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This Is The Last Chevrolet Cruze

It’s strange to think just five years ago Chevrolet sold over a quarter-of-million Cruze compacts.—273,060 to be exact. The compact Chevy, first introduced to the U.S. market in late 2010 as a 2011 model, grew year-over-year in sales until 2015, when it saw its first decline in over the previous record high. Since 2015, sales have continued to fall, a trend that’s plagued other cars not only in GM’s lineup but across the industry. In 2017, sales were down 130,000 from 2014. That’s a substantial decrease; however, the automaker was still able to sell 142,617 last year. But that wasn’t enough to justify continuing Cruze production, which GM ceased producing earlier this week at its Lordstown factory. Chevy sold 1.7 million throughout the Curze’s lifetime. 

The last Chevrolet Cruze to stroll down the assembly line rolled out of the factory this week. It’s a nondescript white Cruze likely headed for a rental fleet somewhere. It’s a sad day for yet another Delta II platform vehicle. Last month, General Motors ceased production on the Chevrolet Volt.

Thanks to the Twitter page of Columbus Dispatch Public Affairs Editor Darrel Rowland, we have a look at the last American-branded compact sedan that’s built in the USA. An anonymous gray, comforted with the embrace of Old Glory. We’re not sure what the rest of the build out entails at the time of this writing. And unlike the last Chevrolet Volt, which is heading to a state of preservation at the GM Heritage Center, we’re not sure where the last Chevrolet Cruze is heading.

Final Chevrolet Cruze at Lordstown assembly plant

General Motors has built the Cruze at its Lordstown factory in Ohio in the U.S.—and at several other plants around the world. With the Cruze now gone, the factory is shutting down. Some parts-stamping operations will continue, producing fenders and other repair parts. However, once that’s complete later this month, there will be no more production at the factory from GM. Granted, the automaker will keep the factory in a “state of readiness” as the automaker negotiates the future of the plant later this year during its task with the UAW. 

American branded compact cars have had trouble selling, but they’ve played a vital role in providing transportation for millions of people. A compact car is often affordable, fuel-efficient, and a stepping stone in one’s journey from novice teenage driver to having to haul a family. Seeing the last Chevrolet Cruze rolling off the line is upsetting, but there isn’t enough justification to keep the vehicle around.

Anthony Alaniz was a GM Authority contributor between from 2018 thru 2019.

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Comments

  1. GM’s CEO needs to go. She can’t stop screwing things up with half-baked products, delayed launches (C8 Corvette, anyone?), and declining sales and profits. Its good she is staying quiet these days because everything she seems to say gets GM in more bad-standing.

    Reply
    1. I question anyone who thinks this airhead will lead GM to a bright future. She is following the Roger Smith playbook that GM has followed the last 35 years: shrink, loose market share, rinse, repeat with the hopes of getting a different result.

      Reply
    2. In this case, even Ford and FCA don’t want to play compact because of poor sale. Why you want GM losing money for it ? And GM still sale you Spark.

      Reply
      1. OHV-V8

        GM will soon be replacing the Spark with a Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro style crossover. Made the announcement in Korea last year.

        Reply
      2. GM and Barra should have read the trends in the market three years ago- like Ford and FCA did- and responded by revamping their product line and retooling Lordstown and Hamtramck to build more SUVs and crossovers.

        Reply
        1. The 2 companies that laughed at GM when it brought back its midsized pickup are now selling midsized pickups.
          Save your prayers for the outdated crap the imports are still putting out.

          Reply
          1. Remember the Colorado/Canyon was planned before Machete Mary took the helm.

            Reply
      3. When the truck market goes to sh!ts, here comes bankruptcy again…

        Reply
  2. Title for this article should be.. ‘Last Chevrolet Cruze Made in America’ because General Motors will still be building and importing Chevy Cruze cars from their factory in Mexico.

    Reply
    1. Not for long. It dies there too.

      Also note most stay in Mexico and South America.

      Reply
    2. China, Agentina

      Reply
  3. I’ve had two Cruze Premier RS Hatchbacks in a row. It’s a fantastic car that I also thinks looks great. Heated steering wheel, rear seats and all of the cool safety equipment. GM decontented it heavily for 2019, so I wouldn’t have gotten a third regardless, but it’s a shame GM just gives up on its products instead of making them class leading. They simply blame market changes, which is apparently much easier than putting your best foot forward in every segment.

    Reply
  4. The 2020 Corolla is having a really good day hearing this and laughing all the way to the bank. Ditto the current Honda Civic

    Reply
  5. Another POS American car out to pasture. The Koreans, Chinese and Japs are laughing hysterically…

    Reply
  6. Joe Yoman
    Good day for Corolla sales up 16.6%
    Bad day for the rest of Toyota’s cars
    Camry down 13.4%
    Avalon down 42.6%
    Prius family down 52.6%
    Mazda2/Yaris down 20.5%
    Subaru BRZ/86 down 29.5%
    Marai down 54.9%
    RAV4 down 10.4%
    Sienna down 36.1%
    Tundra down 5.6%
    On the bright side
    Highlander up 1.1%
    4Runner up 2.7%
    Tacoma up 5.5%
    Maybe Toyota should have replaced all their models.

    Reply
    1. Peter G,
      Why don’t you post GM sales. The conclusion may be to shut the whole thing down. Lol

      Toyota will be in a great position when the market turns around and Toyota sells all over the world and not just in the US and China.

      Reply
    2. February 2019 sales.

      “Sales at General Motors, which no longer publicly releases monthly results, dropped an estimated 5.3 percent, with car deliveries down an estimated 17 percent and truck demand off an estimated 2.1 percent, the Automotive News Data Center said.

      Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. sales fell 5.2 percent in February on weaker car and light-truck demand. Deliveries fell 6.3 percent at the Toyota brand but rose 4.4 percent at Lexus, with combined car volume down 10 percent and light-truck demand down 1.8 percent at the two units.”

      Just as I expected. Overall, sales at GM fell just as much as Toyota. Nothing to brag about.

      By not showing the whole picture, Peter G, you are Fake news.

      https://autoweek.com/article/car-news/new-car-sales-february-2019-winners-and-losers

      Reply
  7. The Civic and Corolla are successful. So why can’t the Cruze compete. Something is wrong.

    Reply
    1. The Japs make much better cars. That’s no secret.

      All the top selling cars in the US are Asian. AMERICANS LOVE THEIR ASIAN CARS.

      Reply
  8. Sending the last Cruze to a rental company is a sin. It should go somewhere important.

    Reply
  9. Same for how come the Japanese can’t put out a competitive pick-up?.

    Why cry for the Cruze only when Focus and Dart is history also?.

    I get the factory switchover criticism that GM had yet to do. Let’s see how the UAW talks go before Lordstown factory gets an obituary.

    Reply
  10. look at PROUD MARY for closing plants , eliminating sedans, laying off American workers ,ruining GM . WHAT A CRIME . when are these demented cronies going to start reading these comments .

    Reply
    1. Problem is they don’t give a crap- they would have to be human to do so. They are only concerned about their mansions in their gated communities, what Ivy League schools their children are going to, and what type of attire to wear for the next black-tie affair.

      Reply
  11. I love how there are so many willing to point out how poorly GM management are doing.

    Well what have you done lately?

    What Billion dollar company have you run successfully?

    So if you can do better why have you not done so?

    Go back to your union halls and basements and reassess your life lack of accomplishments.

    Reply
    1. scott3,
      A bunch of armchair quarterbacks. This site sounds more and more like a bunch of drunks at a local bar at 3 am…

      By some of the replies here, many of you couldn’t even balance a checkbook.

      Reply
    2. True, many of us never ran billion dollar companies. We also did not destroy jobs and local economies.

      Why can’t we do better? Well many of us did not have a daddy who was president at GM and got us a VP job. Nor were we someone’s golden child who was fast tracked because GM wanted to make some sort of social statement.

      Success is measured in many different ways. Taking people’s livelihoods away in order to stuff ones own pockets is not one of them Many of us may not be millionaires living in a gated community, but at least we can go to be with a clear conscience.

      Reply
  12. I have a 2016 Cruze LTZ and I LOVE it. Its quick, takes close turns and great on gas. I’ve had Toyota products but this Cruze and the Fords I had back in the 80s and 90s were superior to the foreign cars. It breaks my heart that they are not making the Cruze anymore.

    Reply
  13. I just bought a 2018 Cruze Hatchback in 2020. Took the Spark for a test drive and turned around back to the dealership after two blocks. What a snooze fest it was. The Cruze on the otherhand, with it’s included turbo, is a blast to drive!

    GM and Ford are both being very short sighted with all their elimination of the small gas saver cars. Sure gas is reasonable right now (it still ain’t cheap, call me when it hits $0.89 a gallon and then we can call it cheap), but let one of the towel heads over in the sand hills start firing off rockets and we’ll be back to $5 a gallon gas overnight. Then where will all of those big honkin’ truck and SUV owners be, stuck on the side of the road out of gas that’s where.

    Look at company’s like Toyota. They have a hybrid version of almost every vehicle in their fleet. In the next 5 years Tesla will more than likely come out with an actual affordable EV and then were will the Big 3 be? Tesla already has charge times down to 15 minutes at their supercharger locations. It’s just a matter of time before gas guzzlers go the way of the dinosaur.

    Reply

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