Chevrolet reinventing its small-car strategy with the Cruze, Aveo and Spark
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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Chevrolet wants people to throw out any perceptions they may have about small cars as it wants to reinvent this segment with the release of the Cruze, Aveo and Spark. Margaret Brooks, product director for Chevrolet's small and compact cars, said that anything the carmaker has done for small cars in the US just doesn't apply anymore. To deviate from their economy-car standing, the Cruze compact and Aveo subcompact are expected to be fitted with more standard equipment, including air conditioning and heated outside mirrors.
Meanwhile, budget buyers will be presented with the Spark minicar. Chevrolet will be using engineering outside the US. Sales for Cruze, which was engineered in Germany, will start in the third quarter. In 2011, sales for the Korean-engineered Aveo will begin and the Spark will go on sale in 2012. Currently, Chevrolet's small-car lineup includes the Aveo, Cobalt and HHR.
In 2009, combined US sales of the three models were 214,082, a 37% drop from 2008. The Cruze is set to replace the Cobalt and the HHR will be dropped in 2011. Brooks added that Chevrolet revised its list of standard equipment for the Cruze and Aveo so that they would attract to buyers who want to move down from bigger cars. Brooks said that these buyers aren't merely looking for the lowest-priced vehicle; they seek a "richly contented vehicle."
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