Car enthusiasts are divided on whether the Cruze can satisfactorily replace the Cobalt SS for the 2011 model year. A report from Motor Authority states that the Cobalt SS is sorely missed and many fans are hoping that General Motors will revive the SS nomenclature for a high performance version.

There are no indications that this will be so but you can’t stop fans from fantasizing. If ever, the Cruze SS would have a powerplant in the form of the 260-horsepower turbocharged and direct injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder called Ecotec and six-speed manual gearbox as seen in the defunct Cobalt SS and still-available HHR SS, including the very cool Launch Control and No-Lift Shift technology. However, the Cruze’s rear torsion bar suspenders are likely to limit the car’s handling prowess slightly. It is believed that a wholesale redesign would cost too high for a low-volume SS model. Analysts speculate that if ever the Cruze SS does get made, it would appear in 2014 at the earliest, during the car’s planned mid-cycle refresh.

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“Viridian Joule” has won the most votes in a national contest launched by Chevrolet to find the best name for the Volt’s lead paint color. David Thomas, 40, of Sanford, Fla., who submitted this name, will get the opportunity to be the first consumer to test-drive a pre-production Volt. The winner was announced in Los Angeles.

Almost 3,000 people voted at chevroletvoltage.com for “Viridian Joule.” The other finalists include “EV-ergreen,” offered by Devin McQuarrie of San Jose, Calif., and “environMINT,” entered by Matthew Valbuena of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Continued after the jump!

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Finally, Chevrolet unveiled today the U.S. production version of the 2011 Cruze compact sedan! Set to make its official debut at the L.A. Auto Show on Dec. 2, the new vehicle promises to redefine the fuel-efficient vehicles. Offered with the new, small-displacement four-cylinder Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo engine the new car is capable to offer an impressive 40 mpg on the highway.

“Cruze is already a hit across Europe and Asia; and now, it’s coming to America to challenge the status quo. Along with the Volt electric vehicle, Cruze is the latest tangible example of how Chevrolet is working on exciting products that range from gas-friendly to gas-free” said Brent Dewar, GM Vice President, Chevrolet Global brand. The new Chevrolet Cruze is set to go on sale in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2010 and will be built in Lordstown, Ohio, where $350 million was invested for its production. More details and photos after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2009 los angeles auto show, 2009laautoshow, 2011 chevrolet cruze, 2011 chevrolet cruze us version, 2011 cruze, 2011 cruze us spec, 2011 cruze us version, 2011chevrolecruze, car news, chevrolet news, los angeles auto show, losangelesautoshow
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The new Chevrolet Cruze will premier in the US at the Los Angeles Auto Show on December 2. The car has previously been launched in other global markets including Europe, Asia and Africa. US dealers will receive the latest model in the third quarter of 2010. Brent Dewar, vice president, Chevrolet, said that the Cruze is “extremely gas friendly” with an expected fuel economy of up to 40 miles per gallon. Continued after the jump!

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When asked by Inside Line whether a production twin-turbo Chevrolet Camaro is in the works, General Motors’ vice-chairman Bob Lutz responded with “Perhaps.” Although this is far from an admission, it makes fans everywhere relish the possibility. Aside from this, Lutz confirmed a production version of the Camaro Synergy Concept shown at SEMA as well as an all-black special-edition model.

The fact that Chevrolet is considering producing a twin-turbo Camaro shouldn’t come as a surprise since Chevrolet did roll out a twin-turbo V6 Camaro for Jay Leno at SEMA a few weeks ago. Jay said that the car produces about 425hp so what we’re waiting for could be a very impressive Z28.

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“EV-ergreen”, “Viridian Joule” and “environMINT”: these are the three colors that made three people happy that they could be the first person test-drive a pre-production Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle. Chevrolet selected “EV-ergreen” offered by Devin McQuarrie, 30, of San Jose, CA; “Viridian Joule” submitted by Dave Thomas, 40, of Sanford, FL; and “environMINT” entered by Matthew Valbuena, 30, of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2011 chevrolet volt, car news, Chevrolet, chevrolet news, chevrolet volt color contest, chevroletvoltcolorcontest, chevy volt color contest, volt color contest, voltcolorcontest
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In its business plan, General Motors Co. revealed the goal of flagship brand Chevrolet of selling 1 million units in Europe. The plan was presented to the board earlier in the week, according to Brent Dewar, vice president of Chevrolet. He made this announcement at the Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit.

It’s notable that in 2008, more than 500,000 Chevrolets were sold. Dewar said that the decision to increase its sales target was made in consideration of the fact that it will be launching products like the Chevrolet Cruze and the Spark in Europe . Although Dewar didn’t state when exactly this goal would have to accomplished, he said that in the company’s planning horizon, it looks over the 2014 time frame. In addition, GM’s decision this week to keep the Opel European business will not affect its growth plan for Chevrolet because the two brands have different design cues and focus. Dewar said that the company sees growth for the two brands.

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Tags:car news, Chevrolet, chevrolet european sales, chevrolet news, gm chevrolet sales
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The US launch of the new Chevrolet Cruze small car was moved to a date three months later, according to a General Motors’ spokesman. It was originally slated to be launched in April but it now appears that the earliest that it could be set is in July.

The Wall Street Journal had a chat with GM spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin who said that the move was “to ensure a flawless launch” as well as to make sure that the potential customers would be presented with an array of available options, including a variety of fuel-efficient engines. The Cruze is designed and built for markets outside North America by GM-Daewoo. It is already on sale in Europe (as a Chevrolet) and Australia (as a Holden). Martin said GM had been moving ahead of the normal launch schedule so that it would be able to start building the Cruze this April. He said the automaker had “decided not to compress the program timing.” Another tidbit that was divulged to the WSJ was that GM plans to build the US Cruze in Lordstown , Ohio. It’s notable that the three-month delay would prevent the Cruze from participating in the beginning of 2010’s summer selling season. Many eyes are on the Cruze since it launches in a segment where GM has often been seen as uncompetitive. The Cruze replaces the Cobalt in North America.

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Tags:car news, Chevrolet, chevrolet cruze launch delayed, chevrolet news, cruze launch, us launch cruze delayed
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Claims made regarding the fuel efficiency of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze have been fluctuating even before its North American debut. A couple of years ago, then-General Motors chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said that the car would achieve 42 mpg highway with a manual transmission. GM officials have since revised that claim to “about 40 mpg” on the EPA highway loop.

What’s offered as standard is the base 1.8-liter normally aspirated four that is fitted on the European-market Cruze already on sale. However, the potential buyer can opt that the Cruze be powered with a 1.4-liter turbo four. GM’s high-fuel-mileage version of the Cruze is fashioned after Chevy’s Cobalt XFE and Silverado XFE. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2011 chevrolet cruze, 2011 chevrolet cruze 44 mpg, 2011 chevrolet cruze fuel consumption, 2011 cruze, 2011 cruze 44 mpg, 2011 cruze fuel consumption, 2011cruze, car news, Chevrolet, chevrolet cruze, chevrolet news
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After General Motors exposed plans to drop four of its brands, Chevrolet is now expected to step up and carry the burden of driving GM’s sales and market share, according to Brent Dewar, vice president of Chevrolet.

Plans to sell Hummer and Saab are underway while Saturn and Pontiac are the brands set for closure. One of Chevrolet’s plans to boost sales is through new launches such as the Cruze small car.. Chevrolet will have a larger role and in North America , is aiming to represent 70% of the sales. So far in 2009, Chevrolet has been recorded to represent more than 60% percent of GM’s sales in North America whereas in 2002, it only got 54%. With regards to global sales, Chevrolet accounts for more than 50% of GM’s sales.

Tags:car news, Chevrolet, chevrolet news, chevrolet sales
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