Chevy's got a great new car that you can't buy (unless you're in Europe)

Judging by all the advertising and promotion, you'd think that the only new car in the works from Chevrolet is the Volt, which is supposed to hit the market in 2010. But let's face it--a $40,000 car, which is what the Volt is predicted to cost, is hardly going to be a big seller. The Cruze, on the other hand, will sell like hotcakes. The Cruze is designed to replace the Cobalt (so named for its radioactive qualities) in 2010. Here's a link to Autoblog, with lots of pictures, including what I think is the nicest interior that GM has ever done. The Cruze would be perfect for today's auto market--1.4 liter turbo engine with 40 mpg highway mileage, good looks, etc. So why is Europe getting the Cruze next Spring, while we have to wait until 2010 for it?

Bob Lutz wanted to jumpstart GM's small car development, so he imported the Opel Astra, the best-selling car in Europe, to the U.S. as a Saturn. However, it was overpriced and underpowered, as well as unprofitable, due to its being manufactured in Belgium. The next-generation Astra will be built in the U.S. in 2011, a year after the new Astra hits Europe. (Yes, they'll be building old-model cars, if anyone wants one, for the U.S.) The Cruze was designed in the U.S. and will be built in the Lordstown, Ohio ("Home of the Vega!") plant that currently builds the Cobalt. If the Cruze is going into production next Spring in Europe, there's no reason except poor planning to explain why GM couldn't have launched it into the U.S. at the same time.

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