Cruze Cruises to New Heights

Say what you want about GM and its 2009 slip into the dark corners of bankruptcy, but somebody at the top levels of the Renaissance Center knows what he's doing. At least as far as the current strategy goes, that is.

When GM launched the Cruze, it made a bet. GM bet on the change in the American consumer's appetite for big cars and huge engines and the swift transition to a healthy preference for smaller, turbocharged and fuel efficient models. And the gamble paid off.

GM said today that, if the current trend continues, in the first quarter of the year it would be able to report a sales figure for one of the new lineup’s stars of about 50,000 units. That's more than triple the size of the market appetite for the Cobalt in the first quarter of 2010.

Trying to get to the bottom of the American soft spot for the Cruze, GM questioned 500 of its buyers on what determined them to buy the model. Contrary to expectations, fuel efficiency comes second on the list, right behind exterior styling.

“With the all-new Cruze, we set out to build the best compact car on the market,” said Lisa Hutchinson, Chevrolet Cruze marketing director.

“The Cruze is priced to compete in the compact segment. But the Cruze offers the styling of a more expensive car, as well as more standard safety features than any other compact, and more miles per gallon with the Cruze Eco model. Clearly, that’s a combination many customers can appreciate.”