the car that can make or break GM
Forget about General Motors going public again, or rolling out the electric-powered Volt. GM's biggest debut this fall is the Chevrolet Cruze, perhaps its most important car in decades. The Cruze, GM's new compact car, is designed to compete with the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic, as well as new small cars from Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) and Hyundai. The Cruze's ability to attract buyers, both in the United States and around the globe, will go a long way in determining how profitable GM will be, and whether it's put the problems that dragged it into bankruptcy behind it."The Volt is getting all the publicity, but it's the Cruze that certainly is most important, in volume and in proving that GM can make a small car in the United States and do it profitably," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Edmunds.com. The compact car segment is one that Detroit automakers ignored for decades, making uncompetitive offerings and essentially paying car buye...