Chevrolet Cruze could spawn hatch and wagon variants

[Oracle of Delphi]

The Chevrolet Cruze may be delayed, but that doesn't mean that more variants of the Cobalt/Lacetti replacement aren't on the drawing board. In addition to the standard four-door model that Chevrolet debuted in Paris, a five-door hatch and a wagon will fill the rest of the range.

GM plans to produce the European Cruze in South Korea through its Daewoo operations, along with its plant in St. Petersburg, Russia. The new sedan was designed to meet the needs of a variety of markets, so additional body styles, along with different powertrains, safety specs and ride/handling requirements, will be employed throughout the world. GM announced that the U.S. version would be manufactured at the automaker's Lordstown, Ohio plant and will differ from the variants sold abroad. The Cruze should hit the U.S. market in 2011, but judging by recent reports, we're not holding our breath.

Link: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/27/chevrol...wagon-variants/

[vonVeezelsnider]

I'd love to see the wagon come stateside we need more little estate cars here.

[CSpec]

I think the Cruze's styling will be pretty stale by 2012.

[z28luvr01]

I think the Cruze's name will be pretty stale by 1994.

[Z-06]

I think the Cruze's name will be pretty stale by 1994.

[regfootball]

chevy seriously should certify these things for import ASAP, at least get a first year run of them over on the boat as a show of commitment to new fuel efficient and stylish models here.

[PurdueGuy]

chevy seriously should certify these things for import ASAP, at least get a first year run of them over on the boat as a show of commitment to new fuel efficient and stylish models here.

I disagree - the last thing they need to do when introducing a new volume model is to either a) lose money on it because of shipping costs or b) price it too high and run off potential buyers. An initial reputation of a car being too expensive will linger for quite a while & kill sales later.

If they can do it and still make money, then fine, but I have my doubts about that. Plus, it's already been said that the NA version will be somewhat different.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

LOL.

No coupe variant?

[cavalier36]

I dont understand why dont they ship some over from Korea and get it out 6 months before they start assembling them in Lordstown..

[cavalier36]

LOL.

No coupe variant?

not as of yet. the current Cobalt coupe will live on until the 2013 model year.

[PurdueGuy]

I dont understand why dont they ship some over from Korea and get it out 6 months before they start assembling them in Lordstown..

Because the ones being made in Korea are going to be just different enough to matter. They probably don't meet US safety & emissions specs, and getting the plant over there set up to make them to US specs would take time and money, setting up the shipping would take time & money, etc. Plus then GM would have to deal with several months' worth of cars that were built in a different place & would have funky stuff going on, plus the confusion & possible damage it would do to the image of the car... not worth it over a less than a year delay.

[ocnblu]

How about a 3-door hatch as a Pontiac, and a conventional coupe for Chevrolet. I am not a sedan fan, nor a 5-door hatch fan. And real wagons need to be reintroduced to the affordable car market.

[daves87rs]

not as of yet. the current Cobalt coupe will live on until the 2013 model year.

Maybe. I thought that they might cut the coupe in a year or so, and just build the sedan until the end to save money...

[daves87rs]

And it better not take that long...or I might be interested in something else....