GM Issues Recall for 2011 U.S.-spec Chevrolet Cruze Models

After the initial 2,100 inspections triggered by a detached steering wheel, General Motors announced a new recall involving 154,112 units of the 2011 model year Cruze - pretty much all models built for North America since production started in summer 2010.

The reason for this action is related to a steering issue as well, with GM saying it wants to check that the steering shaft was properly installed. The company didn't say whether or not the two recalls are related, but added it will use the latest one action to check on another issue that might affect some 120,000 models with automatic transmission. In this case, GM wants to verify whether the transmission shift linkage was properly installed.

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Chevrolet Sells 1.1 Million Vehicles Worldwide in Q1 2011 Recording its Best First-Quarter Results Ever

Driven by the new Cruze sedan and the globalization of the Chevrolet name, sales of GM’s brand in the first three months of the year reached 1.1 million vehicles worldwide, which is the best first-quarter results in the company’s history. Compared to the first quarter of 2010, Chevrolet recorded a 15 percent increase in sales this year.

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Ward's Auto Announces the 10 Best Car Interiors of 2011

Like every year, Ward's AutoWorld magazine picks the best interiors the automotive industry has to offer. For 2011, the publication chose 10 the ten best interiors the offer after editors analyzed 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interior. Ward's Auto picked the 10 winners from all segments, with the finalists including three luxury brands, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, an SUV and a family sedan.

If you’re still with us, the top 10 winners for 2011, in alphabetical order, are:

Audi A8
BMW X3 xDrive35i
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT RS
Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
Ford Focus Titanium
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra Limited
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
Kia Optima EX
Volvo S60

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After Tsunami, American Automakers Looking for Home Turf Sales Boost

According to CNN’s Fortune and simple, cold-hearted business logic, now is the prime time for American manufacturers to take advantage of recent catastrophic events and pounce on their home market's consumers. A lack of Japanese parts (or entire vehicles), in conjunction with a strong yen and ever-improving American small cars, has given Ford, GM, and Chrysler a potential sales pick-me-up as we stroll into the summer months.

Two of the three factors which will help American manufacturers' sales stem directly from the tsunami in Japan a month ago: factory shutdowns have limited parts/vehicle availability, while the yen gained value as the Japanese are expected to repurchase some currency for disaster mitigation.

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Definitely not a Safety Feature: The Broken Chevy Cruze Wheel that Launched 2,100 Inspections [with Video]

Thanks to the worldwide web of ours, we now have some video of the one and only (so far) recall-inducing 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. For the full story, check out our previous post here. The nitty-gritty is that a guy, his wife, one of their mothers, and their 19-month-old son were in the car when the steering wheel decided it wasn't really needed anymore and took a hike...at 65 miles per hour.

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GM Recalling 2,100 Chevrolet Cruze sedans after Steering Wheel Comes Loose in one Car

Following a single incident on March 1, 2011, when a GM was notified of a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze that had been brought to one of its dealerships with a steering wheel that had come loose from the steering column, the Detroit automaker decided to issue a voluntary recall on certain Cruze vehicles. According to GM, during manufacturing, the steering wheel might have been improperly fastened and could detach from the steering column.

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Watch This Space: High Performance Holden Cruze SS said to be in the Works

In Australia, the SS badge has a special meaning to Holden owners. Its most frequently associated with the Commodore large car and to a lesser extent, the ultra-rare Torana SS of the 1970s. It’s all about big Aussie V8’s and rear-wheel-drive. It’s as Australian as Fosters beer and Four’N Twenty pies.

So now, there’s talk of a performance version of the Cruze small car in the works - and insidious rumors this front-wheel-drive econobox may carry the prestigious double ‘S’ moniker previously reserved only for V8 models. “Sacrilege!” you scream, and I’m more than willing to agree. Nevertheless, let’s push on and see what the Australian rumor mill has in store for us.

It’s possible a high performance version of the Cruze would use the same 132 kW, / 180HP and 230 Nm 1.6-liter turbo four from the European Vauxhall / Opel Astra as there drivetrains are readily interchangeable thanks to both using the GM’s Delta II architecture.

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Chevrolet Rolls Out 2011 Cruze BTCC Racer

GM has pulled the wraps off its Silverline Chevrolet team’s 2011 cars, with which it will campaign in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship [BTCC]. The two Cruze racers enter the 2011 season with a new livery, consistent with that of the WTCC cars, and featuring prominent sponsorship from Silverline, as well as a series of other sponsors including Dunlop, Holiday Inn, Auto Express and Evo.

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Holden Unveils its Own Version of the Cruze Hatchback

Even though it was Chevrolet that came out first with both a thinly disguised concept in 2010 and this year’s production version of the Cruze hatchback at the Geneva Show, the five-door model was actually penned by GM’s Holden division at the Port Melbourne studio in Australia. Now, it’s finally time for Holden to reap the benefits of its work with the release of the first official photos of the compact hatchback with the Australian brand’s lion logo.

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Geneva 2011: Chevrolet Expands Cruze Range with Hatchback Model

The final production version of the new Cruze hatchback is the highlight of Chevrolet's 2011 Geneva Motor Show booth. With the addition of the five-door version, Chevrolet hopes to boost sales of the Cruze as hatchbacks represent approximately 65% of all compact segment sales in Europe.

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Holden Unveils Aussie-Built Cruze Series II with New 2.0L Diesel and 1.4L Turbo Petrol

Holden, General Motors' Australian division, introduced an updated version of its Cruze sedan bearing the Series II moniker today. The facelift brings powertrain, chassis and some styling changes, but most importantly, it marks the switch to local production starting from March, 2011. Up until now, the Holden Cruze sedan was imported to Australia from Korea. The first locally built compact model in the country in more than a decade will be manufactured at Holden's plant in Elizabeth, South Australia.

The styling updates on the Cruze Series II are kept to a minimum and concern the new trapezoidal grille, subtly redesigned front bumper, new headlamp bezels and a different rear fascia treatment.

The facelift brings two new engines, a 2.0-liter turbo diesel and a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline unit, while the naturally aspirated 1.8-liter engine carries over with some minor revisions from the Series 1 model.

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2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback: First Official Photos of Production Model Released Ahead of Geneva Show

What you see in these pictures is the production version of the thinly disguised Chevrolet Cruze 5-door hatchback study, which was presented at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The more compact sized, hatchback version of the Cruze has lost some of the cool features of the concept car like the LED strips on the front bumper, the blue-tinted headlamps and the clear crystal tail lights, but other than that, nothing else has changed.

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