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carzan
carzan New Reader
7/10/08 6:32 a.m.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080710/AUTO01/807100342/1148

Building the Cruze makes sense, I guess, but replacing the Cobalt with it is a dumb idea, in my opinion. I think they cater to two different markets. Too bad.

ignorant
ignorant SuperDork
7/10/08 6:56 a.m.

chevy does silly things...

like forcing the cavalier on the Japanese. Toyota gives Chevy the corrolla(geo something) and Toyota gets a cav?!

not chopped

John Brown
John Brown SuperDork
7/10/08 7:04 a.m.

JFM spec RHD Cavaliers are sweeter than USFM LHD Prizms.

suprf1y
suprf1y New Reader
7/10/08 8:33 a.m.
ignorant wrote: chevy does silly things... like forcing the cavalier on the Japanese

Props for living up to your username!

ignorant
ignorant SuperDork
7/10/08 9:57 a.m.
suprf1y wrote:
ignorant wrote: chevy does silly things... like forcing the cavalier on the Japanese
Props for living up to your username!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuwDIbHNY4A

you can explain it any way you want, maketing test whatever..

but I'm telling you noone would willingly import that into japan without a gun being held to their head. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

neon4891
neon4891 HalfDork
7/10/08 10:17 a.m.

Geo/ chevy Prizm

Strizzo
Strizzo Dork
7/10/08 10:19 a.m.

how about: the cavi is a really cheap car in the us, and an even cheaper car in japan with the economy in the crapper. so toyota gets to sell a geo-like car at a price less than their corolla, and in turn chevy gets to sell a corolla as a geo(actually the previous gen corolla was sold as the chevy prism)

neon4891
neon4891 HalfDork
7/10/08 10:23 a.m.

read the first link, so it is based on a cobalt and gets 45mpg, and it has not even been to an auto show yet...

Strizzo
Strizzo Dork
7/10/08 10:38 a.m.

so did they just toss the corolla motor into a cobalt and get 45mpg?

neon4891
neon4891 HalfDork
7/10/08 10:47 a.m.

if they did, it would be the most reliable engine in the chevy line up

Jack
Jack SuperDork
7/10/08 10:50 a.m.
neon4891 wrote: if they did, it would be the most reliable engine in the chevy line up

The Ecotec 2.2 is a great GM motor.

Jack

John Brown
John Brown SuperDork
7/10/08 10:54 a.m.

Are there problems with the Ecotec I don't know about?

neon4891
neon4891 HalfDork
7/10/08 11:00 a.m.

sorry, still going on the "precived quality from 10 years ago" standard. This makes me wonder if the cruze is part of GM still trying to shed the Cav's reputation.

Strizzo
Strizzo Dork
7/10/08 11:23 a.m.

what i never understood about the cobalt was this:

here you have this previous model(cavi) that was so bad that it needed a ground up redesign(cobalt), but then they went and made it look exactly like the previous year cavalier. when they first came out, you pretty much had to look at the badge on the trunk to tell if it was a cobalt or cavalier.

seems to me, that they'd want to differentiate the newer/better car from the old/busted steaming pile they were making before.

carzan
carzan New Reader
7/10/08 11:50 a.m.

Seems like they have a pretty good thing going with the Cobalt. (a).It's better than the Cavalier. (b).It doesn't look bad to me. (c). It appears to be selling very well, so the stigma of the Cavalier couldn't be weighing too heavily on it.

In the article it says: "In its short life since sales began in November 2004, the Cobalt has become GM's best-selling cars in recent months as buyers seek fuel-efficient vehicles."

"The Cobalt's success prompted GM to add a third production shift and 1,400 jobs -- the largest hiring since Lordstown opened in 1966, Mock said."

Those aren't statements indicative of a car you need to replace right away. I applaud the effort if the Cruze turns out to be a great car, but to take something that works and drop it entirely seems like history repeating itself ala Taurus/500. Marketing is everything.

neon4891
neon4891 HalfDork
7/10/08 11:59 a.m.

^^ correction Taurus/500/Taurus

confuZion3
confuZion3 HalfDork
7/10/08 12:00 p.m.

I got to drive a cheap-o, base model, economy Cobalt a few months ago (it belongs to a friend). I really liked it! I hope GM and Ford (they have a great lineup) make it again in the market. They really screwed the pooch a decade ago by making a few really bad vehicles and now, even with good cars, they are being ripped apart.

MadScientistMatt
MadScientistMatt HalfDork
7/10/08 12:14 p.m.

What, GM actually giving their compact platform an updating four or five years after it came out instead of ten? Shocking.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH Dork
7/10/08 12:24 p.m.
ignorant wrote: Toyota gives Chevy the corrolla(geo something) and Toyota gets a cav?!

The Geo Metro sedans are rebranded AE92 4-door sedans.

John Brown
John Brown SuperDork
7/10/08 12:47 p.m.

Suzuki motorcycles suck because the Tracker was a crappy SUV.

GeneralHavoc
GeneralHavoc New Reader
7/10/08 2:27 p.m.

Hey now... I can feel the sarcasm seeping out of that, but sounds like it's from comparing apples to oranges. Trackers rule, in my book. Lightweight 4x4s will get you out of some serious messes, and can sling mud with the best politicians.

Stuc
Stuc Reader
7/10/08 2:43 p.m.

It seems fine to me. The Cobalt was alright... the styling didn't really do it for me with that big ass, but it wasn't bad. I mean, this new car is about the same size, is supposed to have more interior space, and get better mileage. It might not be quite as sporty but the Cobalt is still FWD anyhow.

45 mpg? I'm proud of GM. And I think I read 1.4L direct injection turbo somewhere.. interesting

yo vanilla
yo vanilla New Reader
7/10/08 6:14 p.m.

The Cobalt is much better than the Cadavalier, but let's face it, how could it not be? Still it's just another "let's try to make it [i]just as good as[/i] car from Gee Emm. Is the Cruz going to be an also-ran too? I'd like to see them churn out a winner, any winner, but I'd die holding my breath that long.

Volksroddin
Volksroddin New Reader
7/10/08 8:40 p.m.

If they build the Cruz we could do a JDM Colbalt. It would be so sweet can we one dad? Can we?

neon4891
neon4891 HalfDork
7/11/08 1:43 p.m.
GameboyRMH wrote:
ignorant wrote: Toyota gives Chevy the corrolla(geo something) and Toyota gets a cav?!
The Geo Metro sedans are rebranded AE92 4-door sedans.

see my earlier post, the prizm was a carola

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