This article is part of the GM Authority Mailbag series, where the GM Authority Crew features and replies to your questions, comments, and observations.
The following comes to us from Bill in Boston:
I am a current Cruze owner and my lease will be up in a matter of months. For the two years I’ve had the pleasure to drive this car, I have come to love it like no other car I’ve ever driven. The Cruze is nearly perfect in pretty much every aspect a car buyer can care for: styling and design (inside and out), comfort and quietness great and useful technology (can’t begin to sing the praises of remote start), surefooted ride/handling, unparalleled safety, etc. I can go on about how great the Cruze really is. But for as long as I’ve had the pleasure of living with my 2011 Cruze LTZ, I’ve always dreamt of a high-performance version… something with a more powerful engine (200-250 hp) and some upgraded suspension, brakes, and looks. For the 2+ years of driving my Cruze, I’ve hoped that this kind of car will show up by the time my lease is up. Well, the lease will be up in a matter of months… and no fast Cruze.
So I’m calling out (more like pleading to) GM as well as any/all people who might be responsible for such a model: Jim Campbell, Mark Reuss, Chris Perry, and anyone and everyone who may be responsible for this kind of stuff. I’ve talked to everyone I know of: my dealer, OnStar, Chevy reps at my local auto show. I’ve read every single bit of news and material on GM Authority about a high-performance Cruze… and no one has been able to provide an answer as to why Chevy is electing not to participate in the high-performance compact space… and why Ford, VW, Subaru, Honda, and Mazda each have a high-performing compact, while Chevy (which does performance better than any of those manufacturers) is quietly sitting on the sidelines? The other guys don’t make excuses, they just do… with the Focus ST, VW Jetta GLI/Golf GTI, Subaru Impreza WRX, Honda Civic Si, and Mazda Speed3. The Cruze does pretty much everything better than its competitors… except for performance. And as I have read [on GM Authority], the Cruze is too good to waste on NOT creating a performance variant… so what’s the deal?
Here’s the irony in all of this: since I leased mine, six (yes, a whopping six) of my friends also bought/leased a Cruze. Five of us (myself included) moved to the Cruze from a larger model, as kind of a test to see if a compact car is livable. The test proved to be a success: the Cruze is more than livable, it’s downright perfect. Four of those six (and me) have been looking forward to a Cruze SS as a replacement for our LT and LTZ Cruzen (all of us are guys, by the way).
And it would seem that GM does not care about our business, since a Cruze SS (don’t care if it’s called SS, Z-Spec, or something else) is exactly what I need, but can’t buy. So now, I’m down to Ford (Focus ST) and VW (Jetta GLI).
It pains me to say this, but it looks like I’ll be buying the Mexican-built and slightly inferior Jetta… the Focus is a great drive, but Ford designers seem to lack the ability to make a compact car look good.
So can anyone please tell me if a high performing Cruze is coming? If it’s not, why not? Don’t give me that trite and inaccurate boilerplate that it’s not profitable or the demand is too low. None of that is true, since at least five manufacturers tend to think that a high-performance compact car is worth it. Give me something tangible, or give me nothing at all. Also, I don’t want a Buick, be it Verano, Regal, or something else. No rice, no fancy-pants luxury… just some compact performance for under $30,000. Is that too much to ask for?
The GM Authority Take
Bill, we are with you all the way. Sure, you and your friends may only be a handful of customers — but how many others are crossing the Cruze off their shopping list for not offering a performance model? We can’t stress how much this sucks, or how much we agree with your statement that the Cruze is too good a car to waste without a performance variant. The situation sucks, to say the least.
What sucks even more is that it would seems that GM will lose another customer to the up-and-coming VW, which is gunning to eat GM’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while being more profitable in the process. Even more depressing is the fact that GM has (and has had) all the know-how and all of the technology to make a Cruze SS happen (five years ago), such as a 2.0 liter turbo (in all its various levels of output/tune), torque steer-eliminating HiPer Strut front suspension, and all the other bits and pieces that can make a hi-po Cruze a reality.
We hope someone will be kind enough to shed some light on this topic… because maybe if we had a mere explanation of why we can’t have it, we might sleep better at night. But it still won’t help us with the grave reality.
Comments
JD, if you see this, come in and set a explanation to us for both the Hi-Po Cruze or the Sonic Boom??
Guess the Verano Turbo is as close as we’ll get, although the suspension could be improved and some pounds shed. I agree, however- the lack of a Cruze SS, or similar product, is truly a shame, and incomprehensible.
I feel for the guy and I wish Chevy would have a SS version of the Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, and Impala, but I know they can’t. However for a 23k starting price get a Camaro if you want to keep the Chevy brand..or buy a used Cobalt SS if price is a concern.
Well You can always try to import a Chinese Cruze 1.6T ……
It is too bad GM is dragging there feet with competitive performance varients, but lets remember not everyone leases a car and not everyone can afford a peformance varient let alone a LTZ. GM is playing to where the market is. What this guy is really saying is that he leases cars, who cares what the brand is, and that he wants a sub $30,000 performance compact car. It is not about the Cruze at all or GM otherwise he would be getting the Verano, heck if you like the Cruze soooo much as you claim, lease another or buy the vehicle… With the Cruze it is what it is, good grief…
I agree with the letter, also as the Cruze has been winning the championship in the WTCC series for a couple of years now, so in a way Chevy is marketing the Cruze as a fast car I think, otherwise why even bother taking it to the Word Touring Car Championship?
With the all new Cruze coming out a little over 1 year from now it is very doubtful they will come up with any more versions of the current one. One year is not enough payback time for the tooling.
But a performance engine addition could happen as long as they can carry most of the tooling over to the new model. An example is the diesel coming this year and it has to be carryover to make any financial sense.
Well maybe the 160hp/270 lb-ft diesel would be a performance engine? It would take on the Focus ST for takeoff/torque.
There is always the aftermarket.
http://shop.zzperformance.com/store/default.aspx
I have had several modifications to my Cobalt SS/SC done by these guys (from 205hp stock to 250hp at the wheels now), they are located near Grand Rapids, MI, have their own dyno in house and they are a pleasure to deal with. From the extensive mods they have done to the Grand Prix (3800 engine) and the Cobalt (SC and Turbo), I am sure they can get some performance out of the Cruze (and the Sonic).
Front-wheel drive and high performance is an oxymoron.
I’m all for hot hatches, and the Colbat SS was great, sure. But that still doesn’t remove the FWD factor.
GM shouldn’t be concerned about development of a Cruze SS, they should be focusing on the 130 R, RWD!, coupe. The fact it only comes (in concept form) with the 1.4T from the Cruze @150HP is BS. Maybe as a base engine, but they need to utilize that lovely 2.0T, offer same power as the Verano @250hp.
The as delivered curb weight of the BRZ is just shy of 2900lbs, that’s what they need to beat. And with 250hp, if they can offer great chassis dynamics, suspension, and breaking.
“Front-wheel drive and high performance is an oxymoron.
I’m all for hot hatches, and the Colbat SS was great”
Contradict much?
No. The Cobalt SS was a fast car, and great, for FWD. But as I originally said, I’d rather see GM bring the 130R to market over a Cruze SS, which both would share the same price point
Post that from my phone and accidentally submitted before I was done…
You quoted me out of context, well I suppose not, you just didn’t fully quote me. Thanks. So with that said: “I’m all for hot hatches, and the Colbat SS was great, sure. But that still doesn’t remove the FWD factor.”
Leaving out the key point;”..But that still doesn’t remove the FWD factor”
FWD can be fun, and can offer some performance. Drop the hammer on the highway and they can blaze down the road. But a performance car is used to perform, FWD fails.
Again, I will say it, I would rather see GM focus on the RWD 130R, than a Cruze SS.
Andrew — are you referring solely to performance on the track when you say “But a performance car is used to perform, FWD fails”?
If so, I’d counter with:
– that kind of performance (track) is enjoyed by a very, very few…
– but even for those who have the privilege to enjoy it, the Cruze WTCC team seemed to have absolutely no problem kicking ass and taking names in FWD Cruzen over the last three years
– RWD fails plenty of times for performance as well; many drivers simply don’t know how to handle the power
I’m not debating that FWD is in some way superior to RWD, or vice versa; we’ll be here all day discussing that one. What I am suggesting is that FWD is more than good enough for nearly every driver, whether they’re looking for simple transportation or a thrilling drive. Of course, the idea isn’t to strap a 650hp LSA to a FWD Cruze SS and have at it. Doing so would result in a major fail anyway we spin in. But 200-300hp can be (more than) enjoyed by many in something like a Cruze.
Outside of all that, there’s also the reasoning that a hotted-up Cruze (or any other popular C-segment vehicle) would be significantly more fiscally lucrative for most automakers than something like a RWD 130R, especially at the price-point we’re talking about.
250hp at the crank for RWD is very easy to handle, even if the cars is weighing in at ~3000lbs.
Big power cars 450+hp sure, I agree. But lets say you have a hypothetical 556hp CTS-V that is FWD, is that any easier than an equally spec’d, actual rwd, CTS-V?
With the how competition is, a RWD coupe would be better for GMs image. There is no point on having a 230-250hp Cruze SS costing $25k and a similarly powered 130R at the same price.
And I was talking about performance in general, though these cars are track tuned, and their bragging rights come from track performance.
But even on the street, FWD is an inferior system to that of RWD. People buying these so called performance cars should be able to drive them, and have the little skill it takes, so that includes breaking the rear end loose on RWD cars. Those people that have an APR GTi and blow passed you going 110mph on the highway, great, you have a fast, ‘peformance’, FWD car, cool bro.
When reviewing performance variants of a given model, and even regular, run-of-the-mill variants, review sites from all parts of the world put the car through it’s paces, be it skid pad, slalom, 0-60, 60-0, lap times, etc. And RWD is the better option here, and will review better, for performance. Performance, to me, isn’t just horsepower and torque. And it shouldn’t be like that for anyone.
No one buys a performance car to drive it like a 4-pot Corolla. They be taking turns faster, accelerating more and to higher RPMs. Push a GTi or Cobalt SS into a turn, and get on the power to early and you’re going wide. Do it in a RWD car and the oversteer will help rotate the car through the turn, obviously if you mat it you can spin it, but if you mat a FWD car in a turn, you wont make the turn what-so-ever.
FWD cars like the Mini (more specifically the JCW) handle very way, and their nimbleness masks it’s failings, but those FWD downsides are still there, you’re just having too much fun feeling like you’re in a go-kart to really notice.
The only GTI I can recall driving had a Stage1 APR chip in it, which BTW ruined it’s torque curve/range.. But with both a stock GTI and the BRZ being very similar weight and power figures, and both being performance oriented, the BRZ will dust the GTI.
But like you mentioned with the WTCC, FWD can be a performer. It’s up to the driver for many aspects. Trailbraking in FWD is key for how it behaves in a turn, yet I bet most people driving their hot hatches, and driving them like they stole it, have no idea what trail braking is. All they know is how to dump the clutch and what to do once the on ramp straightens out.
However a built FWD 2005 cobalt ss/sc did win the time attack challenge in that year.
FWD can perform. i have a cruze LT and i can take corners at 60km/h on the factory shit firestone fr710s…
There really is no excuse for abandoning enthusiast customers like Bill. The harsh reality is once customers like Bill leave and get a Jetta GLI or Focus ST or whatever? They ain’t never comin’ back. Certainly Reuss is smart enough to know that.
GM can no way satisfy all the buying public. With that said, the Verano and Regal do a very good job of satisfying some enthusiasts. Instead of whining that GM has abandoned you, do something constructive and reach out and request what you want in a vehicle. GM is in the business to make money and are constantly reviewing the market, if there is a need, it can be justified, and the volume meets minimum requirements then they will make it.
A few years ago GM offered what I call the “enthusiast customer” many choices. There were SS Chevy’s, GXP Pontiacs, Red Line Saturns, V Cadillacs even a few Super Buicks. Many of these were very flawed in their execution, but there were a few stand-outs as well, Cobalt SS Turbo, G8 GXP, Trailblazer SS come to mind. Again were any of them perfect? maybe the CTS-V is the closest?
My point is, new GM under Akerson & Reuss, etc… has left a gaping hole in their line-up with regard to the “enthusiast customer”. Specifically the $20-35K range? The Verano is not the answer!!! It’s a compact entry-luxury sedan and a pretty good one at that, but not a sport compact/enthusiast car! Were there a Verano GS, then maybe this audience would listen? But not only does none exist, it’s not coming, ever! This is where the real anger/frustration from folks like Bill comes from. They went with the Cruze, stayed with GM, waiting, hoping for something better? Not only is nothing here now, nothing is coming soon either? Code 130R? RS? Tru140? They’ve been on the show circuit for a full year and neither has been approved for production. 2015? Ever? If they don’t announce production plans next week, then what? Chevy SS sedan? $40-45K+ to play that game.
Some may call it whining? I call it moving on. I have, bought a VW.
You explained it in your post “were any of them perfect? maybe the CTS-V”
That is why the CTS-V (and soon to be ATS-V) are the only ones left. The others were a sales and profit failure. If you want GM to continue to produce cars “no one wants” the next bailout will be guaranteed. It looks like GM is happy to give up the 16K (and falling) GTI sales to VW…
@T. Bejma If I may jump in here: GTI sales are complemented by Jetta GLI sales, but they’re not at 16,000; that would be counting the Golf and Jetta together, including GLI/GTI and all other non-performance variants. About half of all Golf sales are those of the GTI.
However, it’s important to consider that the sales potential of these vehicles is currently thwarted due to the Golf and GTI being made in Germany, resulting in a higher-than-average starting price. As soon as the Golf (and variants) commence manufacture in either Mexico or the U.S./Tennessee (for North America), their prices will drop, and sales will spike. This will likely take place with the next-gen (7th gen) Golf.
That said, GM could probably squeeze out 1,000-3,000 units a month from a high-performance Cruze. Even at the 1,000 a month mark, a high-po Cruze is likely to result in more Cruze sales, as some will “come in on” the Cruze SS (or whatever it’s called), realize they can’t swing it, and get an LS, LT, or LTZ instead. And that’s not to mention the gradual path of progression such a vehicle may build to the Camaro.
Alex, I think the numbers are right, I got them from Wards Auto World and it was listed as just GTI. Golf sales were 24,500. These are 2012 numbers. I would send a link but it is a downloaded Excel sheet…
Ah, I think you’re referring to whole 2012 numbers… I’m talking about monthly figures.
Yes, I was talking annual. The other thing to keep in mind is that the SAAR is not going up very much in the near future, so for GM to sell 1,000 of any performance vehicle, that would mean taking 1,000 from the rest of the performance vehicles in the class. From I read on the internet, the people that drive these cars are not very likely to switch brands…
I’m not familiar with the brand/vehicle loyalty found in this segment, so I can’t comment on that. However, I’m an ardent believer in the notion that building a good/better product drives activity, interest, and demand. The Cruze has proven this, as has the Equinox. Heck, Cadillac’s entire revitalization is based on this theory.
I am, however, dubious about the segment’s loyalty, since folks like Bill may be/are forced to switch away… It wasn’t/isn’t so much of a choice, but rather a lack of choices from GM.
Also, the financial, time, and personnel investments wouldn’t be even remotely close to the ultimate payoff in this category, even at low volumes — given that the car would be based on a high-volume, high-profit platform product such as the Cruze/Delta. If a Camaro ZL1 makes fiscal sense, I don’t see how a Cruze SS doesn’t.
Don’t think I am trying to defend GM’s decision not to offer the Cruze SS at this time, just trying to play devil’s advocate and maybe give some insight from the OEM.
A ZL1 makes sense because GM can make $10,000 – $20,000 on every one. When it costs say $1 Million (very conservative) for all of the tooling and development cost for a Cruze SS and GM makes $1,000 on each one (the current Cruze margin is extremely tight so I am sure a performance version would be very tight as well) it will take a long time to make back the investment. In automotive it is a general rule that you need a max 18 month ROI to get a project approved.
Being a Cobalt SS owner I am one of the most disappointed that we don’t have a Cruze SS (for me it would have to be a Coupe also) but with the razor thin margins in this class and the low volume potential, it doesn’t seem to make sense on paper.
@T.Bejma That’s very good insight! Are the margins on the ZL1s really that wide? If so, that’s incredible!
However, it seems that the reason for the slim margins on the Cruze is due to the late introduction of the vehicle in the States, coupled with low sales volume in Europe. Had GM introduced the car earlier to the North American market (2008/2009), the margin problem wouldn’t exist due to more time to achieve break-even and then grow margins once costs have been paid for… could you comment on this?
I’ll throw one last thought/comment about this on the pile and I’ve said this several times before. When Mark Reuss proclaimed that “SS” was for use on “special vehicles” only, it seems it has left GM engineers at a loss? I really think they don’t know what to do? I guess rather than come up with some sort of half assed Cruze or Sonic Z-spec? They’ve decided to basically do nothing? Maybe they’re waiting to see the reaction to the Toyobaru FR-S/BR-Z before green lighting the Code…. Maybe they think the new Alpha based Camaro with a 2.0LT is the answer down the road? Maybe bring over the Opel Astra GTC? Maybe continue to “do nothing” and offer all car lines with ECO, LS,LT and LTZ trims only? I guess only time will tell.
How about developing a full line of Cruzen, instead of importing Opels? The only variants missing from the Cruze line now are a coupe/vert (Golf Convertible/EOS) and a three-door hatch (Golf 3-door). That would pretty much make the Cruze line equivalent to that of the Astra line (including Cascada). Bring the variants of this Cruze line to the U.S. that make sense; right now, these seem to include the sedan and hatch.
You really don’t understand the automotive industry LFX. Engineers only do what Marketing tells them to do. If the Engineers were in charge of what GM builds EVERYTHING would be performance, built like a watch and cost $1M each…
Alex, the Cruze we make here in Lordstown has almost all of it’s components tooled and built here. Due to differences in federal requirements (this always amazes me how a pedestrian requires more features to protect them in some countries and not in others) even the Engineering is not entirely shared. So for the most part we in NA determine our ROI and margin based on our sales and not the global sales.
Sorry, I wasn’t very clear in my previous comment. What I meant to say was that Cruze margins would have been significantly greater in North America (specifically, in Lordstown) if the vehicle were introduced earlier (such as 2008/2009). Now, GM is stuck with a shorter lifecylce of the Cruze in North America and in Lordstown, reducing their ability to amortize cost (development, tooling, etc.) over a longer period of time.
I agree that the margins would have been higher if launched earlier but then the Cobalt had only been out since 2005 and the turbo just started in 2008, so it needed to run it’s course a little longer anyway.
Good point about the Cobalt. Just proves how much better (for consumers and producers) global products really are.
Engineers do only what marketing tells them? How do you explain the continued existence of the Corvette? How do you explain Ferdinand Piech? you know,the chairman of VW? He’s an engineer, he’s got a “watch” car , you know the one Bugatti Veyron? He’s even got a glass car factory! Some think he’s a “mad man” but last time I checked they were doing just fine??
Not every car has a bullet proof business plan? Some vehicles never make any money, but they still have a purpose. Since you’re so informed, how many corvettes need to be sold just to pay the power bill in Bowling Green? I’m curious?
Corvette is a Marketing Dream (!) that the engineering has caught up with (remember the 80’s Vettes with under 300 hp, terrible ride and build quality?). It would not matter if Corvette wasn’t making any money, it is the true definition of a Halo vehicle and will always be produced. I don’t know the exact margins on Corvette but based on the shared interior (my Cobalt has the same steering wheel) and the big prices for some of the models ($98K for a Z06 Carbon with track package) I am sure they are significant…
Andrew:
“Front-wheel drive and high performance is an oxymoron”
I guess there are still morons who believe that performance only comes in one form: RWD, and that a car needs to be able to smoke the rear tires in a fiery burnout. That is old school thinking, personified, that is lagging reality. Are you going to tell people who buy the FWD performance cars Bill mentions that they don’t have a performance vehicle? If so, you’re a fool and have obviously never experienced them.
Do you know what the most popular performance car in the world is? The VW Golf GTI/GDI. It sells approx. 25,000 units a month worldwide, twice as much as the Camaro and Corvette combined. So take your old school thinking, dear Andrew, and shove it where the sun don’t shine. The fact that a full line automaker like GM doesn’t have this kind of vehicle is despicable.
Calm down, cool your jets, you’ve got the afterburners going and haven’t left the runway.
Why didn’t Toyota make the FRS/BRZ/GT86 FWD? Where are all these FWD race series? So many FWD super cars, too…
FWD is inferior, 100% of the turning, 100% of the power delivery, 60-70% of the braking. Add in some torque steer in the “hi-po” models, maybe some wheel hop here and there, understeer.
I like the Cobalt SS, and the Speed3, but they torque steer to the point I want to jump out (even when GM but an LSD in it). The GTi and R32, and JCW Mini are great, but they suffer from the same thing all FWD cars do. Sure you can have new suspension setups and torque biasing LSDs, like the Quaife, but at what cost?
“Are you going to tell people who buy the FWD performance cars Bill mentions that they don’t have a performance vehicle? If so, you’re a fool and have obviously never experienced them.”
I’d wager I’ve driven more performance vehicles, of all sorts, than you. Sounds childish yes, but you rage post is as well.
FWD cars are fun, and snappy, and the performance oriented models can handle nicely, but is an R32 going to be a better drivers car than a 1 Series? Is an Si of Gti going to be a better drivers car than a BRZ. No.
Look at the price and market availability of the GTi compared to the Camaro and Corvette, then come back to me with something that makes a hint of sense. More Cruzes are sold than Gallardos, ergo Cruze is better. And it’s better because it’s FWD, not RWD and AWD. derp.
I like the cruze. However, it has 2 faults that needs to be address
1. A performance version and a sportier engine option for non performance trims.
2. An upscale interior quality. The look is there but the hard plastics and dollar store trim pieces ruin it for me.
One question has this individual even driven the Verano to see if he likes it; understand if the looks do not appeal or if the conitation that Buicks are for old people hits him wrong; but its worth a test drive is it not… I agree that the HP available in the Cruze is weak, but the gas mileage is not weak and at the end of the day 132hp is fine for the average driver… Personally I like V6’s and think its a shame GM does not offer a BU in at least a 3.1 with a modern direct injection system…
Add me to the list of those who are not happy with GM for failing to produce a high performance version of the Cruze. I test drove them when they 1st came out and was impressed with everything but power. Since I’m not a fan of the retro Camaro, I was forced to another manufacturer – my final choices were the Golf GTi, BMW 1 Series, Focus ST and Honda Civic Si. Of these I think the GTI was my favourite but the Civic Si was a close 2nd and so much less expensive that it is now in my driveway. It’s only flaw is that the very sweet VTEC howl has been nearly muffled out of exiistence !
A Cruze SS would be awesome, but a Sonic SS would be even better. Either way I cannot believe they haven’t made one what. Now I think the only thing that could push them to make an SS model of any of these cars is if Fords ST sells well. And though I hate Ford, lets all pray that their car sells pretty good.
already saw 2 people buying Focus ST’s in my area. So if Ford are making ST versions of their Focus and Fiesta along with Mustang why can’t GM?
But what about the problems turbo engines have in hot weather? On their compact and mid-size vehicles (Cruze, Verano, and Malibu), GM seems to think that the sport versions should be turbos. I live in Southern California, where it’s hot half the year, and hot weather and turbo engines don’t mix well. So I prefer naturally aspirated engines, and I can’t be the only one. Would the Malibu’s 2.5L engine fit in the Cruze and Verano?
Henry, modern turbocharged engines (especially from GM) aren’t prone to problems in hot climates. They are engineered, tested, re-tested, and tested again in all kinds of conditions (in the real world and in the lab) to ensure durability, reliability, and efficiency. In other words, turbocharging is not a problem in this day and age as it relates to hot weather; this especially applies to GM, which has the most stringent powertrain dev and testing processes I’ve ever seen. This is one of the reasons the new 1.6 liter turbo Ecotec hasn’t been introduced in North America yet.
To answer your other question: yes, the 2.5 will in both the Cruze and Verano… but I’d rather see the new 1.6T there:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2012/05/opel-announces-all-new-1-6l-turbo-engine-range/
I agree that GM has greatly improved their engineering and testing (I drive a GM car now, a 2011 Malibu, after a couple of decades of only Japanese and German cars). As for turbo issues in hot climates, I am no expert. I started researching the subject while thinking of getting a Cruze or Verano in turbo, and ran across worrisome threads like below:
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/34-1-4l-turbo/6273-huge-lag-hot-weather.html
Having owned the Cruze with the 1.4T, I can’t say I’ve ever experience any of what’s described in the thread. It’s not a very powerful engine to begin with, and it seems that the user was running the A/C full-blast as well. Suffice to say that an electric A/C setup (one that’s not driven by the engine/accessory) would perform better… but for the most part, the turbo units are fun little things 🙂
I really don’t know why they haven’t came out with one either.. But instead of buying a vs or ford.. Could you settle with a Verano 2.0T? Nice and quiet ride, good hp.. Maybe weight a little more but it might be a good buy..
Alex,
The “old” GM Performance Group managed to put the 2.0 turbo and a pretty good handling package in a the Cobalt and HHR SS’s in a pretty short period of time, instead of studying the market, studying it some more and then dithering around doing nothing, GM should take either the 130 or 140 concepts and develop a performance car for the long haul…how long has the GTI been around ? And it’s still the leader in the segment as far as performance and it gets better all the time BECAUSE it’s been here so long ! Talk about wise use of R&D !! VW, when it decided it was going to be the #1 manufacturer didn’t cut the GTI to concentrate on higher volume types. Indeed they are making it better !
The “regular” car buyer is much more difficult a target than are we High Perfomance buyers. We will always buy a “super” performing platform while more pedestrian buyers can’t decide whether they want low cost, super utility, super mileage, hybrids, turbos, 4’s 6’s or V8′ s ! We just want something that has some horsepower, a GR8 tranny and feels “right” thru the “twisties”, why we’ll even put up with having to service it more AND we will PAY MORE for performance !
Is this not a simple formula ?? I’m a diehard GM guy and there will always be a Corvette in my garage BUT I have a Civic Si now because Chevy has nothing for me in the 2.0 to 2.5 litre hot hatch/coupe class and not much on the horizon ! The Camaro is not an option for me – too big, too heavy, too retro… I’m discouraged with them Alex !!
As am I 🙁
That was what I was thinking in regards to the margins and manufacturing costs in the US, but in that case could the SS versions not be built in Korea to still provide such a product. Again this may be a UAW thing with GM, doesnt the UAW still have a stake in GM, yikes…
GM might still be missing out on a sale to someone like me. I have an ’04 Z06 and would seriously consider something like a high performance Cruze/Sonic in a couple of years.
The ‘Vette is incredible, but no way could I afford a new one and at 60+, something a bit less radical would work nicely for me. If they offered this around 30k, I’d probably buy in 2 years. Otherwise, maybe I’ll just go for another used Corvette.
It used to be that the LTZ was offered only with a larger more powerfull engine in many cases… Shoot even the HHR had 2 engin options for most of its production…
Technically, the Cruze also has 2 engine options… the 1.8 and the 1.4T. Neither are stellar, but the 1.8 needs to have been discontinued a long time ago.
I have been looking for 2013 detroit autoshow updates about a cruze SS for days now ….. I have an 09 cobalt SS/TC …had an 06 SS/SC before that….. My turbo cobalt has been such a good car , been tuned to 300 whp since it had 1500 miles on her . Now the clock is getting close to 60K and even thou i really hate to do it ….. im looking for another gem from chevy to replace my beloved cobalt. I have a focus ST coming in march ……it will be my first non GM car in 20 years . If they announced a cruze SS tomorrow id even wait till 2015 . As is stands , I really feel left out in the cold by chevy .