Chicago Chevrolet dealers will begin offering smaller, fuel-efficient cars
With new pressure on the automotive industry to reduce the general consumer’s environmental footprint, Chevy is stepping up to the plate in a big way. Very soon, a trip to local Chicago Chevrolet dealers might reveal a stunning new phase in Chevy history – the emergence of a brand new small car strategy that will include up-and-comers like the Chevy Cruze and the Chevy Spark.
It’s not surprising that GM is pushing a new line of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. The recent recession almost shoved the American manufacturing giant into oblivion, forcing the company to adopt a strategy that would make it more competitive in a new ecologically friendly automotive industry. A recent announcement by the Big Three manufacturer claims that it is building a future small car utilizing an idled UAW-GM facility, a “re-tooled plant capable of building 160,000 cars annually.”
On top of the new facility and new model, GM says that while 67 percent of GM cars and trucks sold in the U.S. are built in the U.S., the company expects that this number will have grown to over 70 percent by 2013.
For the individual local consumer who plans to buy Chevrolet Chicago, you can expect the release of the Chevy Cruze to awaken your curiosity in a redefined manufacturer that used to associate itself strongly with SUVs and muscle cars. The car will compete directly with the Ford Focus, hopefully breathing new life into a struggling American auto industry.
According to GM’s CEO Fritz Henderson, the new Chevrolet Cruze will feature fuel-efficiency as high as 40 mpg (highway), an attractive interior design and a roomy five-passenger cabin. The car will also offer a powerful 1.4-liter direct injection turbo-charged engine. Henderson makes it clear that the new Chevy line of small, more fuel-efficient cars are designed not simply to compete, but to trump the competition.
A big piece of the new strategy that will roll out in Chicago Chevrolet dealers and Chevy dealers across the country is the new Chevy Spark, the first GM car sourced from China for sale in America. While the Chevy Spark won’t launch in the U.S. until 2011, it will play a crucial role in the transformation of Chevy’s reputation.
The Chevrolet Spark is a sporty, 5-door breath of fresh air for environmentally and financially conscious Americans. A stylish and spacious vehicle, the Spark attempts to break the mold on the American driving experience with unique interior and exterior designs.
Soon enough, you might find yourself walking into your Chicago Chevy Spark dealer to see the brand has a complete and utter facelift, a redefined direction, much higher regard for fuel-efficient travel, and a significant difference in what kind of vehicles are offered on the showroom floor. Especially at a time when the smallest victories are so crucial to the U.S. automotive industry, GM is going to have to go the distance, and the Chevy Cruze and Chevy Spark seem to be just two examples of how the company can get itself on the right track.
Published: 2009-09-21
Author: David Stanton is a Chicago-area auto enthusiast that blogs and contributes various articles to online.
