Am I the only one who thinks the Cruze is a lame duck...

[CrunkedRL]

As most of you know the Cruze has been delayed until August of 2010 for the US. Although some have posted comments calling foul for GM delaying the launch I've been a little relieved by the news. To me the design was dated when it was first introduced. It's way too conservative for my tastes and looks to me like a warmed over version of the Cobalt. The front fascia does not fit well with the rest of the car and the headlights look awkward and a little overdone. It lacks any sport or upscale appeal. The facade is rather slabbed sided devoid of any character lines or personality. As far as we know there will not be a coupe version available thus leaving the market open for Toyota, Kia, and Honda to snatch up more potential market share. To me there are far more exciting products coming down the pipeline (ie; Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and lets not forget the recently launched Mazda3. GM has had several really exciting product launches over the passed 3yrs. but this to me is not one of them. With five years of virtually no updates to the Cobalt and gas prices on the rise there should've been no excuse for GM to not launch a more compelling design. **My 2 Cents**

[ARCANGEL]

No I agree, I think it will get here dead in the water.

[davidlane]

I agree!

[mbukukanyau]

I have not seen it yet to decide. But it seems you are in some company. A malibu C pillar could help this car.

[K-1]

Why don't we wait until the first one is off the truck before we condemn the thing. The perennial leaders of the segment also fit every description in the OP.

[CrunkedRL]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

I have not seen it yet to decide. But it seems you are in some company. A malibu C pillar could help this car.

Yeah a Malibu C pillar some more dramatic fender flares anything to make this car look more exciting.

[RamJet502]

Everything is going to depend on efficiency. If its class leading we're golden, if not I don't even want to think about the repercussions.

[calgaryhhr]

I will agree that the exterior styling and design is a little boring and conservative. For some people that may be an issue but the vehicles other merits (powertrain, fuel economy, interior, options, etc.) might out weigh the lack of stunning design elements. For most people these types of vehicles are all about being basic forms of transportation.

[RamJet502]

Originally Posted by calgaryhhr

I will agree that the exterior styling and design is a little boring and conservative. For some people that may be an issue but the vehicles other merits (powertrain, fuel economy, interior, options, etc.) might out weigh the lack of stunning design elements. For most people these types of vehicles are all about being basic forms of transportation.

I don't think styling is a concern in this segment or Ford wouldn't sell any Focuses.

[fp115]

Originally Posted by RamJet502

I don't think styling is a concern in this segment or Ford wouldn't sell any Focuses.

Focus is a hell of a lot more interesting than the Corolla or the Elantra!

[2b2]

Originally Posted by CrunkedRL

...To me there are far more exciting products coming down the pipeline...

definitely
But the only part I actually DISLIKE = the headlights :-p
the shape is just weird to me - like a void left by all the other lines was just filled in by the lenses

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by K-1

Why don't we wait until the first one is off the truck before we condemn the thing. The perennial leaders of the segment also fit every description in the OP.

I have seen it in person but the problem for me is that by the time it gets here it won't matter

[Mr. Burns]

The new Mazda 3 blows the Cruze away IMO, and it's out now. The next gen Civic should be interesting as well. The Cruze is way too dull, it's like another Cobalt. The car needs to be out now to stand a chance, otherwise when it does come out all of its competition would be either rolling out new next gens or be a year away from doing so.









The 3 is the car I would take in this class. The Cruze wouldn't even get a second look, let alone a wait.

Originally Posted by t-rex

I find the overall shape pleasant, if not exciting, but that schnoz is just awful. Interior is nice. Overall though, I don't like the car at all.

The main problem is that the Cruze wasn't that modern when it was launched last year, and will be stale by the time it hits American showrooms. With new entrants being fielded by Ford, Honda and Hyundai, the Cruze will not only fail to lead the pack, it'll be lucky to bring up the rear. And since we know GM will keep the heap in production at least ten years, we'll be looking at a Cobalt: Part Deux situation, where GM loses an entire generation of young car buyers by failing to take this crucial segment seriously.

I bet if this was some profit-laden truck or SUV, there'd be no "supplier issues"...

You're alive! Couldn't agree more.

[K-1]

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

That is the car I would take in this class. The Cruze wouldn't even get a second look, let alone a wait.

When the 3 starts selling in Corolla- and Civic-like numbers, then you can use it for a yard stick. But isn't a blah front-end and a bland profile exactly the criticism in this thread? Seems the 3 fits right in.

It's fine that you would buy the 3, but tens of thousands of people disagree with you every month.

[CrunkedRL]

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

The new Mazda 3 blows the Cruze away IMO, and it's out now. The next gen Civic should be interesting as well. The Cruze is way too dull, it's like another Cobalt. The car needs to be out now to stand a chance, otherwise when it does come out all of its competition would be either rolling out new next gens or be a year away from doing so.






The 3 is the car I would take in this class. The Cruze wouldn't even get a second look, let alone a wait.

I agree I love the Mazda3 it is not overstated or understated IMO it is a compulation of fine crisp lines and sculpted edges that flow freely throughout the design and the overall execution blends well from front to rear. Even the large fender flares in the front (which were a huge gamble) seems tol integrate well into the facade. The Cruze looks clumsy and cheap externally to me and it's more obvious when this car is pictured in white.