GM Launches 2021 Chevrolet Cruze In South America
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After completing a much-needed refresh of its utility vehicle lineup and popular region-specific Chevrolet S10 over the past year, General Motors has just launched the 2021 Chevrolet Cruze in South America, the only part of the world where the company still manufactures and markets the compact car. The 2021 Cruze arrives with some design and equipment changes to bolster its good sales performance in the South American markets.
2021 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ
The main new feature of the 2021 Chevrolet Cruze is the reintroduction of the LTZ trim level as the intermediate choice between the entry-level LT and the range-topping Premier. The new LTZ adopts specific styling cues for a sportier look, and will be positioned right in the most sought-after price range by C-segment customers in the region’s two largest markets, Brazil and Argentina.
“We decided to combine the technologies most valued by sedan customers with a more dynamic look, until now exclusive to the five-door model. All this added to the excellent handling, safety and sophistication already recognized in this platform,” said Product Marketing Director at GM South America, Rodrigo Fioco, in a press release. “With this combination, we will be strengthening Cruze’s offering to consolidate it as the leader in its segment,” he added.
Specifically, the new 2021 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ is available in both body styles (sedan and hatchback) and is characterized by offering dynamic styling comprised of special dark-finished wheels, as well as unique front grille and bumper. The idea is to offer a clear visual differentiation between each version: a traditional look on the LT, a sportier design on the LTZ and a more refined one on the Premier.
In addition, the 2021 Cruze LTZ stands out for including an exhaustive level of standard safety features, the latest generation of Chevrolet’s infotainment system with on-board 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and exclusive OnStar telematics services. Mechanically, the three variants of the 2021 model-year Cruze keep the turbocharged 1.4L inline-four LE2 engine, which develops 153 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, mated to either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.
2021 Chevrolet Cruze Premier
The 2021 Chevrolet Cruze is now on available throughout the brand’s dealer network in Argentina, where it leads its segment and is manufactured locally at the GM Rosario plant, while it will arrive in Brazil in mid-February. GM says the new 2021 Cruze will improve the model’s positioning and reinforce the automaker’s commitment to the strategic sedan segment in South America.
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What happened to the Onix?
The Onix is there and making good sales. The Cruze is a bigger car and more expensive than the Onix.
Onix I think fills the role of the Sonic.
Too ugly to sell there as well!!
It’s a nice looking car. Thanks gm/Chevy for pissing on America.
When Americans are more interested in SUV’s then cars resulting in the inability to sell sufficient volumes to be profitable, why should they bother? Good thing you’re not running the business since you’re challenged by thinking logically.
Well, it’s interesting how most global brands are still actively investing in and selling cars in the US. Hyundai just introduced the latest evolution of its Sonata which in N Line form is the quickest front-wheel drive family sedan ever tested by Car and Driver and it looks pretty good to boot. We’re currently witnessing numerous ascendant foreign manufacturers boldly take family sedans, luxury sedans and sport compacts to new heights. GM is conspicuously absent and it reeks of failure.
Honda, Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Mercedes, BMW, Tesla – the list goes on. Are all of these leading CAR companies challenged by thinking logically?
Other then overvalued Tesla their balance sheets say what?.. GM made plenty of sporty sedans and compacts during the BK, GM and Ford sells far more small cars at a profit internationally then in America.
I do want atleast one Buick/Chevy main sedan shared with Cadillac but GM is making massive money off the trucks and utilities.
gm chooses to profit more off of expensive Trucks and SUV’s rather than invest in Entry Level cars, for example, the Escalade that starts at $100,000.00 is currently outselling the entry level Escalade with a starting price of $77,000.00 and the more expensive Hummer EV Pre-Orders continue to stay sold out while the Chevy Blazer which continues to sell well with the well equipped models that start over $45,000.00 along with the C8 Corvette that continues to get snatched up from Dealer Parking Lots, you think with those kind of sales margins, gm would be willing to bring back Economic Entry Level Vehicles to level the playing field, well at this point, it doesn’t seem like it. I’m not ramming against gm by any means, it just appears that they are on a totally different strategy at this point as to what they choose to bring to market. Let’s not forget the history of gm with some of their cars, especially between the early 1990’s through the early 2000’s, their Car Portfolio consisted of some vehicles that were around for quite some time, but most were Unsatisfactory when it came to Foriegn competition and that end result caused most customers to never look at gm again for car purchases and for the most part, gm could never recover from what they lost when it came to consumer confidence, sadly it has been taken elsewhere to Honda, Kia, Suburu, Hyundai and Toyota.
Fortunately these soaring gas prices will punished the gullible Americans who piled into the SUV fad.
Cruze was probably GM’s best selling car and five door non- CUV in Canada too ,before GM cancelled it sales here too !
I agree, Thanks Mary not good enough to be built and sold in USA. Another blunder don’t worry about the people you put out of work.
Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota are quite successful in making American-made sedans. Why can’t GM and Ford?
Is it because of the UAW?
Is it because of an over investment in niche market BEVs?
https:// www. statista .com/statistics/276506/change-in-us-car-demand-by-vehicle-type/
Vehicle Market Share by type.
What does this link have to do with BEVs? And why does the super old Malibu still sell 100k units if crossover demand is so high? Some sedans sit up pretty high and some crossover sit pretty low, the line can become blurred. The most important aspects to me as a consumer is a hatchback, adequate powertrain, and decent warranty. I couldn’t care less about the label they put on it. Right now in the B/C segment the Trailblazer and GX are just a step behind IMHO.
That’s you, but the majority of the buying public is moving away from cars, every manufacture even those who still sell many Sedans are seeing them drop significantly.
Yes some are filling the void, but it’s becoming harder to sell and so they have to compete with more options for the little market share there is.
Well, if you look at the trends from long running iconic models like the Civic and Corolla they have always had cyclical sales, I think attributing down sales in one year is a bit of a jump. GM is just being wildly short sighted to abandon established nameplates with overall great reputations from day one, like the Cruze and Sonic. And replace them with blaise vehicles like the new Trailblazer, widely considered to be middle of the pack at best.
VW just dropped the Golf From the U.S.
https:// www. youtube .com/watch?v=tJPx2_jpUvs
Ok, but VW still offer the Jetta, Passat, and Artereon. They also still offer a few wagons with Audi if I’m not mistaken…
Artereon is likely the next to go, it only sold 3,600 last year.
Passat is going “bye-bye-bye” very soon.
h ttps://www.autoblog.com/2020/11/23/volkswagen-passat-leaving-us-market/
This really pisses me off. As a cruze owner,3rd one being hatchback,the first one sold from my dealer,they can’t say they don’t sell . A slap in face, I will change to another brand.
I’m in the same mindset. GM (whoops… gm) is weak right now. gm is in inflated stock, built on false promises of BEVs that I don’t see delivering sales as expected. Meanwhile, Korean and Japanese manufacturers keep clawing away at marketshare.
Mary Barra and the board can mindlessly regurgitate everything that the media wants them to, but are they ready to make the tough decisions when they actually need to sell competitive B/C segment vehicles?
Lol, cars don’t sell like they use to. Some still try to pot-shot GM because they make money without the mediocre sedans they had.
GM makes it’s money on ICE trucks. It’s time they take some of those massive profits and develop a decent B/C segment car… Or lose those sales to the Koreans and Japanese manufacturers. I think it’s wise to take smaller profits occasionally to hold onto market share and gain loyalty, but it seems like gm is preparing to lose some of those costumers in the coming years. Mary just loves talking out of both sides of her mouth.
The smaller car sales are rightfully where they need to be, profitably overseas. It’s nothing to back that GM not offering small cars in the States is a bad idea.
I don’t understand how GM can make Cruze profitable in South America, knowing all the drawbacks of the region, and not make it profitable in US, with its thousands and thousands of sales every year. In a year, Cruze just sells in Brazil something between 10k and 20k units, it is the monthly base for any compact sedan in North America.
I believe the Cruze is not profitable for Chevrolet. I think she is producing the model just so as not to go without making any models in Argentina until the AVA project is implemented.
What are the disadvantages of the region that you did not mention?
In Brazil, Cruze is a commercial failure. In 2020, it sold only 8,000 units, while Civic sold more than 20,000 units and the Corolla, more than 40,000 units.
GM could still be using the Cruze in the US to attract new car buyers that can’t afford the big expensive SUVs. They can get these customers introduced to GM and they upgrade later to a more expensive GM car. I thought the Cruze was a great little car and was disappointed to see it go.
I have a 2010 Holden Cruze (RHD) and since GM decided to drop the Holden brand and name in Australia, I cannot now buy a GM four door car here. How hard would it be for the South American factory to manufacture RHD Cruzes and export them to the RHD world? I’m sure that there are plenty of people in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, India, etc. who have had a Cruze in the past and would likely buy a new one, if it was available in RHD.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
In addition to the cost of production being higher compared to other markets, there are no trade agreements between the regions that favored trade and, in the end, prices to consumers.
SMALL MARGINS ON SMALL CARS
LABOR IS A LOT CHEAPER IN SOUTH AMERICA THAN IN U.S.A. , NO UAW
MOST IMPORT AUTO PLANTS IN U.S.A. ARE NON-UNION
FIESTA AND FOCUS ARE ALSO GONE FROM U.S.A. , BUT SOLD IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Labor may actually be cheaper in South America, but production costs are much higher. This was one of the reasons why Ford gave up producing in Brazil, in addition to the fact of its poor front management and outdated products.
Americans bailed GM from bankruptcy so they ‘could save good American jobs’. Then GM pissed on us.
gm loves American dollars, but hates Americans.
Screw you mary Barry
GM has around 85 Thousand Employees in the United States and close to a million from supporting suppliers and other businesses around their facilities. Bailing out GM not only saved GM but it saved all those suppliers and other companies.
Now this is very quick dirty rundown….
Today GM closed one major plant in the states to reduce costs and shift priorities to R&D for Batteries, their trucks, and CUVs. It shifted production in others to account for the new vehicles and loss of a few. They are still producing several ICE cars and trucks and refreshing each model (some are in so high demand GM can’t keep up). They are expanding Detroit-Hamtramck (Now Factory Zero) to produce Electric Vehicles and provide close to 3,000 good paying jobs in Michigan, they are building a new Battery Factory in Lordstown Ohio to support these new vehicles and employ another 1,100+ jobs(room for even more as the plant expands). They are also producing the new Cadillac Lyriq and an unnamed Acura model for Honda at the Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant providing even more jobs. GM Jobs are still a plenty and will likely grow as they introduce more EV models.
I say GM is serious and is still continuing to support it’s Employees even when their Labor costs are the highest compared to any other Auto Manufacturer in the States.
Some changes need to be made when advancing tech, nothing is forever stable (the same) but it looks like everything is on track for GM and job growth.
It will be closer to 1000 jobs at Factory Zero. It takes less people to build BEV vehicles.
No actually, Factory Zero is still a very large facility and will be producing several models, It still will be around 3000 people.
GM had 100000 is jobs after the bankruptcy. Now 85000. More cars less jobs. More offshoring at taxpayers expense.
GM lordstown was shuttered while gM move new blazer product to Mexico.
4500 good jobs plus thousands more supplier jobs lost.
Now you brag about a shitty lordstown battery plant that will pay shit wages.
Complete B S. Skewing the facts.
Just answer one question.
Will the thousands of people forced to leave families and homes be able to return home and finish their gM career for GM at the battery plant?????
THERE IS NO CRUZE 6 SPEEDS MANUAL FOR SOUTH AMERICA…???