The facility in Lordstown, Ohio, currently assembles the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 and is slated to begin building the Cruze in 2010. The compact car will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The Cruze will be launched in Europe and Asia Pacific in 2009 and will also be manufactured in those areas.
“Our goal for the Chevrolet Cruze is to lead in fuel economy in this very competitive car segment,” Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said in a written statement.
The Cruze, expected to top 40 mpg, is another example of GM’s commitment to rearrange it lineup as drivers buy fewer trucks and SUVs.
James Raia
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.