DETROIT — When Joel Ewanick killed the new “Excellence for All” tag line last month, some Chevrolet marketers’ first instinct was dismay. Almost a year of searching for a new tag line, and back to nothing?

But better nothing than the wrong thing — not at this crucial moment for the Chevrolet brand. While archrival Ford is gaining momentum in sales and image, Chevrolet still has for many shoppers a Rust Belt aura of poor quality and yesterday’s mistakes.

Defining a new identity for General Motors Co.’s top-selling brand has been one of Ewanick’s most urgent tasks since he joined GM last month as U.S. marketing chief. No one thinks the brand is in crisis, but the heat is on to get it absolutely right.

The Chevrolet marketing team, now headed by Jim Campbell, has endured a revolving door of top executives and ad agencies. Early this month, the current team’s judgment was ridiculed nationwide when executives discouraged the use of the iconic Chevy nickname. Continue reading Chevy image isn’t as easy as apple pie

2011 Chevy Cruze is going to be available in the US this year. Find out more about the latest GM compact sedan.

With all the turmoil GM has been through in the last and a half, the people running it could sure use a break. Hopefully, that break will come with the launch of the new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The Cruze is the compact sedan they debuted at the 2008 Paris auto show, where they said it would replace the Chevy Cobalt.

The new Cruze is based on GM’s Global Compact Vehicle Architecture platform, also known as Delta 2, which GM is also using for the Chevy Volt. The car will be offered in three trim levels, the LS, LT and LTZ.

Buyer’s will have a choice between the 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec engine that gets an announced 40 miles per gallon on the highway and a 1.8 litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that doesn’t quite match that fuel economy. The turbocharged motor will come standard with the LT and LTZ models. The 1.4-litre is rated at 138 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft of torque. The 1.8 is slightly weaker with a rating of 136 horsepower and 123 lb.-ft of torque. Both engines come with a six-speed transmission, available as in automatic or manual. Continue reading The Chevy Cruze GM’s New Compact Car

The Chevrolet Aveo RS show car is a hot hatch that can draw attention from younger driviers. A new car and a new look for the Chevy Aveo.

When GM took a look at how to improve the existing Chevrolet Aveo, they decided to go back to the drawing board. The old Aveo wasn’t necessarily a bad car, but it was a little boring. GM wanted something more exciting, more “European”. The new Aveo is a little bit of that, a hot hatch that should draw the attention of younger drivers. Continue reading The Chevrolet Aveo RS Show Car