That is a GREAT looking car! Kinda like a mini Malibu... but GM nailed the *** end on this one. Much better than the Malibu (the rear is the only thing I'm not fond of on the new 'bu).

40mpg? I'd buy this car.

 

I think it's just an engine code. I don't think it stands for anything. As you probably know, LNF is the 2.0 turbo in the Cobalt/HHR SS, Sky Redline and Solstice GXP. LSJ was the former supercharged Ecotec. LAP is the new 2.2 VVT in the 2009 Cobalt and G5 (replacing the previous L61).

 

Finally, a small car from the US with proportions that make it actually look like a car.

 

Exactly. While Honda pulls ahead the new Fit by a month in order to get it to the customer more quickly, GM's just talking about a car that we won't see here for another two years.

That being said, it's a great-looking compact car. Let's see if it's still class-leading when it finally hits showrooms.

 

First off, the press release is due to the fact that the Cruze will be available in Europe in 7 months, thats the realease for. It will be shown at the Paris Auto Show.

We get the car in 18 months.

 

hah!

nothing like being late to the party ... again

 

In that amount of time, Honda will sell somewhere in the neighborhood of 600,000-750,000 Civics.

 

Late to what party? Here we go again...what efing party?

FYI to the douchebags here...Cobalt has CLASS LEADING 37MPG fuel economy.
Party this.

 

I agree about this car being late to the party...sure the cobalt may have class leading mileage, but having looked at it and the civic, I would take the civic (and I am admittedly a GM fanboy). The cobalt styling does nothing for me. However, based on the pics, were the cruze available now, I would take it over the civic.

 

Then when Cruze is here, it will raise the bar. Then Honda will come out with a new Civic, Mazda will launch a new 3, VW will launch a new Golf/Jetta, and then Chevy will then launch a new Cruze, and the circle of life will go on.
The party has been going on since the 70's.

 

But GM has a history in the small-car market of meeting yesterday's benchmarkets with today's product.

If Honda sticks to a 5-year model cycle, we'll also see a new Civic in 2011. That'll make things interesting.

Yeah - and with as well things have gone for GM in the past 30 years, why change anything now?

 

no interior shots.....

 

I guess that explains why the release is now... b/c Europe gets it first.

Why, I ask myself, for GM's seemingly miscalculated motives in releasing this car in the US in 18 months from now... all I can think of is that this car won't add much to GM's bottom line.

 

 

Yes it is a little behind. "Idiot" America is not going to cross shop GM vs anyone else its going to shop Chevy or Pontiac or whatever to whatever else for a small compact car.

Honda and Toyota though a small margin have more choice. The Yaris, Corolla and Prius and to some extent the Matrix as an option. Honda has the Fit the Civic and a slew of Hybrid and alt cars. off the top of my head Thats why Honda Civic is the best selling car in the country. People have this perception that Toyota and Honda have this vast selection of small fuel efficiant cars. I deal with it in almost every conversation I have about cars and peoples perception of how great Honda and Toyota are in MPG.
Chevy just has the Cobalt and the Aveo and maybe HHR.

People think that Toyota and Honda have this mythical 50MPG cars out now. Waiting over a year for Chevy to have a 40MPG car does not bode well for sales numbers in the present where GM needs them really bad with this rush to get rid of thier gas "guzzling" SUV's and into cheap and MPG stretching cars. So in a way yes GM is late again. Heck even to Ford..looks like they are ramping up faster in brining thier Euro stuff here.