PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Through the months of the unfolding General Motors Corp.'s bankruptcy story, one plotline has been clear and unwavering: the Chevrolet brand will be the backbone -- and linchpin -- of GM's attempt to restructure and revitalize with a lot fewer brands and a lot smaller operational footprint.
At an event this week to launch the new 2010 Equinox compact crossover, Chevrolet North America Vice President Ed Peper reiterated GM isn't planning to wear the bankruptcy label for long, and added that Chevrolet is ready to drive GM's recovery. He said Chevrolet is loaded with coming products that should resonate in the new patterns of the U.S. auto market.
The "new" GM - sooner than later to be sans Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn and Saab - will be a leaner and more-focused company, Peper said here, restating a now-common GM tagline: "We are doing it (bankruptcy) only once and we are doing it quickly."
More critical, he said, is that the Chevrolet brand is primed to have a lineup in the showroom by 2011 that will address the presumed consumer preference for more fuel-efficient and downsized models. There's not a truck in the bunch.
By 2010-11, Peper said, Chevrolet showrooms will have:
The Cruze compact, a Cobalt replacement that Peper said will have outstanding fuel economy (power will come from a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder) and is sized between a compact and midsize car.
The Spark, a subcompact that will get 40 miles per gallon on the highway that Peper said underscores Chevrolet's commitment to fuel economy. In a victory for American labor, the low-priced Spark will be built in a U.S. plant in either Michigan, Wisconsin or Tennessee.
The Volt extended-range electric vehicle, "Tomorrow's hope for an energy-challenged world."
The Orlando mini-wagon that rides on the same new Delta front-wheel-drive architecture as the Cruze and can seat up to seven. When Chevy first showed the Orlando at last fall's Paris Motor Show, execs disabused talk of the Orlando being sold in the U.S. The Orlando evidently now has a firm place in Chevrolet's U.S. product plan.
The 2010 Equinox introduced here also has a decided fuel-economy emphasis. A new, direct-injection 2.4-liter four-cylinder gins up as much as 32 mpg on the highway for front-drive models. GM engineers say fuel economy is the top purchase consideration for buyers of compact crossovers, and the Equinox can do better than all of the segment stalwarts, the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Steve Bartolone, marketing product director for Chevy's SUVs and crossovers, says the division expects the segment to account for between 900,000 and 1 million sales this year -- or almost a tenth of the total light-vehicle market.
Once the industry gets through the current rough patch, however, Chevrolet expects the segment to grow to 1.2 million to 1.3 million sales.
And Peper says Chevrolet sees the amply sized new Equinox as a "terrific opportunity" to capture TrailBlazer intenders now that the body-on-frame Trailblazer is discontinued.
