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Ask any economics professor – competition is a good thing. Exhibit A? The large pickup truck market. Ford F-Series trucks have been the number-one selling vehicle line in the United States for more than three decades, but the automaker has never grown complacent. Each new iteration has been bigger, badder and more capable than its predecessor, and that goes twofold for Dearborn’s heavy-duty models.

Despite the fact that Toyota and Nissan never followed up their light-duty trucks with three-quarter or one-ton models, just the threat of such entries spurred Ford, General Motors and Dodge to significantly up their games. In the first half of 2010, the Detroit Three have introduced revamped heavy-duty pickups to feed a segment that, while shrinking, remains large and highly profitable. With that in mind, we saddled up to the Big Daddy of the F-Series range, the F-450, to see if the behemoth could play the dual roles of load-lugger and daily ride. Click through the jump to see how we fared.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Sam Abuelsamid / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Ford F-450 Lariat

Review: 2011 Ford F-450 Lariat

After 15 years of offering comprehensive safety coverage to General Motors vehicle owners, OnStar will be getting a well-deserved boost in functionality to better take on Ford’s Sync and other upstart systems.

New infotainment systems are one of the hottest trends in the automotive marketplace, and GM certainly can’t afford to be behind the curve. Because of this, OnStar will be relaunching its brand image, citing the phrase “responsible connectivity” as the motto for everything moving forward. This means that OnStar won’t just be about safety anymore, though its core values will continue to be improved.

Two of the main infotainment technologies being tested right now are audio Facebook integration and voice text messaging. OnStar recently released a brief bit of information about these two functions, but we were able to attend a presentation to see these new social functions firsthand.

OnStar’s Facebook integration will allow subscribers to post audio status updates directly from the car. These messages will appear as audio updates on the Facebook news feed, and drivers will also have the ability to have their personal news feed read back to them. Even though this technology is still undergoing beta testing, the whole process works relatively seamlessly, though the read-back audio could still benefit from some smoothing-out.

Voice text messaging piggybacks on this same audio technology. Using a Bluetooth-paired phone, drivers can have text messages read to them via the car’s audio system. From there, the driver can press a button on the steering wheel to verbally select one of OnStar’s four pre-set replies – things like, “I received your text message, but am currently driving,” or, “Please call me.”

All of this being tested in correlation with OnStar’s ninth-generation hardware, which improves voice recognition, adds a Bluetooth phonebook, help ‘wizard,’ improved navigation and uses advanced notification services for traffic and weather alerts. This is just the start to what OnStar is working on, though. Stay tuned for a deeper dive into the future technologies OnStar is working to bring to GM vehicles. In the meantime, hit the jump for the official press release.

[Source: OnStar]

Continue reading Latest OnStar focuses on infotainment, adds audio Facebook integration, voice texting

Latest OnStar focuses on infotainment, adds audio Facebook integration, voice texting

You never know what you’re going to find on eBay. The auction house of the interwebs routinely plays host to metal both obscure and unique – two categories the vehicle you see above satisfies without question. It’s a 1964 Pontiac XP833 Banshee Concept, and while it’s easy to think that the car is little more than a warmed over Corvette design, the truth is that this particular Poncho had widespread influence on General Motors design language for more than a decade.

Originally penned by none other than John Delorean, the Banshee was supposed to be a more sports-oriented competitor to the recently introduced Ford Mustang. Unfortunately, when the concept was completed, the higher-ups felt that the Banshee would threaten the Corvette throne and the project was scrapped. It’s a song that would be repeated time and time again in the future.

Pieces of the Banshee design would live on in cars like the C4 Corvette and Pontiac Firebird, but the actual concepts themselves were slated for destruction. Fortunately, the studies were boxed up in shipping crates and tucked away for safe keeping, eventually sold to the GM execs who had taken part in the Banshee project. This particular example has a mere 1,500 miles on the clock and sits in its original condition. It can be yours for the right price, but with almost $50,000 on the auction and the reserve not met, it ain’t gonna be cheap.

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1964 Pontiac XP833 Banshee Concept

When General Motors conceived the electric powertrain for the Chevrolet Volt, the 40-mile electric driving range was specified so that most drivers would rarely, if ever, have to use any liquid fuel. Components like the battery were then sized to match the performance and range specifications. However, the whole point of incorporating the range extending engine was so the Volt could keep going without the driver having to continuously monitor the battery level, even though GM once told us that the Volt would move without gas in the tank.

Regardless, leaving the same gasoline in a tank for months or even years creates a new set of problems. One reason is there’s no such thing as pure gasoline. What’s sold at the pump is a blend of numerous hydrocarbon compounds like octane, heptane and other additives that lubricate valves and fuel injectors, along with a range of assorted chemicals. Many of these compounds will eventually evaporate, reducing the performance of the fuel and could possibly lead to engine damage.

To address this, the Volt has a completely sealed and pressurized fuel tank. Pressurizing the tank helps minimize evaporation from the liquid fuel, forcing it to stay in liquid form. Before the fuel filler can be opened to gas up the Volt, the tank has to be depressurized, which takes a few seconds after pressing the release button. The engine management system also monitors the time between when the engine runs and will periodically prompt the driver to run past the 40-mile electric range before recharging. If the driver doesn’t force the Volt to run on gas, the system will eventually start the engine to consume some of the aging fuel and circulate the fluids within the engine. Once this maintenance mode is complete, the engine shuts down until it’s needed again or enough time has passed. GM hasn’t revealed what the time intervals are, but with Volt production right around the corner, we’ll find out soon enough.

[Source: Plug-in Cars]

Chevy Volt’s “maintenance mode” will burn gas to prevent aging

In the book Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry, former auto task force chief Steve Rattner details the goings on during one of the most tumultuous times in the history of the auto industry. Yet another factoid to come out of the book was Rattner’s offering of the top job at General Motors to current Renault Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.

Given the fact that Ghosn still heads Renault Nissan it’s pretty obvious Sir Carlos turned down the job. But did he think about the tempting offer? According to a report in Automotive News (via Bloomberg) the charismatic leader had “no hesitation” in declining the offer. Ghosn cited the deteriorating auto market when asked why he turned down the GM job, adding “to leave at that point would have been both disruptive and disloyal to both companies.”

But while Rattner wanted Ghosn to run The General, the Renault Nissan CEO was more interested in talking merger. Ghosn said in a statement that when asked to lead GM he instead offered up an alliance between his companies and the Detroit-based automaker, but Rattner didn’t see that happening. At least at GM…

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. Image: Yves Forestier/Getty Images]

Report: Ghosn confirms he got offer to run GM

Since the departure of Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen has been hunting for a new helmsman for its U.S. operations. Word is that VW have found that man. Jonathan Browning, a former managing executive for General Motors and Ford, is set to take over the position Jacoby vacated when taking the CEO spot at Volvo.

Browning initially joined the Volkswagen team in June to head the national sales effort for all 10 brands under the VAG umbrella. He began his career with General Motors back in 1981, working with Vauxhall and then moving on to manage GM Turkey. Browning eventually left the General for the Blue Oval where he was involved with marketing and served as managing director for (then Ford-owned) Jaguar from 1997 through 2001. GM got him back and he climbed its ladder, rising to the position of Head of Global Sales – a post he resigned from in 2009.

While Browning’s appointment isn’t official yet, Volkswagen will be holding an event tomorrow at 11 AM EST to announce its new U.S. CEO, so expect confirmation before noon on Monday.

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req.]

Report: Jonathan Browning to head Volkswagen’s U.S. operations

Dan Akerson, the man who just recently replaced Ed Whitacre as General Motors‘ CEO, will be paid an annual salary of a cool $1.7 million. That’s an awfully pretty penny, but Akerson indeed has his work cut out for him – The General is finally on its way to public ownership, with a stock IPO in the works for later this year.

In addition to his $1.7 million, Akerson will also receive $5.3 million worth of GM stock, delivered over the course of three years beginning on September 30, 2011. Furthermore, he will receive an additional $2 million in stock under GM’s long-term incentive plan.

This may seem like quite a bit, but things are a lot richer (literally) just down the road in Dearborn. Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally, makes substantially more – he netted $17.9 million in cash and bonuses in 2009 – though this is largely due to the fact that the government bailouts have limited the CEO salary amounts for both GM and Chrysler.

[Source: Edmunds Auto Observer Image: John F. Martin/AFP/Getty]

New GM CEO Akerson to earn salary of $1.7 million

Even more terrifying tales of the automotive bailout are emerging from Steven Rattner’s new book. CNN Money reports that, according to the text, Chrysler had an even rougher go of things than General Motors. Rattner, who served as the head of the automotive task force, writes that after congress failed to give Chrysler the $7 billion in funding that the company originally asked for, executives began to scramble to find other ways to keep the operation afloat. That includes Pentastar boss Bob Nardelli asking the United States Treasury to force General Motors to buy Chrysler. After it was determined that the vast amounts of overlap between the two companies would make a merger impossible, things got even more bizarre.

According to Rattner’s book, Steve Feinberg of Chrysler parent company Cerberus Capital offered the carmaker to the treasury department for $1. The treasury thought the offer was a joke, partially because Feinberg made the suggestion to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson during a 2:00 AM phone call. Less than a month later, President Bush signed off on $17.4 billion in TARP money for GM and Chrysler. Thanks for the tip, Ollie!

[Source: CNN Money Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty]

Report: Nardelli almost sold Chrysler to U.S. for $1

Founded in 1995 and officially launched at that year’s Chicago Auto Show, OnStar has just hit its 15th birthday. After unlocking 4.7 million doors and providing over 59 million turn-by-turn routes, the tech centerpiece found in General Motors‘ vehicles is not ready to sit back and revel in the past. Ford is constantly improving its Sync system and The General is looking to move OnStar into the same league. The major details of it plans are not yet available but we recently learned that OnStar is testing two interesting new features; voice texting and the ability to update your Facebook status simply by speaking.

As OnStar moves into the future, let’s take a look at what it has accomplished over the last 15 years.

• More than one million responses to Emergency Service alerts, assisting drivers, first responders and local police departments in many life-threatening situations.
• More than 146,000 responses to Automatic Crash Notifications where OnStar sent emergency personnel to a vehicle whose driver was unresponsive after an airbag deployment.
• 198 different coastal communities helped with hurricane preparedness through OnStar’s Crisis Assist.
• More than 59 million Turn-by-Turn routes delivered. What was seen as a preliminary step against distracted driving, Turn-by-Turn Navigation allows an advisor to send directions directly to a subscriber’s Driver Information Center or radio.
• More than 4.7 million doors have been unlocked by OnStar’s Remote Door Unlock service. OnStar unlocks 1,833 doors every day, a huge convenience for people who accidently lock their keys in the car. (It happens.)
• More than 147 million monthly e-mails have been sent to subscribers since launch, giving them real-time diagnostic reports of their vehicles.

Besides just helping those in need, OnStar can also “help” those with greed – the type of greed that would lead them to steal a car. If a thief manages to swipe a vehicle equipped with GM’s big blue button, it can be slowed down remotely or, in other cases, OnStar can remotely block the ignition.

OnStar is a service that makes the lives of millions of customers a little easier, and we at Autoblog would like to wish it a happy birthday… as long as GM promises not to throw it a MTV-style Sweet Sixteen next year. Follow the jump to read more about OnStar in its official birthday press release.

[Source: OnStar]

Continue reading OnStar turns 15, has unlocked 4.7 million doors

OnStar turns 15, has unlocked 4.7 million doors

Proof Positive That Chrysler Can Still Compete

We’re finally beginning to get a glimpse of exactly what Chrysler has been up to since snagging a whopping $6.6 billion in federal funding during the automotive implosion of 2009. While General Motors has been busily chugging along like nothing happened, the Pentastar hasn’t exactly rolled out a wave of new and refreshed models. There’s been an obvious hitch in the Chrysler giddy up, and those loyal to the company’s three brands have been forced to settle for little more than slightly reworked option packages… until now. As 2010 comes to a close, the company is pulling the covers off a range of new models, each as important to its future success as the last.

At the front of the pack is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle that’s become synonymous with Chrysler’s righting of itself in the public eye thanks to some of the most well-crafted advertisements in the industry. If you don’t know what we’re on about, we highly suggest pointing your browser toward YouTube and spending a few minutes watching the company’s “The Things We Make, Make Us” spot. Be prepared for an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty, as well as a burning desire to pick up a hammer and bang some nails.

You’ve been warned.

Even before Chrysler’s run-in with Chapter 11, there were flickers of hope within the company’s fleet. The Dodge Ram packed one of the best interiors in the segment, and the previous-generation Grand Cherokee wasn’t a horrible place to spend a few hours. The 2011 Grand Cherokee picks up those cues and runs with them in all directions, resulting in a vehicle that’s as capable off road as it is jousting with mid-town traffic. If this is the new face of Chrysler, we like what we see.

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

We don’t remember feeling at all disappointed when Ford released power figures for its new 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine available in the 2011 Super Duty. After all, who’s going to argue with 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque? Then General Motors published power figures for its new 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel of 397 ponies and 765 stump-pulling lb-ft of twist. Oh snap! That left Ford on the shallow end of the power pool, but engineers were secretly working on a flash update for its in-house oil burner. The engineering tweak is now available and brings the Power Stroke’s figures up to 400 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque, besting the General’s mill by three ponies and 35 pound-feet.

Our friend Mike Levine over at Pickuptrucks.com dyno’d the engine before and after the reflash. The new Power Stroke has a lot more low-end torque than it did before the reflash, with an extra 45 lb-ft available at the rear wheels at a measly 2,000 rpm. But as the power band stretches towards 4,000 revolutions, the torque totals swing back into the favor of the pre-calibration engine by 22.1 lb-ft. Is that a big deal? Probably not to truck drivers, as low-end torque is the name of the game when you’re pulling and hauling for a living.

Beyond added capability, Levine tells us that the reflashed Super Duty feels less jumpy, adding “gear shifts were smoother and less noticeable after the update than before getting on the freeway and driving on surface streets.” New 2011 models heading down the assembly line will receive the updated mill, but existing customers can get a free reflash from their dealer. For the next 12 months, some early purchasers of the 2011 Power Stroke will also have to visit a dealer for the upgrade. The whole process reportedly takes all of 30 minutes, or enough time to think about what else you can tow with your newfound torque. Head over to pickuptrucks.com to read the extensive review of the new engine calibrations.

[Source: Pickuptrucks]

Super Duty’s Power Stroke diesel gets 800 lb-ft of torque reflash

First Drive: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Lincoln has finally stuck a balance between luxury and fuel economy with the 2011 MKZ Hybrid.

Vauxhall GTC concept completely revealed ahead of Paris Motor Show debut

The Astra Sport Hatch hasn’t arrived yet, but the Vauxhall GTC, with it’s aggressive styling and turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, is a good indication of what will be hitting the streets next year.

General Motors unveils Chevrolet Aveo show car ahead of Paris Motor Show

The all-new Aveo is ready for its big day in Paris, but before the show, Chevrolet takes the wraps off its all-new subcompact.

Also of interest:

• Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary
• BMW’s dontblogaboutthis.com car revealed on forum
• GM testing OnStar Facebook and texting functionality
• Video: Mazda Shinari concept and Kodo-fied Mazda3 make the scene
• Nevada governor candidate pitches speeding for dollars plan as budget fix

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 9.8.10

General Motors is ready to bring the fight to Ford’s Sync system with a reworked version of OnStar, but the salient details won’t be revealed for another seven days. However, we’ve gotten word from the General that it’s testing two new features: Audio Facebook updates and voice texting.

On the Facebook front, GM is the experimental phase of integrating OnStar with the 800-pound social media guerilla, allowing users to verbally update their Facebook status via audio recordings, with the possibility of utilizing the OnStar Virtual Advisor feature to read off Facebook status updates and news feeds.

Voice texting works in a similar manner, pairing the driver’s Bluetooth mobile phone to OnStar and allowing the system to read received SMS messages and reply using a voice command to select four pre-set messages. That’s not true voice-to-text functionality, but it’s similar to what’s being offered by other automakers.

GM testing OnStar Facebook and texting functionality

The first production copies of the 2011 Cruze are likely heading to a nearby Chevrolet dealer as you’re reading this, and that means that General Motors’ advertising blitz can’t be far behind. Actually, it starts after the jump. From where we sit, it appears that the Bowtie’s new C-segment sedan is ready to do war with the competition, and Chevy clearly has its eyes trained on the segment’s sales leader. The first 30-second spot with actor Tim Allen’s voiceover is aptly titled “Dear Corolla,” and it chides the Toyota mainstay for not offering as standard equipment keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.

The second spot doesn’t aim directly at any one competitor, choosing instead to play off of the Cruze’s role as the new kid in the C-sized segment. Chevy’s ad gurus chose to pull out a pair of brief quotes made by auto news outlets that liken some of the Cruze’s best attributes to that of distinctly pricier competition, and we’re betting that at least one of those publications will sound familiar.

Both spots strike us as a bit paint-by-numbers marketing for such an important launch, though it’s good to see that GM isn’t shrinking away from one of its biggest competitors. Hit the jump to view both videos and judge for yourself. The Corolla commercial comes first, followed by the “New Kid” spot.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Video: Chevrolet Cruze ads ramp up

Video: Chevrolet Cruze ads ramp up

General Motors is continuing its small-car onslaught by showing off the next-generation Chevrolet Aveo at this year’s Paris Motor Show. According to the company, the show car on display will be the spitting image of the actual production version, though we can expect a few small changes to show up as dictated by each market. GM says that the new Aveo borrows heavily from the Spark, complete with plenty of “hot hatch” styling. It’s true that the forward-leaning shoulder line and aggressive headlights help give the Aveo plenty of menace for a vehicle this size, and judging from the powertrain lineup, there’s a chance that this little sucker might scoot along with the best of them.

GM says that it will be offering a range of engines in the Aveo globally, from an anemic 70 horsepower, 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine to a variety of diesel mills and a 115 horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline four. We aren’t engineers by a long shot, but 115 horsepower in a tiny tin box like the Aveo is bound to be at least somewhat entertaining.

The next-generation Aveo is both longer and wider than its predecessor, so there should be quite a bit more interior space to enjoy. Here’s hoping the company has applied its newfound dedication to interior quality to the hatch. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading General Motors unveils Chevrolet Aveo show car ahead of Paris Motor Show

General Motors unveils Chevrolet Aveo show car ahead of Paris Motor Show

According to The Wall Street Journal, members of the U.S. Treasury are worried about General Motors’ upcoming IPO. They aren’t concerned for the automaker’s stock price, or how even how many investors may decide to buy into the company – they’re concerned about what country the money is coming from.

The Journal suggests that government officials are considering whether to limit or select which non-U.S. investors would be invited to be so-called “cornerstone” investors in GM’s IPO. Cornerstone investors are sought out to purchase and hold sizable stakes in a given company at a set share price. Said price is often lower than what the general investing public can secure, the theory being that the cornerstone investors’ presence (and the stability it implies) serves to drive confidence in the company. The fear is that there could be considerable political fallout if, say, some of those cornerstone investors turned out to be from nations like China. Either way, GM will need to firm up its investment plan fairly quickly if it is to allow enough time to court the ‘right’ cornerstone buyers.

As GM readies its IPO pitch, another key element in the company’s talking points will be its long-term stability – including a chief executive officer who plans to stick around a while. New GM CEO Dan Akerson has reportedly told the board that he’ll stay at the helm for two to five years – or perhaps even longer. The manner in which his compensation agreement is structured will likely include incentives timed to take effect over a period of years as a way to show investors that he’s serious about making a longer-term commitment to the automaker’s recovery.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req. Image: AFP/Getty]

U.S. to limit foreign investors in GM IPO?

Officially Official: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor gains SuperCrew, loses 5.4L V8 for 2011

Ford’s off-road beast, the F-150 SVT Raptor, has only been on sale for a year, but it’s already getting a few upgrades for the 2011 model year. Many reports and a few spy shots indicated that Ford had been prepping a four-door SuperCrew version of the Raptor (you know, for when the family wants to do the Baja run with you), and the automaker has officially confirmed the details (again).

Rumormill: Toyota working on FT-86 sedan?

That’s what the crew at Car Guide would have us all believe. According to the website, Toyota is looking to hedge its bets by producing a second model on the same platform as the upcoming FT-86….

Paris Preview: GM unveils Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for Europe

General Motors will be expanding Chevrolet of Europe’s lineup by adding a five-door Cruze, and while we won’t get our first look at this new hatchback for a few weeks, GM has decided to preview it early with a few pictures on the web.

Also of interest:

• Video: Cadillac CTS-V “Competition” commercial
• Chevrolet signs Tim Allen as brand’s new voice
• Some say that Top Gear will viciously kill off The Stig
• Report: Rattner bio reveals Obama Administration wanted Ghosn to run GM
• Ford settles $�131m Explorer rollover case
• Who pays the highest auto loan interest rates in the country?
• Poll: 2011 Ford Explorer vs. 2011 Dodge Durango – What’s your pick?

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 9.3.10

General Motors has officially announced that television and movie star Tim Allen will be the new “voice of Chevrolet,” starting with a series of ads that will begin airing on September 7. These ads will be for the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, and while Allen is a big-name with a very recognizable voice, GM’s vice president of marketing, Joel Ewanick, reminds us that “the car will be the star.”

Allen is best known for his starring role on the long-running 1990s sitcom Home Improvement, as well as his roles in The Santa Clause movies and as the voice behind Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story trilogy. In addition, Allen is also a well-known automobile enthusiast and has an extensive car collection. He is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and has a strong love for classic American muscle cars.

Look Listen for Tim Allen in four 30-second GM spots, scheduled to hit your television screen in the coming weeks. GM says that the Cruze’s marketing campaign will ramp up as the cars begin to arrive at dealerships in greater volume. For the full details, hit the jump to read GM’s press release.

[Source: General Motors Image: Michael Schwartz/WireImage.com]

Continue reading Chevrolet signs Tim Allen as brand’s new voice

Chevrolet signs Tim Allen as brand’s new voice

Steven Rattner, former automotive adviser to President Barack Obama, has just written a juicy account of last year’s automotive bailout, complete with insights on the coming and goings of CEOs, courting foreign saviors and the General Motors plan to abandon its Renaissance Center headquarters. In his book, “Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry,” Rattner says that GM wanted to walk away from its expensive towers in downtown Detroit and move to Warren, MI. While the move would have likely saved the company plenty of money and lent the impression of a hands-on management approach, the Obama administration apparently refused to allow the move, saying that it would cause a double-digit drop in property values in the area.

There’s also the fact that GM pays around $20 million in taxes to Detroit per year.

According to The Detroit News, Rattner also offered the GM CEO position to none other than Nissan/Renault head honcho Carlos Ghosn after Rick Wagoner was shown the door. Ghosn, who had previously sought a partnership between his empire and The General, politely declined the offer. How’s that for a head job?

Even through all of the turmoil, The Detroit News quotes Rattner as saying that the automotive bailout is one of this administration’s “unambiguous successes.”

[Source: The Detroit News Image: Neison Barnard/Getty for Fortune Magazine]

Report: Rattner bio reveals Obama Administration wanted Ghosn to run GM

General Motors will be expanding Chevrolet of Europe’s lineup by adding a five-door Cruze, and while we won’t get our first look at this new hatchback for a few weeks, GM has decided to preview it early with a few pictures on the web. Sure to be one of the major draws at the Paris Motor Show in just a few weeks, the liftback ought to compete nicely with the 2012 Ford Focus five-door, but don’t expect GM to offer the more functional Cruze in the United States. “Americans don’t like hatchbacks,” remember?

Much like the Aveo RS and Buick Regal GS from this year’s Detroit Auto Show, GM calls the Cruze hatchback a “show car,” but in this case, that means that it’s somewhere between the stages of concept and prototype. Don’t expect the body to change, but we can easily see the front LED light bar and larger wheels being scrapped for the sake of cost-cutting.

Chevrolet says it will begin selling the Cruze hatchback across Europe in mid-2011 and pricing will be announced closer to the model’s on-sale date. Follow the jump for the full details in GM’s press release. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Paris Preview: GM unveils Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for Europe

Paris Preview: GM unveils Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for Europe