheverolet Cruze Hatchback

Come Geneva Motor Show, GM will reveal another chapter in the Cruze’s success story. The company is all set to reveal the production ready model of the Cruze hatchback.

Cruze Hatchback Concept

If you have seen the concept version of the Cruze hatchback that was unveiled at the Paris Motor show, then you will be very disappointed. All the cool features such as LED strips on the front bumper, the blue-tinted headlamps and the clear crystal tail lights are NOT present on the production ready model.

Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Rear

The hatchback will be offered in 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter petrol engines producing 124HP and 141HP respectively. There is also a 163 horsepower 2.0-liter turbo diesel.

The reason we are very impressed with this car is because of the boot capacity. You might think that being a hatchback version it would have much lesser boot capacity than the sedan counterpart. But the difference is just 50 litres. So basically, this is just a cheaper Cruze – That is certainly good news!

Chevy India could think of getting this hatch to India as their contender for the newly formed ‘Premium Hatchback’ segment. There is no hatchback in India that has as much panache and power as the Cruze. But the possibility is very bleak as they have already burnt their hands with the SRV.

Do you think that we should get the Cruze Hatchback?

Source – Carscoop.Blogspot.com

General Motors has pushed out a few electric Cruzes in Seoul, South Korea. Before you ask me when it’ll come to India, let me inform you these are just part of a test program. General Motors isn’t interested in putting them into production anywhere in the world. Not just yet.

Named Cruze BEV, the electric Cruze will go from 0-60mph in just 8.2 seconds and will accelerate to till about 165kph.

The test vehicle, in a single charge, will run for around 100 miles using its 31 kWh battery pack. A full charge out of a 220V socket will take about 8 hours. Just like the Volt, this e-Chevy will have its battery packs mounted to its underbody.

PRESS RELEASE

GM Extends EV Development with Demo Fleet of Electric Chevrolet Cruzes

* Developed by GM and LG for Demonstration Fleet in South Korea
* Early Testing Estimates Up to 160 km (100 Miles) of Range on a Single Charge
* Project to Begin by End of October

Seoul – General Motors today announced a demonstration project to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea. The project involves a fleet of electric vehicles based on the successful Chevrolet Cruze. The result of shared development with GM Daewoo, LG Chemical and LG Electronics, the electric Cruzes will be part of a demo fleet that will operate in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.

The project is aimed at benefiting GM’s core vehicle electrification competencies, which include batteries, electric motors, power controls and charging. It will provide real-world data on customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles, studying driving patterns and charging behavior while sharing costs and resources. This is a key initiative in GM’s global battery and electric vehicle development strategy. The demo project is expected to begin by the end of October. GM demonstration fleets with other partners are also being tested in other urban markets later this year.

The Cruze EV demo fleet will be the first compact sedan electric vehicles to hit the road and will be powered by batteries from LG Chemical and propulsion systems (motor/inverter) from LG Electronics. GM’s EV demo fleet in South Korea will consist of Chevrolet Cruzes and GM Daewoo Lacetti Premieres. GM currently markets the vehicle under the local brand in South Korea.

“This Cruze EV demonstration project reinforces GM’s commitment to being a leader in the development of electric vehicles and green technologies, building on our portfolio of hybrids and the Chevrolet Volt,” said Karl Stracke, Vice President, GM Global Vehicle Engineering. “We’ll apply the learnings from this and our other demo projects to help us deliver the world’s best vehicles for our customers.”

The Cruze EV is equipped with an LG Chemical 31-kWh battery that delivers a maximum power of 150 kW. Analysis and early testing done by GM and LG Chemical indicate the demonstration vehicles may achieve a range of up to 160 km (100 miles) on specific test schedules. The demonstration fleet will be monitored closely to determine the amount of real-world range achievable by a vehicle of its size. The vehicles can go from 0 to 100 km/h (60 miles per hour) in 8.2 seconds with a maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 miles per hour).

On a standard household 220-volt outlet, the Cruze EV can be fully recharged in 8 to 10 hours. Part of the demonstration fleet’s task is to test a “quick charge” application that could reduce the charge time significantly.

“Although there is much more work to be done, our ability to develop this vehicle in less than a year offers a peek at the very promising plans we have for our customers in Korea and around the world,” said Mike Arcamone, GM Daewoo President and CEO.

While battery packs often occupy trunk space, the Cruze EV’s battery pack is mounted on the underbody. This gives the Cruze EV the same trunk space as conventional vehicles with gasoline engines.

“Expanding the domestic electric vehicle market carries significant meaning for collaboration between GM Daewoo and LG Chemical,” said Bahn-suk Kim, Vice Chairman and CEO of LG Chemical. “Over the past two years, we have forged a strong partnership with GM, and now we look forward to doing the same with GM Daewoo in our home country.”

Since 2008, GM has been working with LG Chemical, which is the exclusive supplier of battery cells for the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range. The Volt enters the U.S. market later this year. The development of the Chevrolet Cruze EV demo fleet will expand this collaboration.

Source – Autoblog Green

The Chevrolet Cruze is making headlines and how!

Showcased at the Paris Motor Show back in 2008, and introduced in Europe last year followed by other markets, the Chevrolet Cruze has set the records tumbling by surpassing the 270,000 sales mark in little time. Even here in India, customers have shown great interest in this car which is expected with a petrol engine during the first quarter of 2011.

Chevrolet strengthened the Cruze range by adding an automatic transmission variant earlier this year. It has priced the vehicle very competitively and given it all the credentials of a driver-oriented diesel sedan.

The Chevrolet Cruze is now available in more than 60 nations. It is re-badged as a Daewoo in South Korea and as a Holden in Australia. If you take into account the re-badged vehicles’ sales figures, your count will easily surpass 340,000!

India is among the top 5 countries which having most demand for the Cruze – China, Russia, Mexico, India and Spain are its top 5 markets, in order.