The Chevrolet brand accounts for more than two-thirds of all G.M. sales in the United States. Although GMC, Buick and Cadillac are important to this automaker, Chevrolet's position in the market is critical to GM's success.
Larger Vehicles
Chevrolet has long been known as a maker of large trucks and SUVs including the Silverado and Tahoe as well as performance cars such as the Corvette and Camaro. However, consumers are flocking to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles, with Chevrolet changing its line up accordingly.
The trend for Chevrolet is to continue with its larger vehicles and performance cars, but also to expand its line up of small cars. At present, the Cruze compact and Sonic subcompact are its two main sellers in the small car market. However, changes are underfoot for GM to expand Chevrolet's small car presence including as follows:
HHR -- GM is mum on what the company will do with the Chevrolet HHR, a vehicle based on the platform underpinning the now retired Chevy Cobalt. Rumors of this vehicle's pending demise have surfaced from time to time, but this "heritage high roof" continues to soldier on. Here is what we expect to happen: the car will be discontinued, but a new model based on the current Cruze platform will appear by 2013. That vehicle may be more crossover than MPV, slotting just below the current Equinox crossover. Look for Chevrolet to lose the HHR name as the new vehicle will incorporate modern design elements.
Spark -- The Spark is on, an A-segment model that will be built in Korea and shipped to the United States beginning in 2012. This vehicle will compete with the Smart ForTwo and Scion iQ, seat four people and offer a tiny four cylinder engine. Expect sales for the first year to number in just the thousands as GM acclimates consumers to a segment that is not terribly popular. At least not yet. As far as an optional three cylinder motor being made available, a Chevy spokesman told me that it would not as "balance issues" would prevent that from happening.
Sonic MPV -- Introduced in August 2011, the subcompact Chevy Sonic is a four-door sedan or hatchback that demonstrates GM's ability to compete in the B-Segment. Competition is fierce and includes the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent and Ford Fiesta. But, there is room for additional models including those with boxy body styles along the lines of what you find with Scion, Kia and Nissan. Look for a new model to debut within the next two years, perhaps offering optional all-wheel-drive and a different name than Sonic.
Diesels -- GM has confirmed that it will outfit its compact Cruze with an optional diesel engine. This is important for two reasons: the Cruze is a very popular compact car, one of the best sellers in the GM line up. A diesel gives Chevrolet an edge that no one else is exploiting by providing an important efficient engine to go with two thrifty gas saving engines. Look for this car to deliver upwards of 45 mpg on the highway, perhaps reaching 50 mpg with some drivers.
