GM’s Lordstown plant to build global Cruze

Fuel-efficient compact car to replace Chevrolet Cobalt

Scott Burgess / The Detroit News

The first Chevrolet built on a new global platform will be called the Cruze and get 45 miles per gallon, General Motors Corp. said Wednesday.

The compact car, which replaces the Chevy Cobalt, will be built around the world including at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio, plant.

"This is one of the first global vehicles GM has talked about and it will be a Chevrolet Cruze no matter where it’s sold," said Nancy Libby, a Chevrolet spokeswoman.

Chevrolet developed the name as a derivative of "cruise," Libby said, noting, that "it’s something we think will work globally."

"It’s primarily the same car, but there are small tweaks to meet local regulations," she said. "The grill might be changed because one is more familiar on European streets than in the U.S."

Built on what is being called GM’s Delta 2 architecture — the Cobalt and Pontiac G5, also made at Lordstown, are original Delta cars — the Cruze first will go into production in Europe, with sales starting next spring.

United Auto Workers officials said they hope the vehicle will keep production going at the northeast Ohio plant for years to come.

"We can’t wait to get it," said Dave Green, president of Local 1714 at the Lordstown plant.

Chevrolet’s Cruze will be shown for the first time in October at the Paris Auto Show. It’s set for production at Lordstown in the summer of 2010.

GM hasn’t released many details about the Cruze.

It will be about 15 feet long, almost identical to the Cobalt. But GM said the Cruze will make better use of its interior, offering more room for five passengers and cargo.

The Cruze is one of GM’s responses to $4-per-gallon gasoline.

The manual transmission model will boost fuel efficiency by 9 miles per gallon over the current Cobalt XFE, also a stick-shift model that can achieve 36 mpg, said Nick Daniels of GM’s global product development.

In its short life since sales began in November 2004, the Cobalt has become GM’s best-selling cars in recent months as buyers seek fuel-efficient vehicles.

Whether or when the Cobalt might cease production has yet to be determined, GM Lordstown spokesman Tom Mock said.

The Cobalt’s success prompted GM to add a third production shift and 1,400 jobs — the largest hiring since Lordstown opened in 1966, Mock said.