PICS: GM Next-Gen Models Revealed, Including Chevy Cruze

Here we go again, as General Motors Corp. once again unveils a host of
coming models to reassure a jittery Wall Street, a speculating media
and fleeing investor base that the company not only is on solid
financial footing but that it has some decent stuff in the product
pipeline.

Chevy Cruze.JPGDetailed images of pending new product were shown in
this week's presentation to media, analysts and the financial
community to accompany GM's announcement that it is trimming its
white-collar ranks, cutting more pickup production, scaling back
investment in next-generation fullsize pickups and SUVs - and will
seek capital infusion if reasonable credit terms present themselves.

Many of the vehicles, such as the Cadillac CTS coupe and Saab 9-4X,
for example, already have been seen in near-production form.

Caddy CTS wagon.JPGThis appears to be the first time decent images of
the replacement for Cadillac's current SRX crossover have broken
cover, however, and there is a fair look at a coming midsize sedan
for Buick, as well as the next-generation Chevrolet Equinox compact
crossover, a vital piece in Chevy's new-model puzzle.

GM also showed images of the Chevrolet Cruze, a global model that is
earmarked to launch first in Europe and eventually replace the Chevy
Cobalt in the U.S. as GM's mainstream import-fighter in the
compact-car segment.

We'll leave the judgement to you, but just to get on the record: We'll
take the CTS wagon. The SRX and Saab 9-4X are okay, but hardly
original thinking. The Buick sedan looks useless and we're still
having trouble getting excited about the chubby-ish CTS coupe, much
less its volume potential.

Saab 9-4x.JPG new-age Buick.JPGThe Cruze and the Equinox will work for
Chevy, although designers might do well to consider not relying too
much solely on the family grille styling that works so well for the
Malibu - on these vehicles, it's already beginning to look over-used
and derivative. The Cruze reputedly flaunts the all-new global
front-wheel-drive underpinnings, but GM seems elusive, at present,
about just when the architecture will be deployed for the U.S.

PHOTOS:

Chevrolet Cruze will be global model.

Cadillac CTS wagon seems a well-timed addition to the model range

Saab 9-4X: still too big?

Cadillac SRX an advance over the current slow-selling design.

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