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Don't let this pre-Los Angeles Auto Show unveiling fool you -- the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is still many months from its on-sale date (third quarter of 2010). And even though we've seen camo-less studio shots of the Cruze before, we now have the official images and details about the U.S.-spec model that comes our way to replace the Cobalt next year.

The Cruze certainly looks more robust than the aging, depressing Cobalt, and we're really eager to get our hands on one equipped with the new Ecotec 1.4-liter turbocharged four. This engine may only be good for 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, but that should be plenty of grunt to make the Cruze a spunky little steer. Additionally, General Motors claims that this engine will be capable of achieving up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway, besting the numbers of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. A naturally aspirated 1.8-liter engine will be available producing similar horsepower but less torque, and all mills will be mated to six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

Inside, a nicely designed cabin sports higher-grade materials than the Cobalt, and it looks really upscale, especially with the two-tone leather trims. And since the Cruze shares most of its architecture with the upcoming and much-anticipated Volt, we're hoping this car is a huge improvement from the Cobalts of yore. Then again, anything would be better.

Scroll down to read the official press release and click through our gallery of images to see the U.S.-spec Cruze from all angles.

Just when things looked hopeful for Saab, breaking news this morning indicates that Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg will no longer be purchasing the Saab division from General Motors.

General Motors' CEO, Fritz Henderson, says that the automaker will address the next steps regarding Saab next week. The news comes as a shock to GM, with Henderson saying, "We're obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase."

So, what's in store for the new 9-5? Or the rest of the automaker? Stay tuned. Click through the post to read GM's very short press release.

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The speculation surrounding the Cadillac CTS Coupe finally comes to an end today. The official images and details of the two-door CTS have been released and the production car will hit showrooms in the spring of 2010. And while the coupe might look a lot like the sedan and wagon variants that we've already driven, it's important to know that only the instrument panel, console, front fenders, grille, and headlamps are shared with the sedan. The coupe rides on the same wheelbase, but is shorter by two inches and rides two inches lower to the ground.

At its launch, the only engine available will be GM's lovely 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 with 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants will be available, as are two different handling packages, one wearing eighteen-inch wheels, and the other with upgraded brakes and nineteen-inch wheels.

Hot for a V-badged CTS Coupe? Look for that M3-killer to arrive later next year, hopefully using the same 556-horsepower supercharged mill as the sedan. The CTS Coupe is nothing short of bold and beautiful, and we're excited to see how it compares to the perennial-favorite BMW 335i.

Click through the post for the full details, and stay tuned for more information from the car's official unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month.

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For all of you (ourselves included) who have lusted after the Opel Insignia, it looks like we'll finally have the chance to see what the fuss is all about. As part of General Motors' strategy to build up the Buick brand beyond its LaCrosse, Enclave, and (aging) Lucerne models, the 2011 Regal will be arriving on our shores next year, available only with four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive.

Initially, just the naturally aspirated Regal will be available, packing GM's trusty 2.4-liter, direct-injected four which produces 182 horsepower and is good for 30 miles per gallon on the highway. In the late summer of 2010, however, a model with the Ecotec 2.0-liter, 220-horsepower engine will roll out, mated to an all-new Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS) which allows the driver to change the suspension settings between Normal, Tour, and Sport modes. Both engines will be mated to six-speed automatic transmissions.

The Regal will come standard with many premium features, like heated, leather seats, Bluetooth, XM satellite radio, OnStar, and eighteen-inch wheels (or nineteens with the IDCS system). That, combined with the sleek styling of the Euro Insignia, should make the Regal a pretty fierce competitor for upmarket Ford Fusions.

No word on pricing has been released at this time, but we'll keep you posted. Stay tuned for more details when this car makes its official reveal at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show. In the meantime, click through the post to read GM's official press release.

http://www.sub5zero.com/auto-news/new-auto-industry-breakdown-cause-things-done-...

As part of the New General Motors, we know that more work will go into building up the Buick nameplate, all starting with the introduction of the LaCrosse earlier this year. And according to a few reports, GM's Bob Lutz has pretty much confirmed that the European Opel Insignia will be brought over to American soil as a Buick Regal.

The Regal is already on sale in this guise in the Chinese market (pictured above), and we welcome the addition of this award-winning Euro sedan to the United States. As of this writing, there are no details to discuss, but stay tuned.

+ Jalopnik: GM's Lutz Confirms Buick Regal Is Back!

Tomorrow morning, General Motors is expected to announce part of their new lineup; however, word is out, through Twitter, after a small GM get-together, and this is what we have so far.

A new Cadillac, the ATS Concept, that is expected to rival the BMW 3-Series will be released and will come as a sedan and a coupe. The Cadillac XTS is a new flagship sedan that will be available in four-wheel drive, a new CTS (and potentially CTS-V) Coupe is on tap to hit showrooms next Spring, and the all-new Chevrolet Malibu, that will not be in production till 2012, are going to be unveiled. It looks like GM’s private party wasn’t that private after all. We will have to wait till tomorrow morning to know if it’s all true.

Click on the link below for more about the new General Motors lineup.
+ Autoblog: From the Twitterverse: GM shows 3 Series-fighting Cadillac ATS, all-new XTS, 2012 Malibu

Tomorrow, General Motors and eBay launch a new website, gm.ebay.com , that will allow customers to buy new GM vehicles online.

GM and eBay have announced the launch of a new type of car shopping. The new website will run the same way that eBay Motors is run; that is, consumers can negotiate a price with dealers, bid for a certain car, ask dealers questions about a particular car, work out financing, and can even immediately buy a car by clicking on the Buy It Now button. Unfortunately, GM and eBay have decided that this experiment should only be available in California (for now). GM will be selling its Buick, Pontiac, GMC, and Chevrolet models online through its California dealers.

For more about the new website click on the link below.
+ GM Fast Lane Blog: General Motors and eBay: Reinventing the Car-Buying Experience 

General Motors is going through a metamorphosis, as you know. Actually, this isn’t the first time. GM 1.0 was the emergent GM—a collection of disparate and dysfunctional brands (Chevrolet, Oakland/Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac) and parts makers assembled before and immediately after WWI by William Durant and others. GM 2.0 is the professional GM created by Alfred Sloan, starting in 1923. Sloan and his successors created an organizational structure focused on distinct market segments bolstered by a culture of strong styling and R&D. GM 2.0 worked from the ‘20s through the ‘60s and generally is viewed as GM’s best incarnation. GM 3.0 is the cancerous GM beset by bad labor contracts, difficulty coping with international competition and excess capacity. GM 3.0 begins roughly with the oil crisis of 1973 and extends to 2009. GM 4.0 is the post-bankruptcy GM. This is part four in a series that covers issues with the direction of GM 4.0.

I have noted in my previous blogs on GM 4.0 that GM’s remaining core problem is with branding, now that its’ former biggest problems – unit costs and scale costs – are being dealt with through bankruptcy. By branding, I don’t mean marketing B.S., I mean the entire set of perceptions and beliefs that consumers hold about your company or its divisions. Branding addresses the expectations customers have about things they can’t see on a spec sheet or a test drive. It also covers their understanding about how others will perceive what they drive. That stuff is very important.

CLICK HERE to continue reading this article.

General Motors has launched a new video feature on its website GMReinvention.com called Tell Fritz. The idea behind this vlog is that people can send in any questions, comments or concerns about the new GM and GM’s CEO Fritz Henderson will answer these questions as often as possible.
 
Click video to hear one question answered or on the link below to connect to the website and to send your questions to Fritz.

+ GMReinvention.com