By by cobalt, its Cruze time!

[jimbos'ss]

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...this-week.html

With nearly one million models sold in six years, the last Chevrolet Cobalt will roll off the production line this week. The Cobalt has been manufactured at GM’s Lordstown assembly plant since its launch in 2004 but was never attained the success of the Cavalier it replaced. An uncompetitive vehicle compared to segment leaders like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, Chevy at least churned out a badass Cobalt SS in 2008 making 260-hp and 260 ft-lbs of torque. That model was rated at 5.5 seconds to 60 mph and could even run a 13.9 second quater mile.
But not even a Car & Driver comparo that proved the Cobalt SS could lap VIR faster than a Mitsubishi EVO, (not to mention a Lexus IS-F, Audi S5, Honda S2000, Subaru WRX STI or Lotus Elise SC) could win the Cobalt any respect.
The Cobalt is set to be replaced by GM’s latest compact car effort, the Cruze, which is larger, considerably more refined and significantly more fuel efficient.

[jimbos'ss]

http://wot.motortrend.com/6661187/au...ant/index.html

Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/6661187/au...#ixzz0sihwnx6b

This week marked the last of the Chevy Cobalts to come off the line in Lordstown, Ohio, after almost seven years of production. We're guessing there weren't a lot of tears shed for the mostly unloved model, although we certainly wouldn't kick a Cobalt SS out of the garage. There is still joy in Lordstown, however, as the much anticipated Cruze lineup will take the place of the Cobalt once the plant is retooled in early July.
"We're sorry to see the Cobalt leave, but you know what's right behind it -- the Cruze," said Local 1112 President Jim Graham. "It served its purpose -- it was a great car, great sales numbers."


In the first five months of 2010, Chevrolet sold just over 67,000 Cobalts. The last model to roll off the line was a white Cobalt destined for a dealership in New Hampshire.

The Cruze, already on sale elsewhere in the world, is expected to be an even greater step forward for Chevy small cars. Lordstown, draped with a "Cruze is Coming" banner for over a year, will be one of several plants to produce the Cruze around the world. Prior to the Cobalt, the Lordstown plant was also home to relics of bygone automotive eras, such as the Chevy Vega and several generations of Cavaliers.


Cruze production is scheduled to begin on July 12, after a short factory shutdown for retooling.

Source: Business Journal

Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/6661187/au...#ixzz0sihpJPQ1

[jimbos'ss]

http://business-journal.com/clients/...smenu=1&mad=No

Cobalt Ends Strong, GM Core Brands Soar
July 2, 2010 7:02 a.m.
By Dan O'Brien
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Chevrolet Cobalt exited on a high note, as the small car that until last week was manufactured at General Motors Co.'s Lordstown Complex posted a 48% gain in deliveries during its final month in production.
Cobalt's sales reached a respectable 10,141 units during June compared to 6,847 the previous year, GM reported Thursday. The Lordstown plant produced the last Cobalt June 23 and is shut down for its traditional July 4 holiday break. Through the first six months of 2010, the Cobalt posted a total of 77,394 deliveries, an increase of nearly 50% compared to a year ago.
The Lordstown plant resumes production July 12, when it will start building the long-awaited Chevrolet Cruze, which is to be launched in August.
"We're very satisfied with our company's direction," said Don Johnson, GM vice president, U.S. sales operations during a conference call Thursday. "With the Cruze and the Volt launching this year, we're pretty excited about our prospects."
GM said new vehicle sales of its core brands -- Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC -- rose 36% in June, helped by more demand for pickup trucks and crossover vehicles. Overall sales including the four brands GM either discontinued or sold last year -- Pontiac, Saab, Hummer and Saturn -- increased 10.7%.
Ford Motor Co. reported its deliveries increased 15%, while Chrysler Auto Group LLC said that its sales jumped 35%.
Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda also reported sales gains during the month.
However, the sales increases tempered gains posted by automakers earlier this year, indicating that consumers started to pull back last month.
GM said total sales of 195,380 vehicles in June compare to 176,571sold last year.
The Chevrolet Silverado pickup hit 30,994 units for the month, easily the best-selling GM vehicle. The automaker's second-best seller for the month was the Chevrolet Malibu, which saw sales skyrocket 80% to 20,720 units for the month.
The automaker said the industry's seasonal adjusted annual sales rate, or SAAR, stood at 11.2 million vehicles. The SAAR tracks the total number of projected vehicle sales in North America for the year and fluctuates month-to-month.
But it was Chrysler that beat all analysts projections Thursday, as the Auburn Hills, Mich. automaker reported a 35% increase on sales of 92,482 units, compared to 68,297 vehicles a year earlier.
Chuck Eddy, principal of Bob & Chuck Eddy Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Austintown, said that his dealership experienced a slight drop in volume in June but has picked up dramatically in 2010.
"There's an excitement about Chrysler," he said. The pricing is good and our incentive budget is half of what it was a year ago."
Last year, he said he and other dealers were doing "everything we could to sell cars." However, pricing this year has returned to normal with a steady revenue stream.
What should prove interesting are sales figures for July and August, Eddy noted.
Last year, the federal government sponsored the "cash for clunkers" program that awarded vouchers of up to $4,500 to buyers. That effort helped boost auto sales for those two months as the industry entered the fall selling season.
"We had crazy deals last year," Eddy said. "Our business feels better. We have a steady flow without the incentives."
This fall, Chrysler is planning to launch the new Dodge Durango, the all-new Dodge Charger 300, a reworked Chrysler Sebring Avenger, and an all-new Fiat 500, Eddy said.
"The 35% increase shows that we continue to build on our sales momentum," said Chrysler's CEO, Fred Diaz, in a statement.
Ford reported a 15% gain in new-car sales for June, led by sales of the Ford F-150. Sales of the popular pickup truck were 58% higher and captured more than a 50% of the heavy-duty pickup segment.
Ford sold a total of 170,900 new vehicles in June, the automaker reported.
"New products continue to drive Ford's success," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. sales, marketing and service. Sales of the Ford Mustang were 37% higher than a year ago, and the automaker gained market share for the 20th time in the last 21 months.
Meantime, Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda also reported better sales. Toyota said volume business increased 6.8% on sales of 140,604 units.
Honda Motor Co. said its sales rose 6.2%. The North American division reported it delivered 106,627 new vehicles to dealers in June. Its Acura division saw an increase of 31% for the month, the company reported.
"June brought impressive double-digit sales gains for Honda's Accord, Civic, and CR-V models," said John Mendel, executive vice president for sales at American Honda. "Americans are still seeking out the value and versatility that Honda models offer," he said.
Copyright 2010 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.

[jimbos'ss]

A couple of weeks and we should start seeing the Cruze hitting the dealerships.