New GM CEO Fritz Henderson has declared that Chevrolet, in the next two years, will have repositioned itself as a competitive, top-quality brand.
Speaking with US mag AutoWeek, Henderson said he believes fresh new Chevy models like the Cruze (to be sold locally as the Holden Cruze) and the Spark will help the brand grow its position in the market, should fuel prices rise again.
The Cruze and Spark, along with the seven-seat Orlando people mover, are due to hit the US market in the 2011 model year.
Henderson also believes the Camaro is the perfect halo model for the legendary Chevrolet brand, reinvigorating the enthusiast spirit that the Corvette has since kept alive.
“I think that in the case of Chevrolet, we have the chance in the next year or two to really put the stake into it, with Cruze, with the Spark and with the next-generation vehicles we’re working on,” Henderson told AutoWeek.
“I mean, we have a chance to fully flesh out the Chevrolet lineup.”
The almost make-or-break Chevrolet Volt is due for production in 2010 as well, and according to GM’s new Global Product Development boss Tom Stephens, the hybrid is on track to meet that deadline.
With GM retiring the Pontiac brand and off-loading Opel, Saturn, Hummer and Saab, the Chevrolet brand will need to perform if the troubled automaker is to trade its way out of trouble.
On the other side of the coin, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy appears more and more likely for the company with each passing day. How Henderson’s vision for Chevrolet will be affected by such an outcome remains to be seen.
