Chevrolet Cruze delayed in the US, Europe to get hatchback and wagon versions

In order to keep up with the auto market crisis, General Motors is trying to cut costs as much as possible, which means laying off workers, reducing wages and delaying the introduction of some models. If everything goes according to plan, GM hopes to save around $15 billion, at least that what’s Rick Wagoner, the company’s CEO, is saying. And one of the cars affected by these measures is the Chevrolet Cruze, which won’t hit US showrooms until 2011. Though many saw the Cruze as one of GM’s saviors, especially by being a good competitor for the Japanese models, it seems that the costs of introducing the car are higher than GM can currently afford. Other models that were postponed are the next generation Malibu, which will debut in 2013 and the Cadillac CTS Coupe and Buick LaCrosse, about which we don’t have more details, except the fact that their debut was moved from the LA Show to Detroit, in January.

On the other hand, situation is different in Europe. According to Hans Demant, vice president of engineering for GM Europe, the Cruze will debut in March 2009, as scheduled, plus that the car could also get hatchback and station wagon versions. Demant said the GM could produce the extra versions at no extra cost, in their plants in South Korea and St. Petersburg, Russia. However, a final decision wasn’t made yet.