As do I, but it's become painfully apparent (and Jalopnik hit it square on the head) - Cruze is GM's Corolla, not their Focus, their Mazda 3 or even their new Cobalt. The car just doesn't inspire a "sport" feeling.

 

Someone just did a roadtest of one. I'll look it up later when I have time, but a fully optioned one was around 3450 pounds if I remember correctly.

 

I don't see why the sporty/luxury version of Cruze can't be called LTZ. After all, they don't make a Malibu SS, and no longer make an Impala SS.

 

Then Chevy is in huge trouble. That's only 50 pounds less than the 2011 Explorer.

3500 is also what I've heard bandied about for the Volt - which has about 400 pound of battery...

 

Here you go.


http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...inion/eco.html

 

that thing is heavy, what is it, a mini-malibu????

 

It is larger than the Cobalt and has an engine bay that will not carry the Cobalt engine?

gee awesome

 

Let's hope that's a misspeak.

 

My plan was to get one of these in a few years. I love the Focus but it's made in Mexico, same with the Caliber. I can not get an American made sport compact from an "American" company... I'm screwed. This just makes my brain hurt. Will the damn Aveo get an SS or better engine with an RS setup and be made somewhere in the good ol' US?

 

I think Chevy screws up every time they make a car (not truck or van) that doesn't have a performance variant. It doesn't have to be available in the first year, but it should exist.

I honestly don't care whether a performance variant of Cruze gets called SS or Z24 -- either way, my expectations would be the same, and that's for it to be a great performer for its size and layout (FWD sedan) in all respects.

 

Yeah, it's a bit embarrassing until you realize that Cruze was intended for the European market, and hot motors like the LNF were never going to be considered for the car.

It seems to me that Aveo is going to have to be the torch-bearer if Chevy gets back into the sport compact game. I thought the Aveo RS concept looked nice enough, but would we ever get such a thing, and could an LNF-type motor be used?

 

I dont think im wrong in saying the lnf based combos have been sworn away from gamma and delta and will only be used in elipson 2 and alpha . The new astra opc , which btw has the same engine bay as a cruze, is said to have a turbo 2.0 . No word if its a new family 0 or new to opel family 2 . Fwiw the last opc engine was a family 1 2.0 turbo from saab .

 

The Focus has been made in Wayne Michigan since the Hermosillo factory was retooled for the Fusion/Milan/MKZ.

The 2012 is being built in the new MAP (Michigan Assembly Plant), which is a newly upgraded flex plant that is basically across the street from Wayne.

No Mexican Foci for about 5 years now.

The Aveo will also be built in the US, btw.

 

Historically the Families have been differentiated by displacement with the largest Family 1 being 1.8L. 2.0L would be in the Family II range. However, I suppose that could be subject to change.

 

Heck, I'd settle for a Euro-spec turbo diesel.