Daewoo Lacetti (aka Chevrolet Cruze) hits the Korean market
Although North American customers will still need to wait 2 or 3 years, the Chevrolet Cruze is launched in Korea as the Daewoo Lacetti.
The new compact sedan will be offered in Korea with a 1.6-liter engine that produces 114HP and is available with a standard five-speed manual gearbox and optionally with a six-speed automatic transmission. Prices in Korea will start from 11.5 million won or about $9,200 at current exchange rates.
When launched in North America, the U.S.-spec Cruze will use a 140 hp 1.4L unit – and a revised grille, the Lacetti is almost exactly identical to the Chevy Cruze we’ll get here.
The fact that GM has delayed the Cruze’s U.S. launch until 2011 yet has launched the car in Korea really speaks to how bad things are in Detroit. The only thing from stopping GM from launching the Cruze here is the re-tooling of its future home – the company’s Lordstown, Ohio plant – which would cost the company billions that it doesn’t have right now. Add in the fact that the Cobalt – which is currently built at the Lordstown plant — is actually seeing decent sales thanks to its high fuel economy, and we won’t see the Cruze until half-way through the next President’s first term.
The European market is also slated to get the Cruze before us, with an on-sale date set for March 2009.
