Rumorpile: GM Announces Next-Generation Cruze To Built At Lordstown, New Platform In Store

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

August 24, 2012

Yesterday, General Motors announced a $220 million investment into two plants in Ohio; Lordstown and Parma. Lordstown has been building the Cruze since 2010, while Parma handles parts for GM vehicles.

The investment will be for tooling and equipment to build the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze.

"Thanks to northeast Ohio's supportive business climate, we're able to build on a great foundation and steer the Chevrolet Cruze into the next generation. A special thanks goes to Governor John Kasich and his team at Jobs Ohio for their strong leadership and advocacy for GM and our employees," said GM Manufacturing Manager Arvin Jones.

Which brings us onto what to expect from the next-generation Cruze. In the press release, Arvin "Jones said the new model will offer new exterior and interior styling, improved fuel economy and an improved interior compartment and more storage space."

Automotive News says the next Cruze will wear the same front end treatment as new Impala; a wider, flared-back grille that connects to the headlamps. Automotive News also says that GM is considering whether to add a hatchback or coupe for the next-generation Cruze lineup.

The big rumor comes from Reuters which says that the next-generation Cruze will be the first GM vehicle to utilize a new compact platform known internally as D2XX. D2XX will combine two current GM platforms, Delta II (Cruze and Volt) and Theta (Equinox and Terrain), into one. The platform could underpin close to 2.5 million compact sedans and crossovers by 2018.

When asked for comment, a GM spokesman declined.

The next-generation Cruze is due out in Fall 2014 as a 2015 model.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required),

Reuters

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Press Release is on Page 2

DETROIT – General Motors will invest $220 million for tooling and equipment to build the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze in two northeast Ohio plants retaining more than 5,000 jobs at facilities in Lordstown and Parma.

The Lordstown Complex, with support from the metal center in the Cleveland suburb of Parma, has built more than 500,000 of Chevrolet’s top-selling compact passenger sedan since production began in September 2010. More than 1.6 million Cruzes have been built globally since 2009.

"Thanks to northeast Ohio's supportive business climate, we're able to build on a great foundation and steer the Chevrolet Cruze into the next generation." GM Manufacturing Manager Arvin Jones said. "A special thanks goes to Governor John Kasich and his team at Jobs Ohio for their strong leadership and advocacy for GM and our employees."

GM has invested more than $7.3 billion in its U.S. facilities since 2009.

Production timing of the next-generation Cruze will be announced later. But Jones said the new model will offer new exterior and interior styling, improved fuel economy and an improved interior compartment and more storage space. Preliminary work to clear space in the body shop at Lordstown has begun.

The 2012 Cruze is among the best-selling compacts in the United States and was named “America’s Best Compact Car for the Money” by U.S. News and World Report.

In a joint statement, UAW Local 1112 Shop Chairman Ben Strickland and UAW Local 1714 Shop Chairman Will Adams credited the Lordstown Team. “The men and women of Lordstown are working hard to keep the Cruze a top-quality small car choice. The next-generation of the Cruze is well earned and we are thrilled to be assigned work that will keep good-paying next generation UAW jobs in the state of Ohio for years to come.”

The Lordstown complex has built more than 14.6 million cars in the 46 years since it opened in April 1966.

In 2011, the Parma Metal Center shipped about 60 million parts and processed more than 1,000 tons of steel a day to serve the majority of GM vehicle lines produced in North America. Parma has more than 1,400 dies and can produce up to 100 million parts a year.