General Motors has delayed by about three months the US launch of the new Chevrolet Cruze small car, a spokesman said.
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The automaker had been aiming to launch the Cruze next April but the company is pushing the launch back until at least July. GM spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) the move was “to ensure a flawless launch” and make sure that the Cruze launches with an array of available options, including a variety of fuel-efficient engines.
The Cruze, designed and built for markets outside North America by GM-Daewoo, is already on sale in Europe (as a Chevrolet) and Australia (as a Holden).
Martin said GM had actually been rushing ahead of the normal launch schedule in order to start building the Cruze in April. He said the automaker had “decided not to compress the programme timing.”
GM plans to build the US Cruze in Lordstown, Ohio, the WSJ noted, adding that the three-month delay would hold it back from participating in the beginning of 2010’s summer selling season.
The Cruze is seen as of particular importance because it launches in a segment where GM has often been seen as uncompetitive – it will replace the Cobalt in North America.
The WSJ noted that. earlier in October, GM CEO Fritz Henderson said the Cruze launch was the company’s most important product debut for 2010 and has been crafting a plan to raise the average transaction price of the Cruze by several thousand dollars compared to the Cobalt.
Henderson reportedly wants the Cruze to more convincingly compete with the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, which are two of the best-selling cars in the US Smaller, more efficient engines and a more acute focus on style and craftsmanship are expected to be key selling points for the Cruze.
