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LOS ANGELES - General Motors, battered and bruised but still swinging, is taking a shot at Honda and Toyota with the Chevrolet Cruze, an attractive if pedestrian compact sedan it promises will deliver as much as 40 mpg on the highway.

The General unveiled the 2011 Cruze here at the Los Angeles Auto Show and said it would deliver best-in-class fuel economy in a package far nicer than you might expect from a compact car. The Cruze is aimed squarely at the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, and Brent Dewar, GM vice president for Chevrolet, says it will “challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be.”

“We believe that Cruze will raise the bar in this highly competitive, value-oriented segment,” he said.

But the Cruze is more than a sharp compact with sporty pretensions. It is the vanguard in General Motors’ campaign to rebrand Chevrolet as a nameplate offering smaller, more fuel-efficient automobiles.

“It changes the rules for the compact car class,” Dewar said. “Cruze will reinforce our ‘gas-friendly’ theme by delivering best-in-class fuel economy with up to 40 mpg highway in the high-efficiency model.”

That high-efficiency model sports a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine producing 138 horsepower and 148-pound-feet of torque. It is mated to a six-speed gearbox — both a manual and automatic are offered — and features electric power steering to further improve efficiency. GM didn’t offer any specific fuel economy numbers beyond the highway figure. The top-of-the-line LS model get a 1.8-liter four-banger.

General Motors is packing the Cruze with gadgetry. StabiliTrak electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes are standard, as are 10 airbags. You can get an optional Pioneer stereo with six speakers and the obligatory iPod jack. XM satellite, OnStar, navi and Bluetooth are options. GM says the car has a 5-star safety rating.

The car is attractive, if somewhat conventional, with a wide stance, arched roof and a sharply raked windshield. “It’s fresh, clean and modern,” said Mike Simcoe, head of design for Chevrolet. “An expressive design with a timeless sense of style.”

Timeless might be going a bit far, but the Cruze is more muscular than the Civic or Corolla. It’s got a long wheelbase with short overhangs, and it looks more like a mid-size sedan than a compact. It’s handsome inside, with a “twin cockpit” design Simcoe said was inspired by the Chevrolet Corvette.

The Cruze rolls into showrooms next fall. No word yet on the price.



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