GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Ahead of its appearance at the LA Auto Show GM has unveiled the full specs of the US-version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car.

The global vehicle has become very popular in Europe already where it sells at a starting price around $15,000. In the US it will compete directly against the popular Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic models. Cruze features and details “challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be in North America,” says GM.

The vehicle will come in LS, LT, and LTZ trims, with an Ecotec 1.8 L engine that comes standard. The optional Ecotec 1.4 L turbo engine will deliver 138 hp and 148 ft-lb of torque., and although official EPA estimates do not yet exist, GM reports it will achieve up to 40 MPG highway. With its 15 gallon gas tank, a 500 mile cruising range will be available. There are both manual and 6 speed transmissions.

Other standard features include 10 air bags, electronic stability control, McPherson struts, XM satelltite radio, OnStar, bluetooth and ipod USB connectivity, and a navigation system.
A family of 16 inch, 17 inch, and 18 inch wheels are available.

GM describes the car as having unexpected quietness, use of premium material, and refinement not found in other cars in this segment.

“The amenities, quietness and roominess you expect in larger cars are what the Cruze delivers,” said Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet product marketing manager. “This is a car that will shake up the compact segment, with a more spacious interior and more cargo room than the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.”

“There’s a lot of content in all Cruze models; it was designed to give customers the features they want regardless of the car’s size or segment,” said Brooks. “At a very competitive price, you’ll be able to get a Cruze with leather and heated front seats, 16-inch aluminum wheels, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar, Bluetooth, a USB port for your iPod, cruise control, power locks and power outside mirrors.”

The car’s aesthetics are describes as taut , muscular, and sporty with a wide aggressive stance. It is wider and longer than it’s competitors. The interior uses a Corvette-inspired twin cockpit design and the blue LEDs to light analog gauges.

The Cruze will be available for purchase in the third quarter of 2010 and will be built at GM’s Lordstown Ohio assembly plant.

As many have observed, this car’s scucess is critical for GMs future proftiabilty. It will be the car Chevy dealers sell in high volume, even to those wanting yet unable to afford or find first generation Volts.

I wish it well.

FULL SPECS HERE

Source (GM)

2011 Buick Regal

GM is set to launch a brand new version of its classic Buick Regal sedan.

Discontinued in 2004, the new Regal is a rebadged and slightly redesigned version of the Opel Insignia which is already popular in Europe.  The new Regal which will begin selling next year in the US as a 2011 model will initially be built in Germany for its first 12 to 15 months of production.  It will begin production in North America in 2011.

According to a report in Wards’ Auto, GM will begin production of a mild-hybrid version of the Regal later that year.  This would then be the first vehicle GM makes using its second-generation belt/alternator/starter or BAS+ hybrid system.  The system is reported to achieve 20% increase in fuel economy over standard gas versions of the vehicle.

The new BAS+ system has a 120 V lithium ion pack made by Hitachi and, takes up 24% less space, has 40% less mass, and has 33% more power than the current system, such as the one found in the Malibu Hybrid. That car was discontinued due to weak demand. The new system has slow speed EV only operation, electric assist during acceleration and engine off at stops.

The Regal will launch initially with a 2.4 L 4-cylinder direct injection engine. A 2.0 L turbo model, expected achieve 30 mpg on the highway will follow next year.

Jim Frederico, the Regal’s vehicle line director told Ward’s that the car has the appropriate dimensions to house not only the BAS+ system but also the upcoming 2-mode plugin drivetrain as well.

That drivetrain was initially intended for the Saturn VUE. After Saturn was terminated, GM next said it would appear in a similar-sized small Buick SUV. After those plans were also scrapped from negative public feedback GM hasn’t announced where the drivetrain would debut.

Placing it in this mid-sized sedan may be just the right solution.  What do you think?

Source (Wards Auto, subscription required)

2nd Generation GM BAS+ System

Currently the Chevrolet Aveo is GM’s smallest production car in the US.  Although low in price, sales aren’t terrific and the car is not popular.  However, it is clear that small cars are a thing of the future, and GM has repeatedly said it would build them, and for the first time as a new company, actually make money on them.

We heard when the government brokered GM’s bankruptcy reorganization that the automaker agreed to build a new small car in the US for the US market, but did not announce what the car would be.  Previously the Chevrolet Spark had been demonstrated and set for production, though with reorganization that has become more uncertain.

Today, new sketches have been released of a new subcompact or B-class GM car.  The car will be called the Chevy Agile in South America where it will be released in the forth quarter of 2009.

It seems like the car is slated to replace the Aveo in the US in 2011, just as the upcoming Cruze will replace the Cobalt. Some reports speculate it will be called the Chevy Viva in the US.

In South America the car will be powered either by a 1.4 L 105 hp engine or an optional 1.8 L 129 hp engine.

“The Agile goes beyond a traditional hatchback,” said Carlos Barba, General Director of GM Design Mercosur. “It’s a car full of youth and a design that will surprise.”

Source (Autoblog)

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