Holden Cruze 2009 News

You have to admire any chairman of GM Holden who lands from the USA wearing an HSV lapel pin and then parks a 48-215 in his garage, before upgrading his private ride to a restoration job on an FC Holden.But that is personal opinion and Reuss deserves admiration for what he has done in just 18 months at Fishermans Bend. It's no stretch at all to say he has saved Holden.Reuss rationalised and reorganised the Red Lion brand locally and, crucially, won approval and finance to begin small car production in Australia. The introduction of the Holden Cruze is the key to the company surviving the massive downturn in large car sales in Australia and building a viable future as the Commodore declines.He also cemented the financial plan that allowed the company to survive the global shake-out triggered by GM's move into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He might be an engineer but the son of former GM president Lloyd Reuss also has a keen ability on finances.Rivals say he can also be a tiger in a meeting.Reuss is succeeded as Holden's chairman by the livewire sales chief Alan Batey, who also began in engineering. He knows what the company needs and what his boss has in place.The only question to be answered now is what Mark Reuss will be doing in the 'new GM' organisation. He heads back to a top-20 job at the company, but his exact post will not be revealed until later today. 

Mark Reuss, the chairman and managing director of the red team, is being recalled to the USA to take up a senior post in the 'new GM'organisation.His successor is Alan Batey, formerly the sales and marketing director at Fishermans Bend.Reuss is the man who drove through the Cruze program for Australia, making a major switch in local manufacturing back to small cars, and also cemented the financial plan which allowed the company to survive the global shake-out triggered by GM's move into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.He arrived in February 2008 with big shoes to fill, coming in as the successor to Denny Mooney.But Ruess, the son of a one-time president of GM global, was another engineering guru who balanced his ability on that side of the business with a keen ability on finances.Most importantly, he was a fan of Holden who knew the company well from the time he used Holden Special Vehicles as a business model for a high-performance division at Cadillac.He also bought a 48-215 for personal use soon after his arrival in Australia, although he recently upgraded to an FC Holden.Batey arrived at Holden in January 2006 after starting his GM career as an engineering apprentice, although he quickly moved into sales and marketing and was fresh from integrating GM Daewoo into the GM world.

A dying Sydney newspaper this week rather cleverly headlined their coverage of the GM humiliation as “Government Motors Holden”.Not bad that. A flash of the old cleverness.Except, of course, taxpayers forking out to subsidise the building of cars they themselves don’t want is not exactly news in this country.Yeah, yeah, yeah - everyone’s cock-a-hoop that Holden’s remaining 6500 workers, its dealer network, and the thousands whose livelihoods are contingent on this brand, are not going to be out of work. For now at least …The manufacture of cars badged Holden – whether it’s an essentially 20th century six cylinder sedan bought mainly by fleets or a re-badged Daewoo – means the marque remains as firmly clamped to the breast of subsidy as a newborn to its mummy.The federal Government has committed $6.2 billion of your and my money to succouring local car makers. It’s paying Holden to build the globally-engineered, four-cylinder car (and already endlessly spruiked) Cruze here from next year.So it had better be bloody good.It had, in fact – given that Holden has lost $300 million in recent years – be better than the Mazda3.That’s the benchmark for sub-$30K car quality. As the May sales figures showed yet again, it’s the car on which Australians spend their own moneyYes, the ever declining Commodore sold 3683 to the 3’s 3038 – but not one of the Mazda’s sales was to fleets, without which Holden’s scarcely overtaxed production lines would be barely ticking over. Nor can Holden continue to rely on the approximately 75 per cent of bung ’em at out a bargain price fleet orders - not given the haste with which they shed value.So the only question is if Holden is to justify the continued injection of funds from people who really don’t want to buy them, is this: will the Cruze be good enough to trouble the Mazda3?Because if it’s just another anodyne re-badge job – if it’s just another Barina, Viva or Epica – you can officially remove that “i” from icon.

And that’s also a big tick for GM Holden's small-car future.The Commodore's baby brother, the compact Cruze — which goes on sale on June 1 with a sub-$25,000 starting price and into local production next year in Adelaide — earned the top ranking from the Australian New-Car Assessment Program following a series of local crash tests.It joins the locally-made Commodore and Ford Falcon with a five-star rating.The Cruze is the first Korean-made member of the Holden family to gain five stars, as the baby Barina is still only a four-star car despite recent safety updating and the larger Viva also gets four stars. The Captiva SUV, also a four-star performer, is built in Thailand.Development of the Cruze is part of a global program which will spawn a range of mid-sized models around the world. The Cruze is already selling in Europe with a Chevrolet badge and a similar car is sold in Britain as the Vauxhall Insignia.The crash result confirms the Cruze's safety package ahead of its local launch, although pricing is still secret. Even the basic model comes with six airbags, ESP stability control and anti-skid brakes.

There were a couple of late arrivals including the gorgeous new BMW Z4 sportster, as well as more details on everything from the fuel miser Suzuki Alto to the Honda Insight which was shown as a left-hand-drive concept but will soon be sold as a $30,000-something hybrid hero.One of the genuine surprises was on the GM Holden stand, but it was not the Cruze.The unexpected news was details of a couple of limited-edition showroom specials to keep the Commodore ticking along.The International pack for the Commodore sedan and Sportswagon was not a shock, because dollar deals on Australia's favourite car always go well, but the arrival of a limited-edition Senator from Holden Special Vehicles was completely unexpected.The car is priced from $69,990, which doesn't look like much of a bargain until you clock the regular Senator at $80,500.Stripping the price means dumping some stuff, including the excellent 'magnetic ride' suspension, but the mechanical package is based on the latest Clubsport and that will be more than enough for most people."Today's release of the E-Series Senator is designed to appeal to customers seeking the performance our company is renowned for in a subtle - yet identifiably HSV - package, with a very attractive price point," says the managing director of HSV, Phil Harding.Only 89 cars will be built and it still gets 317 kiloWatts and 19-inch alloy wheels. In the style of every limited-edition model the car comes with a special logo, in this case on the headrests."We think it's a good time to put some extra value into the range and the Senator should do well," says Harding.Find out more on the 2009 Melbourne Motor Show

But don't go looking for a flashy futuristic concept car at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre as a pointer down the road at GM Holden.The red team's new hero is surprisingly suburban and normal.The car currently called the Cruze - although it will get a new name for showrooms, and it will not be Torana - is the smaller, greener, export-focussed future machine that Holden desperately needs alongside the Commodore as we all drive deeper into the 21st century.Project Cruze is approved for production in 2010, and could also spark a new four-cylinder engine program for the Holden factory which currently produces the Commodore V6 for local use and export sales.So now Holden is looking to spread the message with ordinary Australians and the motor show appearance is the first step towards a successful sales program.Holden staff on the show stand have been thoroughly briefed on the Cruze concept car which will star for the red team, and they will be able to talk about everything from its fuel economy to cabin space and - probably most import - how it fits into GM's global plans.The new Holden is part of a global mid-sized development program which, as we have already seen with classy cars like the Astra and Vectra, is based in Europe. But it has also been tweaked for cost-effective construction by the GM people at Daewoo in Korea.But, probably most importantly for local buyers, the Cruze will not be just a Viva-style price fighter.It is already being comprehensively tweaked for Australian buyers by the classy engineering team at GM Holden, who are looking at everything from the suspension tuning and steering feel to the shape and support of the seats.We expect more news from Holden today on Project Cruze and will bring it to you as soon as we can.

Holden has accelerated its small-car attack with an early introduction of the Korean-made Cruze.The global compact will be in local showrooms within six months before going into production alongside the Commodore in Adelaide in the back end of 2010.News of the Cruze attack came as Holden chief, Mark Reuss, announced another value-driven effort with the Commodore, which will be re-packaged as the ‘International’ sedan and sportwagon, in March.But Reuss will not confirm any details of the twin-edged effort with the Cruze, which is being put through a major engineering program ahead of local production next year.“This is an imported version. I cannot really reveal our strategy,” Reuss said after introducing the Cruze at the Melbourne Motor Show.“This is an addition to Viva and Astra. It presents us with a new-generation car, a new design and a new way of thinking.”Reuss also talked at the show of the unfolding plan for a Holden version of the GM Volt, even though it will not arrive downunder until 2012.“We could have easily shown you a wild concept or show car, but this is not the show for that. Today it’s about providing real solutions.” The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show... 

First look: Audi Q5Mazda3 MPS: world debut in MelbourneFirst look: Toyota PriusFirst look: Holden CruzeFirst look: 2009 Ford Focus rangeFirst look: Ford Fiesta ECOnetic turbo-dieselFirst look: 2009 Ford TerritoryFirst look: Ford Mondeo Zetec wagonHSV E-Series Senator SignatureFirst drive: Subaru Stella electric carSubaru Stella joins plug-in pushToyota Prius, Hybrid Camry and 1/xCareers for car fansHolden Monaro from HALSuzuki Alto hatchFR1 to be auctionedFR1 the new heroBentley Continental GTC: amazing graceRenault Koleos an off-roads scholarSales make for testing times ‘09Future motoring explainedSafety advances on showHyundai i30 blue and i10 blueNissan 370Z …good sportsMitsubishi I MiEV …Power playIt’s electricVW Golf gets new stylePeugeot 308CC back in the foldMazda3 …small is beautifulLotus Evora No.1 for sports car enthusiastsLexus LF-A Roadster coming to MelbourneLamborghini Spyder LP560-4 and Murcielago LP640FR1 concept hotrod from a metal masterBMW M1 homageAudi Q5 and RS6 set paceNew 2009 Ford Territory Melbourne Motor Show wrapby Paul GoverSupermodels and colourful supercars blew the grey clouds away from the Australian motor industry yesterday.A sales slump and gloomy profit forecasts were forgotten as more than$15 million worth of shiny new cars, from exotic dream machines to tiny city runabouts, was unveiled at the opening of the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show.There were more than 20 newcomers on the show stands, from the Audi Q5 SUV and BMW's smooth new Z4 coupe-convertible to the family-focussed Subaru Exiga wagon.The lineup at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre is a reflection of the diversity and complexity of the Australian motoring scene, as well as the commitment from companies to push ahead despite the global economic uncertainty."I wouldn't say the mood is exactly optimistic, but there is great resilience. There are a lot of good news stories here," the former head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, John Conomos, said.The three Australian carmakers all had important newcomers, from the Holden Cruze and Toyota Prius hybrid to the updated Ford Territory, but they resisted the temptation for an over-the-top splash."This show is about much more than cars, it's about Holden's future,"said company chairman, Mark Reuss."We could easily have shown you a wild concept or show car, but this is not the show for that. Today it's about providing real solutions."Holden used the show to also make another value push with its Commodore sedan and Sportwagon, introducing an 'International' value pack.The show is also the last in Melbourne until 2011, as a joint-venture deal has recently been struck which will see an all-new Australian Motor Show alternating with Sydney from 2010."We are expecting a good turnout. There is a lot to see and people are still interested in cars," said show boss, Russ Tyrie of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce.The motor show runs each day until Monday, March 9. 

Bargwanna backJason Bargwanna is back in a full-time V8 Supercar ride this year. Since the collapse of the WPS Racing squad just before the start of last season, he has rebuilt his career at the top level, driving everything he could and starring in the Mini Challenge last year. The former Bathurst winner will now partner Greg Murphy at Tasman Motorsport, driving a Commodore in Sprint Gas colours.Algarve impressesGrand Prix drivers have begun testing at a new circuit in Europe on the Algarve in Portugal. Ferrari and McLaren were first on to the impressive new layout and have praised everything from its location to a track design that takes advantage of the rolling country where it was built. It has Formula One test approval until 2011.Detroit derailedIndycar racing has taken a hit with the cancellation of one of this year's headline events, the Detroit Grand Prix. Motown has been hit hardest by the economic downturn and the race, run since 1990 on Belle Island and revived in 2007 as an IRL event, has not been able to raise the sponsorship necessary to continue.Call to BathurstCashed-up racers are being called to Bathurst for the WPS 12-hour race next month. There are plenty of race places available, including several in HSV R8s built by former V8 Supercar racer Cameron McLean. Details on the spots, and the race, from www.bathurst12hour.com.auCruze controlThe latest Chevrolet Cruze compact, to be produced in Australia as a Holden from next year, will be General Motors' spearhead in the World Touring Car Championship. A three-car Cruze team will go up against factory entries from Seat and BMW in this year's series, replacing the previous Daewoo Lacetti hatchbacks.Daytona's old magicJames Hylton is hoping to become the oldest driver to qualify for the classic Daytona 500 when the Nascar season starts next month. Hylton, 74, who was Nascar's rookie of the year in 1966, aims to run a full program in the Sprint Cup this year.Hickman surprisesDarren Hickman was the surprise winner of the latest round of the SRA sprintcar series at Avalon Raceway in Geelong on the evening of Boxing Day. Hickman, a former star in super sedans, scored the unlikely win in a 350 racer from youngster Tim Rankin. Darren Mollenoyux finished third and is now second in the Eureka-sponsored series behind Matthew Reed as the championship moves on to Horsham on January 10. 

Eagle-eyed Carsguide reader David Fairley has snared the first shots of the new Holden Cruze undergoing local testing. The heavily camouflaged car was spotted parked at Buxton, east of Melbourne. Fairley says it looks like a cut-down version of the VE Commodore. "Except that the roof line is sharper and the boot is different," he says. Holden will not confirm it but this car is tipped to hit local showrooms next year as a replacement for the lacklustre Viva sedan. Codenamed GMX071, it is obvious by the photos that Holden engineers are in the final stages of tuning the car for Australian conditions judging by the boxes filled with electronic measuring equipment taken out of the boot. When the Cruze does hit showrooms, buyers can expect a substantial lift in quality, safety, performance and handling with the newcomer, as well as prices close to the current car's $18,490. The stylish Cruze is also destined to be a global car for GM and will wear Daewoo and Chevrolet badges in other markets. The front-driver goes on sale in Europe in March with the choice of either a 1.6-litre or 1.8-litre petrol four cylinder engines and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. A turbocharged 1.4-litre four cylinder is also expected in some European markets. Gearboxes are expected to be a choice of a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The Cruze first aired at the Paris Motor Show in October, badged as a Chevrolet. General Motors' vice president of global design, Ed Welburn, described the sedan as having a "sense of substance and style". "Tight panel fits and shut lines, a restrained use of exterior trim, a dual bezel design on the headlights, an integrated rear spoiler _ everywhere your eye settles there are fine details," he says. Just the sedan will initially be available with wagon and hatch variants expected to follow. Compared to the Viva, the Cruze is 85mm longer, 65mm wider and 30mm higher. The wheelbase, at 2600mm, is also 85mm longer, liberating more interior space. The newcomer will be the first of the second-generation of Korean sourced cars that promises to be substantially better than the cars they replace. Apart from the Cruze, Holden engineers are believed to be having more substantial input into the new-generation Barina, Epica and Captiva from styling and safety to quality and performance.