Made in Ohio

Several parts inside the Cruze are locally and regionally produced

ENGINE BLOCKS, Defiance: The Cruze is powered by 1.4L and 1.8L turbo Ecotec engines, part of a new generation of highly-efficient, small-displacement, four-cylinder engines. General Motors invested $59 million in the Defiance Foundry to retool the facilities and equipment for the production of these engines. The plant now employs 1,346 workers. The Ecotec engines are built on a strong, low-mass foundation that supports high fuel efficiency. The cylinder blocks are made of gray cast-iron with five reinforced main bearings. To minimize weight, the block has a hollow-frame construction that makes it about 20 percent lighter than conventional casting. The block also incorporates a gray cast-iron bedplate that reduces engine vibration. The cylinders in the block are triple-honed to minimize friction and wear and optimize oil and fuel consumption.

SIX-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS, Toledo: General Motors has invested $350 million in new equipment for its Toledo Powertrain Center to manufacture six-speed front-wheel-drive transmissions that go in both the Cruze and the Malibu. Both the automatic and manual six-speed transmission available in the Cruze are to improve the car’s fuel-economy and engine performance. The six-speed automatic transmission — standard in the Cruze LT and LTZ models — is designed to bolster engine power. The automatic transmission has an on- axis design — the gear sets are on the same axis as the engine centerline — that enhances the car’s interior space and gives it a lower hood line. The six-speed manual transmission — standard in the Cruze LS and the Cruze Eco — delivers a wide set of gear ratios. The manual transmission includes triple-cone synchronization in first and second gears for easier engagement, and a synchronized reverse gear.

STAMP METAL PRODUCTS, Parma: GM’s Parma Metal Center is stamping 49 different parts for the Cruze, including many of the car’s critical structural components. In the past year, the company has spent $60 million on new equipment and machine upgrades at the plant, including the installment of new robotic welding lines. The plant, which employs about 1,450 workers, now uses five high-speed progressive systems and 13 transfer presses to produce many of the smaller parts used in GM cars. The plant is on target to produce 58.9 million parts this year, up from about 28 million produced in 2009.

ALLOY WHEELS, Cleveland: Alcoa Automotive Wheel, a division of Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products, will provide the aluminum alloy wheels that will be standard on the Cruze Eco model that will be released in the fourth quarter. Production of wheels will take place at the company’s Cleveland Works facility that employs about 1,000 people. Alloy wheels are lighter than cast aluminum wheels, which helps reduce fuel consumption. The Cruze Eco model will come equipped with light-weight 17-inch forged aluminum wheels. The wheels are said to weigh less than 18 pounds, about 20 percent less than comparable cast aluminum wheels. The wheels are designed to help the Eco achieve an average 40 miles to the gallon. Alcoa says that the reduction in the car’s unsprung weight also will improve the Cruze’s handling and overall performance. The wheels will also be available on the Cruze 2LT and LTZ models.

SEATING, Lordstown: Magna International’s Lordstown Seating, the company that supplied seating systems for the Chevy Cobalt, is supplying the seats for the Cruze. Magna is among 18 tier-one suppliers in Ohio that are supplying parts for the Cruze. Other local suppliers include Comprehensive Logistics and Jamestown Industries in Youngstown and Falcon Transport in Austintown. The seating systems are part of an interior refinement strategy that aims to set the Cruze apart from other cars in the compact segment. Standard six-way power driver’s seats, leather seating surfaces and heated seats are included in the Cruze 2LT and LTZ models.

Source: General Motors