Cruze-ing into the future

The bigger you were the harder you were going to fall, and General Motors, just like all the others, fell hard. Big decisions needed to be made, costs had to be cut, product offerings and service levels had to dramatically improve in order to survive this new much tougher trading era.

Some motor manufacturers responded not only well to the immediate fight for survival and those associated challenges, but also to the challenges they predicted that lay ahead. Some in my opinion did not respond as well and are still battling for survival today as is reflected in their poor sales performance and shrinking market share numbers due to the dated product and technology that they continue to offer.

General Motors though was one of the traditional American big three that did respond well and are charging forward with the latest technology and ever improving product offerings. GM is now the 4th largest auto brand in the world with Chevrolet being one of the fastest growing brands. The bottom line now is that every seven seconds of every day, a Chevrolet is sold somewhere in the world.

Chevrolet-Camaro-Convertible. Picture; Supplied

And it was this in mind that we were invited to Detroit in the USA to attend the ‘Chevrolet Powered by Innovation’ event that not only showcased some of their new technology and plans going forward, it also covered the world reveal of the all new Camaro Convertible and Cruze, Chevrolet’s best-selling global car that we also get in SA.

We also got to see another model relevant to our market, and that is the all new Spark as well as cars such as the Malibu, that does battle with the likes of Ford’s Fusion, and the next generation Volt which will all be hitting showrooms in North America later this year and into 2016.

The Malibu non premium sedan segment in SA is tiny, and we have also not taken to electric Volt type cars like we should have thanks to the high cost of these vehicles that is not helped by our government that couldn’t be bothered to offer subsidies on these vehicle like in the rest of the world, and of course you have the whole Eskom debacle to contend with too. So I don’t suspect that GM is in any hurry to bring these type of cars to our right hand drive shores anytime soon.

Chevrolet Malibu. Picture: Supplied

Try as I did, I could get nobody to confirm when we would see a right hand drive Camaro, or Corvette for that matter, in South Africa. But the powers that be did allude to the fact that they will be introducing a V8 sports car into the Australian market in the next few years.

So if I was a gambling man, it is a pretty sure bet, that GM will follow the lead of Ford with the Mustang and both the Camaro and Corvette should be available in right hand drive in the next few years as part of their global cars program goes.

Now if that was a little bit of a downer, the pick me up opportunity of a lifetime came when we were given the chance to drive all seven generations of Corvette back to back as well as get to sample the all new Camaro for good measure too.

Chevrolet Volt. Picture: Supplied

I liked what I saw and felt in the new Camaro and just as Ford is going to cash in on having a modern, dynamic right hand drive Mustang now, GM will do the same when they bring these iconic new generation Camaro and Corvette muscle cars to SA because they will sell.

But now it is time to talk Cruze and Spark…

Chevrolet Cruze

Our local Cruze has just undergone a mild refresh, so we can probably expect to get this larger, lighter, more efficient and more sophisticated Cruze in about 2018. Packed with new technologies such as available Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and new active safety features, as well as a more spacious interior and an athletic, aerodynamically optimised design, the new Cruze elevates the compact car segment.

The Cruze is powered by GM’s new, global family of Ecotec small-displacement engines, featuring a modular architecture that is easier to build and adaptable to global markets, while offering customers segment-challenging efficiency, refinement and durability.

The car will be offered in more than 40 global markets and goes on sale first in North America in early 2016, where a new, standard 1.4 litre turbocharged 113kW / 240 Nm engine with direct injection coupled to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission featuring stop/start technology and a claimed fuel consumption of only 5.9 litres /100km on the open road will do duty.

Chevrolet Cruze. Picture; Supplied

This new turbo engine and a leaner architecture contributes to a 113kg overall weight saving over the outgoing model and this results in better performance with Chevrolet claiming a 0-100km/h acceleration time of just eight seconds.

We were also shown a 1.5 litre Ecotec as well as an all-new European derived 1.6 litre turbodiesel and although nothing can be confirmed at this stage, logic would dictate that we get the 1.4 turbo petrol and 1.6 turbodiesel.

“The new Cruze is truly one of Chevrolet’s most global vehicles,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America. “With content variations dictated mostly by local market demands, customers in every corner of the globe will enjoy the same fundamental dynamics that are making Chevrolet one of the fastest-growing brands around the world.”

Chevrolet Spark

The same sort of time frame applies to the local introduction of the all new Spark. New production contracts and other business issues aside, we can also expect this car to hit showrooms in SA in 2018.

This car is completely redesigned and offers a more sophisticated execution of the brand’s global small car. It offers greater efficiency and refinement, along with new, available safety and connectivity features.

Chevrolet Spark. Picture: Supplied.

It is also built on an all-new, more robust architecture that serves as the foundation for its more sophisticated driving experience. The stronger body structure enabled engineers to tune ride and handling more precisely, for greater feelings of control and refinement, while fostering a quieter ride.

“Chevrolet is fast becoming one of the world’s most important mini- and small car manufacturers, offering customers around the globe a new road to the refinement, efficiency and connectivity features that resonate with them,” said Alan Batey, president, GM North America and Global Chevrolet.

“The redesigned Spark builds on a strong legacy and takes the segment to a higher level with features and technologies not typically offered.”