GM running out of time to kick Cruze sales into high gear

[PREMiERdrum]

Three months after launching, the Chevrolet Cruze is on the shopping lists of fewer than 5% of compact-car consumers, General Motors says

 

With the arrival of a redesigned Ford Focus next month and a new Honda Civic in the spring, GM has a short window to ramp up the Cruze's image.

 

Chevy needs consumers to associate the Cruze -- which replaced the Cobalt -- with value-priced safety and creature comforts before ads for Focuses and Civics again crowd the airwaves.

 

"I would say that's pretty important," Chevrolet marketing chief Chris Perry told the Free Press.

 

Chevy needs a small-car winner in case gas prices increase and as a way to win younger buyers. But it's a competitive field. GM sold about 8,000 Cruzes in November, placing it fifth among compact cars. The No. 1 Civic and No. 2 Toyota Corolla each sold more than 16,000 cars.

 

GM has its Lordstown, Ohio, plant running three shifts to build the Cruze, which suggests a sales volume of more than 20,000 a month.

 

Push to consumers

 

To help cement the Cruze in consumers' minds before new competitors arrive, Chevy plans to launch a campaign next year that loans Cruzes to bloggers. The brand is also continuing its Main Street in Motion traveling test drive fair and its "Get used to more" ad campaign, said Chevy's new marketing boss, Chris Perry.

 

The four-door Cruze starts at $16,995, including shipping, and costs $27,105 fully loaded.

 

The base model gets 36 m.p.g. on the highway with a manual transmission and has standard features such as power locks and air conditioning, which are options on the Civic and Corolla. Those options also make the Cruze's base price several hundred dollars more than those of the Civic and Corolla.

 

Selling quickly, so far

 

IHS Automotive estimates the Lordstown, Ohio, factory that builds the Cruze can make up to 255,000 cars annually on three shifts. To compare, GM sold 213,000 Cobalts in 2005, the car's best year.

 

"We don't want to miss the opportunity," Perry said.

 

GM spent much of this year trying to find new ways to build cars for dealers clamoring for inventory to meet improving demand.

 

Analyst Jackson said GM can produce 255,000 Cruzes next year without selling all of them, saving some for even better sales years -- as long as the company takes care not to push product on dealers.

 

So far, Cruzes are selling far more quickly than analysts' 60-day benchmark.

 

GM started November with 9,000 Cruzes and had sold about 8,000 by the end of the month, Jim Bunnell, who manages GM's dealer network and sales support, said last week on a conference call with reporters and analysts. That's on target with GM's launch plan, Bunnell said.

 

Perry said, "I think we have an appropriate level of confidence in this vehicle."

 

LINK - Free Press

 

Just want to point this out:

To help cement the Cruze in consumers' minds before new competitors arrive, Chevy plans to launch a campaign next year that loans Cruzes to bloggers

Sound familiar?

[SVTDarkCobra]

Isn't it too late in the game to copy the Fiesta Movement campaign?

 

They should have done that before the Cruze came out .

[rmc523]

Wait a second, the Cruze has been out for 3 months??? I've seen a grand total of 2!!!!!!

 

I don't really understand the comparison between how many units they COULD build now and the sales numbers of the Cobalt 5 years ago?

[PREMiERdrum]

I just want to point out...

 

 

The ONLY way to get fog lights on the Cruze is to get the "sporty" RS appearance package. So, your $26,000 Cruze LTZ won't come with fog lights.

[aneekr]

I just want to point out...

 

 

The ONLY way to get fog lights on the Cruze is to get the "sporty" RS appearance package. So, your $26,000 Cruze LTZ won't come with fog lights.

Fog lamps can easily be added as a dealer installed accessory to any U.S. market Cruze - it is not necessary to specify the RS package for that feature alone.

 

In fact, when I was car shopping with a relative in the Chicago area, the Cruze 2LT (without RS package) we looked at in the showroom already had fog lamps installed; this item was listed on the window sticker with a price of ~ $230 (if I recall correctly). Incidentally, my relative did not eventually purchase a Cruze for reasons completely unrelated to fog lamps.

[PREMiERdrum]

Fog lamps can easily be added as a dealer installed accessory to any U.S. market Cruze - it is not necessary to specify the RS package for that feature alone.

 

In fact, when I was car shopping with a relative in the Chicago area, the Cruze 2LT (without RS package) we looked at in the showroom already had fog lamps installed; this item was listed on the window sticker with a price of ~ $230 (if I recall correctly). Incidentally, my relative did not eventually purchase a Cruze for reasons completely unrelated to fog lamps.

 

Yeah, they're a $240 dealer accessory (with $150-$200 labor)... so why the hell can't they be offered from the factory? It's not a major thing, but as other entries in the segment are moving upmarket, this isn't a good move. If not for the lights themselves, then to avoid the cheap plastic spacers in the facia where lights should be.

[J-150]

Wait a second, the Cruze has been out for 3 months??? I've seen a grand total of 2!!!!!!

 

I don't really understand the comparison between how many units they COULD build now and the sales numbers of the Cobalt 5 years ago?

 

 

I have not seen a single Cruze on the roads. I have not even seen one being test driven (in my area there are specialized yellow plates for dealers)

 

 

Many on dealer lots, but that's it. IMO, it's just not attractive. It looks like a Malibu. Malibus look like rental cars. Why would I want to buy anything that looks like a downsized rental car?

[NickF1011]

Wait a second, the Cruze has been out for 3 months??? I've seen a grand total of 2!!!!!!

 

I've seen a couple. They are so anonymous though that I almost didn't even notice the first one. The rear end looks remarkably similar to the Elantra and the front end is mostly forgettable as well.

 

On the contrary, I saw a Fiesta sedan last night and I could pick it out just by the appearance of its unique tail lights.

[97svtgoin05gt]

This car looks like all other Chevys in recent years, just a little smaller. Their products are and have been bland with the exception of the Corvette for years. Old GM at its finest. They really need to take a cold bath, or do a bungie jump or SOMETHING to wake up the design studio. Produce something that doesn't look like ANYTHING they've done in recent years. They had an opportunity with this and blew it. Its too late now, this thing will go right into the bag of forgettable Chevys like tons of other product.