Local Union Says GM Is Committed To Chevrolet Cruze At Lordstown
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At the opening of the Cleveland Auto Show, UAW Local 1112 President, Glenn Johnson, who oversees General Motors’ Lordstown, Ohio, plant said the automaker is absolutely committed to Chevrolet Cruze production.
The Cruze remains one of GM’s best-selling cars and ranked among the top ten best-selling cars in 2017. Of the top ten, the Chevrolet Cruze placed eighth on the list with just over 160,000 Cruzes sold. Despite a downward sales trend in passenger cars overall, the sales figures “underline the importance of the Cruze within the segment,” Rick Demuynck, GM Lordstown’s plant manager, told WKBN.
The Lordstown plant suffered a handful of blows in 2016 and 2017 as GM laid off 1,200 workers and scheduled multiple weeks of downtime for workers still on the job. Lordstown builds the Cruze sedan, while GM builds the Cruze hatchback in Mexico.
The plant was the only remaining operation with two unions representing workers, though both officially merged into one unit earlier this month. With one cohesive union, leadership had a clear message: they’ll build whatever GM asks of them.
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Give me a proper Cruze RS. I see the “lowering kit” and “upgraded brake kit” options when I build an LT. Pair those up with an ECU tune (you did Stage tunes for Cobalt) that is covered by warranty and you’re done. It just needs to be wrapped up into a marketing piece, you’ve done 2/3 of the work it seems.
A real GTI / Focus ST competitor. Maybe the Camaro team can assist with tuning.
And ideally, let me have it in either body style.
I know it doesn’t pencil out for the bean counters, but Lutz would approve. The Cobalt SS/TC was well received and brought a lot of young enthusiasm for Chevy.
Well First let me state I love the Cruze and was a former SS owner HHR owner.
But I saw the writing on the wall at the Auto Show this weekend. I went to Cleveland and saw first hand the ride and drive area where the Car is dying.
Why do I say this. Observing the cars going in and out the only ones that were moving were higher end Luxury or Sporty sedans.
The vehicles that were moving were the Trucks, SUV and CUV models. The only Chevy car going out was the Bolt. The Malibu and Cruze were parked and left to sit as the trucks and Utilities continue to draw the test drives.
Brian today the market is about making money not just building a lost leader. I would love to see a Cruze SS but even the last models sold in very small numbers. I am talking less than 4% of sales. Ford is doing the RS but has to sell it globally to justify the market but even then I expect it to die soon as it makes no money and Ford Stock is tanking. They will cut cost in a tough market and it is prime for the killing.
Do not over estimate Lutz. He was a great product man but he also knows todays market is much different. Heck he is preaching EV products now.
Ford is considering killing the Fusion and it is not the only car at risk. If what I saw at the show does not change the car as we know it will become mostly a luxury item where high prices can justify the low volume or it will be a novelty like model at the low end like the Miata.
I am and have been an avid auto enthusiast for years but what I saw this year just drove home the reality that you see at the mall parking lot where everything but a car is seen in some rows.
At the Buick display you had to wait in line to get in the new Enclave and other CUV models. The new Regal and Lacrosse, Well I could have camped out there all day and not had to get out of the driver seat. Great cars but no one cares.
I live in the CLE suburbs and I was there Sunday as well. Your assessment is accurate. Cadillac was even worse than Chevy or Buick. Nobody cared about the ATS/CTS/CT6 whatsoever. (And their booth/display design was terrible, but that’s another topic.)
My point is, somebody at Chevy OK’d a performance brake kit and lowering springs for the Cruze. Adding a tune and putting the 3 pieces into a package (instead of having them as a la carte options on a bland looking lower trim) would cost very little. I’m not suggesting it would light up the sales boards, but the costs would be recouped and it would generate a little buzz.
As far as EVs… I drive a Volt, and spent time checking out the Bolt and the new Leaf. I realize that’s far more important than a hot hatch to GM’s future. Been waiting for a midsize crossover, PHEV or BEV, from GM. Hopefully that materializes in the next couple of years.
Even at Benz more people were in the SUV models than the cars. Same at BMW etc.
Even the Stinger Kia was not crowded.
Anyways. Here is where I come from on the performance end. I work in the performance industry so I have an active interest in any thing performance. The problem with the Cruze is there is just too little interest in the performance bits. It adds to a price that many already see as too high and that creates issues. The Ala Carte deal is expensive for a company to do.
GM has a habit of making bits like this available from the dealers as RPO dealer installed parts. But they do not market them well and few people buy them. My HHR SS had the GM Performance Tune and I got 55 added HP but many people never knew of it.
The market is so small that even the performance aftermarket is reluctant to invest in it. Be it trucks or the like they will spend what ever it takes.
To be honest if they want to strike a model that will sell and add income it would be to make the coming Blazer a sport model with real performance but not get crazy on the price. Make it sporty and handle well. Give it some extra power etc. Make it the Camaro of SUV models. Add some power to the Traxx too. Even my wife’s Acadia Denali handles like a SSEI in sport mode with the variable dampers but it is not marketed that way.
I did driver the Bolt there. I was very impressed. If it had a cool body on it I would consider it. The price I was quoted was crazy. I was informed the car I drove was a $36K car but with rebates and tax break I could saver nearly $10K.
I would not want to drive cross country with it but to work daily would be fine. It was quiet, quick and rode well.
The EV technology is coming to the cross over segment at some point but range and price is still an issue. Larger frontal areas hurt aero and the price is not cheap and adding the EV to it makes it even more expensive.
In time they will increase range and they will lower cost as it keeps coming in line. But the time is just not there yet.
Also many of these models like the Volt, Bolt and Leaf is they are not making money yet. They are models that are establishing the market so the vendors and technology improves so they can make money in the future.
This is just a deal you have to take what the market gives and just keep chipping away at this till time permits it to bring it all inline.
I saw the ATSV coupe sitting in the display and no one cared. Sad! Not a sole around it at one of the largest buildings in the world and it was full of people.
The other side of the SUV craze is there are very little “performance” offerings from GM; the very first true “performance SUV” was GMC’s own Typhoon…The Equinox/Terrain/Envision which are the same platform offer an optional 2.0T detuned to 252 hp and 260ft/lb…Same engine gets 275hp and 295ft/lbs on the MY16-MY18 Camaro and rumors are in six months we’ll see the MY19 Camaro 2.0T with more power…
People want a 300hp option on a mid trim SUV…People want an “Equinox SS”, but we get an “Equinox Premier” or people want a “Envision GS” but we get an “Envision Avenir”…
VW, Ford, and now Hyundai are reaping the benefits of hot hatches. Why not GM?
Cruze Hatch, 2.0t, 6 Speed Manual, Big brakes (Brembo?), Stiffer, more nimble suspension, Unique styling, done.
Because they can spread the low volume of these models out globally.
The Cruze is here, Down Under and China with only a few smaller markets. The Ford RS would not exist if it was only in America as Europe carries the load.
Hyundai is not really a major player in the market but there too they sell globally.
The Cobalt SS was a great car but at the time the price was getting high. To do the car right today you need to also add AWD they do not have. This all adds to the cost. This is why a RS is $43K but will sell less than 5% of the market globally.
VW is one of the few that can move the GTI. It is a nice car but it is down on power and lacks AWD.
FWD really sucks when you get to 300 plus HP. I had my Eco at 23 PSI and 300 HP. It was fast if you could get the power to the ground but with FWD traction sucks.
One must ask just how much would you pay for a properly tuned and dressed Cruze? To do it right will place it at least $32-42K dollars today. Would you pay that much for a Cruze. Few will pay over $30K.
GM has a history of building some really cool cars. Solstice, HHR SS, Cobalt SS, GTO, Camaro, SSR, Syclone. Typhoon, GN, Monte SS, Hurst Olds, GTA TA or WS6 Ram Air. ZR1 etc. Yet they still went bankrupt. few of these cars made money and none were profit centers.
GM should do some special cars but it is now at a time they need to choose carefully and make sure they will not only make back the investment but also make a profit. Not easy to do at a low price point.
People tend to forget as they speak glowingly on the Syclone that they only sold around 1500 units. Neat truck but odds are it never made development back.
GM could get away with selling a Global hot hatch. The world market loves hot hatches, point in case with the GTI, and Focus ST. I mean, GM made the Astra OPC, which seems to be a great little car. If they made a new version, and offered a 4 door variant, I don’t see why I wouldn’t do well in NA, Europe, and Straya.
Also, You must’ve never driven/been in a newer GTI. The only reason people think its down on power is because VW/Audi advertises wheel HP. MK7 GTI’s dyno in @ 265-ish wheel horsepower. If you want AWD, you jump into the Golf R, for more money of course 😉
Give the Cruze a break and and all road break. More standard features as its Japanese competitors. more power for the 1.4 T and why not the 1.5 T , an RS with the 1.6 T and of course an SS with a 2.0 T.
I’ve been looking at the Cruze as a replacement for our 2008 Cobalt. Right now with discounts , rebates, Presidents Day cash and Auto Show cash, entry level 2018 LS Automatics are in the 14k range. LTs model in the mid 15s.
And yet they just sit on the lot.
Great product but no buyers.
These need to drop sub $14k or go cheap lease/no money down like last year.
Otherwise it won’t matter what the union says.
with gas prices low and going to stay low as the US now controls the price of oil because of fracking people are not interested in a economy car no matter how good it is. my son has a 2011 that has been a great car with good MPG and trouble free and was bought because he drove 100+ miles a day to work.
Ended up buying 2 for $14.5 each decent deal for a new car with generous trade in allowance Most of the incentives were aimed at either foreign owners or leasees . Waste of time .leverage was in buying two of them and declaring our own terms of sale, and paying cash . Current incentive program is a joke and aimed away from loyal GM buyers .
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Ended up buying 2 for $14.5 each decent deal for a new car with generous trade in allowance Most of the incentives were aimed at either foreign owners or leasees . Waste of time .leverage was in buying two of them and declaring our own terms of sale, and paying cash . Current incentive program is a joke and aimed away from loyal GM buyers .
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