New Decade, New Lineup: Times Are Indeed Changing

Many things are changing in the automotive industry. Every year, it becomes a more globally-oriented endeavour. GM has tried to acknowledge and take advantage of that fact as much as possible - for example, do you know the companies Holden and Daewoo? They are GM-related automakers in Australia and South Korea, respectively. Their ideas are often combined with the ideas of engineers in America and Europe to create the vehicles you find sold under the Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC brand names. Additionally, GM has entered China, and is now the top-selling foreign automaker there. Believe it or not, did you know the Chinese are crazy about Buicks? Who'da thunk, right?

Chevrolet has a lot of awesome stuff coming down the pipeline: the Orlando, the Spark, and, of course, the Volt (more on that for another day). The first item that we will be getting in at Payne Chevrolet, though, is the Chevrolet CRUZE.

The Cruze comes at a very important time for Chevrolet - the small car has never been a forte for American car companies, long eclipsed by Asian and European automakers in this area. The Cruze is described by Chevy's PR people as "a global car refined for America," and to be honest, it's hard to disagree with them - they did a really great job. The Cruze, as the successor to the Cobalt, will be a nice looking piece of work. The interior looks like one of a sports car, and the outside looks very modern. The mpg is expected to be around 40 miles per gallon. The car is both an improvement on the Cobalt and a new vehicle all its own.

However on that note, here is my candid, uncensored hope for the future of Cruze - that this nameplate will stick. I think that the Cavalier and Cobalt were both great vehicles, so why a name change? I'd like GM to pick a name for this car and stay with it, through redesigns and good sales and bad, because it builds a brand loyalty. People LOVE Camaro, through thick and thin, and it's partially because Chevy made a great car and stuck with it. Any car historian will tell you that not every single Camaro in history was a great as the current model (Camaro Iron Duke?). And yet, the Camaro is still one of the most beloved cars in history, and better than ever.

Also, look at the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla - both are horrible names for cars, in my opinion, but yet they are some of the longest-running nameplates and best selling vehicles in the business. The name doesn't matter as much as the brand created around it. The Cruze has the ability to be the best car in its class, and I think Chevy should believe in the nameplate enough to keep it for many, many years to come.

Here's to you, Chevy Cruze!! Can't wait for you to get here.