SS4EVER
10-30-2008, 01:31 PM
"Although gas prices have fallen well below $3 a gallon around the country – with some regions seeing prices around $2 – U.S. car buyers still have fuel economy high up on their ‘must have’ lists. But even with car buyers still clamoring for fuel economy, General Motors’ highly-efficient Chevrolet Cruze is still almost three years off – or is it?
For U.S. residents, the answer is still yes. But for those living in Korea, you can have a Cruze today, or rather its clone, the Daewoo Lacetti, as it officially rolled into dealerships on Wednesday. Other than a 114 horsepower 1.6L engine – the U.S.-spec Cruze will use a 140 hp 1.4L unit – and a revised grille, the Lacetti is almost exactly identical to the Chevy Cruze we’ll get here.
The fact that GM has delayed the Cruze’s U.S. launch until 2011 yet has launched the car in Korea really speaks to how bad things are in Detroit. The only thing from stopping GM from launching the Cruze here is the re-tooling of its future home – the company’s Lordstown, Ohio plant – which would cost the company billions that it doesn’t have right now. Add in the fact that the Cobalt – which is currently built at the Lordstown plant — is actually seeing decent sales thanks to its high fuel economy, and we won’t see the Cruze until half-way through the next President’s first term.
The European market is also slated to get the Cruze before us, with an on-sale date set for March 2009."
http://www.leftlanenews.com/seeing-double-daewoo-lacetti-hits-the-korean-market.html
For U.S. residents, the answer is still yes. But for those living in Korea, you can have a Cruze today, or rather its clone, the Daewoo Lacetti, as it officially rolled into dealerships on Wednesday. Other than a 114 horsepower 1.6L engine – the U.S.-spec Cruze will use a 140 hp 1.4L unit – and a revised grille, the Lacetti is almost exactly identical to the Chevy Cruze we’ll get here.
The fact that GM has delayed the Cruze’s U.S. launch until 2011 yet has launched the car in Korea really speaks to how bad things are in Detroit. The only thing from stopping GM from launching the Cruze here is the re-tooling of its future home – the company’s Lordstown, Ohio plant – which would cost the company billions that it doesn’t have right now. Add in the fact that the Cobalt – which is currently built at the Lordstown plant — is actually seeing decent sales thanks to its high fuel economy, and we won’t see the Cruze until half-way through the next President’s first term.
The European market is also slated to get the Cruze before us, with an on-sale date set for March 2009."
http://www.leftlanenews.com/seeing-double-daewoo-lacetti-hits-the-korean-market.html