Chevrolet Cruze leads sales of compact segment in May 2011

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

For the first time in a handful of years, an American car is the best selling compact in the United States… well, at least during the month of May. General Motors said that its 2011 Chevrolet Cruze recorded 22,711 segment-topping sales in May, beating out the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and the Toyota Corolla.

“The Cruze also has helped Chevrolet gain share in the compact segment – which represented 16 percent of total U.S. sales in May – and accelerated the brand’s shift to fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines,” GM said.

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“The launch of the Cruze has exceeded all of our expectations,” said Alan Batey, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet Sales and Service. “Cruze launched as a brand-new vehicle, with a brand-new name, in one of the most competitive segments in the industry.

Overall, for the 2011 calendar year, the Toyota Corolla leads the compact segment with 113,084 units sold. Honda’s Civic comes in second with 110,086 units, the Cruze comes in third with 98,076 units, Elantra with 83,309 and the Ford Focus with 76,639.

Refresher: The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze base LS model is powered by a 136-hp 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, while the Eco, LT and LTZ model get a 1.4L turbo 4-cylinder Ecotec engine making 138-hp and a maximum torque of 148 lb-ft. The 1.4L turbo models are expected to have a cruising range of more than 500 miles and the Cruze Eco is estimated to get an EPA fuel-economy rating of 42 mpg on the highway. All 2011 Cruze models are available with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Prices start at $16,995 for the base model to $22,695 for the top-of-the-line model.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze:

2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Total sales May 2011 2011 Calendar Year
Cruze 22,711 98,076
Focus 22,303 76,639
Elantra 20,006 83,309
Civic 18,341 110,086
Corolla 16,895 113,084

– By: Omar Rana