Ohio-Built Chevrolet Cruze’s Overall Sales in 2013 Rise
2013 was not a particularly great year if you’re an Ohio sports fan: the Bengals were just bounced from the first round of the playoffs for a third straight year after another banner performance from Andrew Interception Dalton, LeBron James continues to succeed away from Cleveland (despite the hallucinatory promises of Dan Gilbert…yes, he actually wrote this open letter in Comic Sans), and Ohio State won 24 games in a row against (mostly) tomato can opponents before being trounced in two straight games by superior teams. Unlike the now-coachless Cleveland Browns, the Chevrolet Cruze’s overall sales in 2013 benefitted from a clear vision and a sense of direction; the Cruze, which is built right at “The Heart of It All” in Ohio, enjoyed a strong 2013 filled with victories and consistently strong performance (also unlike the Browns).
The Lordstown, Ohio-built Cruze slid slightly in December sales with a 14.5 percent decrease from December 2012. The result was somewhat expected, however, given seasonal and industry trends that have drivers favoring SUV and truck purchases in light of lowered gas prices, better overall fuel economy in large vehicles, and the need for more rugged rides during the harsh winter months. This then means that the Cincinnati Bengals and compact cars have a lot in common: specifically, the fact that they can’t help but underperform repeatedly in winter.
What does warm the cockles of Chevrolet’s heart is the success of Cruze’s overall sales in 2013: Cruze moved 248,224 units in 2013, which proves 10,466 better than its sales total from 2012. This means that 2013 Cruze sales were the highest that the vehicle has enjoyed since first arriving on the market in 2010, competing well against rival models in the segment and helping gain an extra shift for workers at the Lordstown plant where they are manufactured.
“We’ve been steady,” Glenn Johnson, the United Auto Workers Local 1112 president who represents Lordstown’s employees, told Vindy.com. “I don’t know what the demand holds in the future, but I hope people keep buying them.”
The Cruze was Chevrolet’s second-best-selling vehicle in 2013 right behind the Silverado pickup, and it was a considerable factor in GM’s good fortunes throughout the year. With a new Cruze likely in Chevrolet’s future, there’s reason to look ahead to the future; if you’re a Cavaliers fan…well, enjoy Kyrie Irving while you’ve got him before he ends up in New York or Los Angeles, and try not to act too surprised when it happens.
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