Cruze Number 1 in America

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The small car taking Australia by storm is also a hit across the Pacific.

The compact Cruze that's giving a big kick to GM Holden's results, and is already forecast to eventually outsell the Commodore, is now the favourite car in the USA. It topped the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in June as a range of new rivals, including Hyundai and Kia, continue to win new friends in the world's second-biggest showroom.


A total of 24,896 Cruzes were delivered in June, the third straight month with sales over 20,000 cars. The Cruze is not a threat to the overall top runner in America, the F- Series truck range from Ford that has dominated among buyers for decades, but it is coming fast on the car front. "It seems to be the right car at the right time.

The Cruze ECO is a big hit here with the most efficient gasoline engine in its segment," says Chevrolet spokesman Jason Laird, a transplanted Australian who previously led the spin attack for Holden. "Styling is also a big point. Chevrolet only has the three-door sedan here because that's the most popular body style. But consumers say some of its rivals ... look like they were designed by teenagers."

Laird says Chevrolet has also transplanted the efficiency message from Australia thanks to Mark Reuss, the former GM Holden chairman who now holds the reigns at Chevy. "The ECO branding in the USA is picked up from the successful Ecoline in Australia. Reuss did both," Laird says. Chevrolet is also doing well with the Australian-developed Camaro coupe, with sales up by 13 per cent over June of 2010. Summer funsters have also driven demand for the convertible model to more than 20 per cent of Camaro sales.

The overall Chevrolet sales total in June was 156,848 vehicles in the USA, the foundation for a half-year global result for the blue-bowtie brand of 2.35 million which is the best in the company's 100-year history. Cruze sales contributed more than 330,000 sales worldwide through June - a 132 per cent increase over 2010 - as Chevrolet set record first- half sales in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, South Africa, and Turkey.
My comment ..I do like the SRiV..the new Focus is going to be pushing the proverbial uphill against Cruze..Sad to say. eg ..SRiV has sat nav as standard the Focus Titanium doesn't, not even an option.. The SRiV is cheaper than the Titanium..The Titanium is overpriced..It would be nice to have the Titanium at the same price as the SRiV. Ford had better have some clever marketing for the new Focus..no walking fingers or visiting 236 friends on Facebook!!!!!!!