The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, based on a GM-Europe design, went on sale in limited numbers a year ago. Plentiful supplies of all mdoels finally were available last fall.(Photo: FPI Studios)
General Motors, teasing its December sales results hours ahead of the
scheduled announcement, said the month's totals will make it the first
to sell 1 million vehicles in its home market that were rated 30 mpg or
more on the highway.
GM also said the numbers will show that sales
of its smallest cars -- mini, subcompact and compact -- are up about
39% from a year earlier.
The list it provided of 30-mpg-plus cars
includes the Volt extended-range electric, at 98 mpg-e, or
miles-per-gallon equivalent, factoring in both electricity consumption
for recharging and gasoline use.
"In 2013, we'll introduce new
diesel, eAssist and plug-in vehicles in the United States and expand the
availability of turbocharged four-cylinder engines. This will give us
the most technologically diverse range of fuel-efficient cars and
crossovers in the industry," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North
America.
First diesel is to be in Cruze compact, according to GM CEO Dan Akerson.
eAssist
is GM's name for a mild hybrid system used in some Buick and Chevrolet
models, including versions of the Chevy Malibu that's pictured above. .
GM will announce sales details later this morning.
USA Today