AutoReporter

General Motors‘ new Chevrolet Cruze is off to a fast start. In October, the automaker sold 5,048 of the Lordstown-made compact cars, despite limited availability at most Chevy stores.

A year ago, the company sold 5,055 of the Cruze’s predecessor, the Chevrolet Cobalt. Switching from the Cobalt to the Cruze while keeping sales volumes up could be a big win for GM as the Cruze is significantly more expensive than the outgoing Cobalt.

Overall sales at GM were up 3.5 percent, well below the pace set by the overall industry where sales are expected to be up about 10 percent for October. GM continues to suffer from the loss of its Pontiac, Hummer, Saab and Saturn brands.

The company’s four core brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC — combined for a 13 percent sales gain. Continued strong sales of the company’s large crossovers, such as the Buick Enclave, led the gains.

“Of our October sales, 76 percent were [2011] model year vehicles,” GM sales chief Don Johnson said in a written statement. “This puts us in good position to continue growing, while moderating our use of incentives.”



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