Despite the fact that the Chevy Cruze has been a sales success for General Motors, GM decided to close the factory in Lordstown, Ohio that produces the vehicle for a week in November to avoid running up inventory. This marks an effort by GM to control their business practices and avoid the need for steep discounts to get rid of excess vehicles.
From a consumer perspective this is both good news and bad news. On the one hand, there may be fewer inventory reduction incentive sales going forward. For those that do buy though, the Chevy Cruze is expected to retain its resale value as it ages. Automotive research group ALG predicts that the 2012 Chevy Cruze will still sell for 51 percent of its original sticker price when it is three years old.
Meanwhile, GM is rumored to be releasing a diesel version of the Cruze for the 2013 model year and a plug-in hybrid version of 2011's most popular compact around 2014.
For 2012, the 40 mpg Chevrolet Sonic will add to GM's highly fuel-efficient vehicle line, available as both a sedan and hatchback with starting MSRPs under $14,000 and $15,000 respectively. With Japanese automakers recovering from disaster-related production issues, GM hopes that the addition of the Sonic and the tiny Chevrolet Spark, a mini designed for urban drivers, will keep them ahead of the pack in 2012 as the lofty sales numbers for the Cruze start to come back to Earth.