GM’s Holden Readies Rebadged Chevys for 2011 Melbourne Auto Show

It’s a global economy we live in and as such, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise when we see the same vehicles launched under different brands and names in various parts of the world.

Of course, it would be somewhat unfair to Holden if we didn’t mention that it has played a key role in the development and design of several GM products including the 5-door Cruze that will be show in pre-production trim at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS), which takes place in Melbourne from July to 10.

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First Drive: 2011 Holden Cruze Series II SRI-V

Appearing soon after General Motors announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the Cruze – which launched in Oz almost two years ago– aims to appeal to buyers that would normally not buy a Holden. Its key competitors in the Australian market are the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and the (European) Ford Focus.

With the recent launch of the Aussie-built Cruze Series II, we thought it was about time we tackled GM’s “game changing” small car. The 1.4 L turbo is said to be the cherry on top of the Cruze cake, and the perfect target for a review. The question is: can it live up to the hype? Read on…

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Chevrolet Improves 2012 Cruze’s Fuel Economy by 2MPG and Adds New Standard Features

General Motors is releasing a model year update for its Cruze compact sedan. There are no styling changes as the company focused its attention on improving the car’s fuel economy and equipment features.

Thanks to a lower axle ratio for the 2012 models equipped with a six speed automatic transmission, the standard Cruze with the 138HP 1.4-liter turbocharged engine returns 38 mpg compared with 36 mpg for the current model, while the Cruze Eco with the same powetrain setup delivers 39 mpg instead of 37 mpg.

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Chevrolet Prices New Cruze 5d Hatchback from £13,995 in the UK

The new Cruze hatchback will arrive in Chevrolet’s UK dealerships next month with on-the-road prices starting from £13,995 (US$23,000), the automaker announced today. Customers can choose from three engines including two petrol units, a 124HP 1.6-liter and a 141HP 1.8-liter, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel delivering 163-horsepower. All engines can be coupled to either a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission. Read more »

Holden Begins Local Testing of New Cruze Hatchback

Following the Australian market launch of the locally made and subtly refreshed Cruze Series II Sedan in March, GM’s Holden division announced today that it has began testing the five-door hatchback version of the subcompact model to fine tune the car before its introduction later this year. Holden also released two new photos of the Cruze hatch, which was designed by the firm’s Port Melbourne design studio. Read more »

GM Issues Recall for 2011 U.S.-spec Chevrolet Cruze Models

After the initial 2,100 inspections triggered by a detached steering wheel, General Motors announced a new recall involving 154,112 units of the 2011 model year Cruze - pretty much all models built for North America since production started in summer 2010.

The reason for this action is related to a steering issue as well, with GM saying it wants to check that the steering shaft was properly installed. The company didn't say whether or not the two recalls are related, but added it will use the latest one action to check on another issue that might affect some 120,000 models with automatic transmission. In this case, GM wants to verify whether the transmission shift linkage was properly installed.

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Chevrolet Sells 1.1 Million Vehicles Worldwide in Q1 2011 Recording its Best First-Quarter Results Ever

Driven by the new Cruze sedan and the globalization of the Chevrolet name, sales of GM’s brand in the first three months of the year reached 1.1 million vehicles worldwide, which is the best first-quarter results in the company’s history. Compared to the first quarter of 2010, Chevrolet recorded a 15 percent increase in sales this year.

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Ward's Auto Announces the 10 Best Car Interiors of 2011

Like every year, Ward's AutoWorld magazine picks the best interiors the automotive industry has to offer. For 2011, the publication chose 10 the ten best interiors the offer after editors analyzed 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interior. Ward's Auto picked the 10 winners from all segments, with the finalists including three luxury brands, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, an SUV and a family sedan.

If you’re still with us, the top 10 winners for 2011, in alphabetical order, are:

Audi A8
BMW X3 xDrive35i
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT RS
Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
Ford Focus Titanium
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra Limited
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
Kia Optima EX
Volvo S60

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After Tsunami, American Automakers Looking for Home Turf Sales Boost

According to CNN’s Fortune and simple, cold-hearted business logic, now is the prime time for American manufacturers to take advantage of recent catastrophic events and pounce on their home market's consumers. A lack of Japanese parts (or entire vehicles), in conjunction with a strong yen and ever-improving American small cars, has given Ford, GM, and Chrysler a potential sales pick-me-up as we stroll into the summer months.

Two of the three factors which will help American manufacturers' sales stem directly from the tsunami in Japan a month ago: factory shutdowns have limited parts/vehicle availability, while the yen gained value as the Japanese are expected to repurchase some currency for disaster mitigation.

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Definitely not a Safety Feature: The Broken Chevy Cruze Wheel that Launched 2,100 Inspections [with Video]

Thanks to the worldwide web of ours, we now have some video of the one and only (so far) recall-inducing 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. For the full story, check out our previous post here. The nitty-gritty is that a guy, his wife, one of their mothers, and their 19-month-old son were in the car when the steering wheel decided it wasn't really needed anymore and took a hike...at 65 miles per hour.

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GM Recalling 2,100 Chevrolet Cruze sedans after Steering Wheel Comes Loose in one Car

Following a single incident on March 1, 2011, when a GM was notified of a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze that had been brought to one of its dealerships with a steering wheel that had come loose from the steering column, the Detroit automaker decided to issue a voluntary recall on certain Cruze vehicles. According to GM, during manufacturing, the steering wheel might have been improperly fastened and could detach from the steering column.

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback: Production Model to Debut at Geneva Motor Show

Chevrolet today announced that the production version of the Cruze hatchback will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Considered to be a critical model for Chevrolet in Europe, the 5-door Cruze was first teased at last year’s Paris Motor Show with a pre-production study.

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Chevrolet Sells 4.26 million Vehicles Globally in 2010, an Average of One Every 7.4 Seconds

With the global market showing faint signs of recovery, 2010 was a good year for Chevrolet. The American automaker managed to shift 4.26 million vehicles worldwide or an average of one vehicle every 7.4 seconds. The brand’s share of global sales grew by 0.35 points as it accounted for about 5.8 percent of all vehicles sold worldwide. According to GM, Chevy was the only Top 5 manufacturer to increase its total market share last year.

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback: Production Version's Shape Trademarked

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show in early September, General Motors unveiled a near-production version of the Chevrolet Cruze five-door hatchback. Now, the Detroit automaker has registered trademark filings with the European patent office revealing the shape and details of the actual production model which is set to reach dealerships in Europe as a Chevrolet and in Australia as a Holden, in mid 2011.

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New Chevrolet Cruze Eco Returns 42 mpg Highway, 28 mpg City

General Motors announced today that the Chevrolet Cruze Eco, which goes on sale in January 2011 for $18,895, delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg (5.6 lt/100 km) on the highway and 28 mpg (8.4 lt/100 km) in city, delivering a better fuel efficiency than hybrid models like the Ford Fusion Hybrid or Toyota Camry Hybrid.

The Detroit automaker's engineers achieved this by making the powertrain more efficient, further reducing the car's weight and improving the Cruze's aerodynamic coefficient.

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Chevy Showcases Z-Spec Line Concepts of Volt, Cruze and Spark at SEMA

General Motors' Chevrolet division unleashed three prototype models fitted with bits and pieces from its forthcoming Z-Spec line of accessories at the SEMA Show today. The cars chosen to showcase the new dress-up parts were the 2011 Cruze compact, the new Volt extended-range electric vehicle and the soon-to-be-launched Spark minicar.

The Detroit-based automaker has not yet released details on its Z-Spec concept models, but from what we can tell by looking at the photos, all three cars receive similar upgrades including unique alloy wheels wrapped in chunkier tires, exterior graphics, mild body modifications and numerous touches inside like the sports steering wheel and niftier materials and colors. Photo gallery after the jump.

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GM Teases 2012 Buick Verano [aka the Opel Astra Sedan], Will be Built in Michigan

General Motors today released a new teaser photo of its upcoming 2012 Buick Verano compact sedan together with the news that the vehicle will be built alongside Chevrolet's new small car [we assume GM means the Aveo] at the Orion Assembly Center in Michigan. The Detroit automaker said it plans to invest $145 million to upgrade the factory for this reason.

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