General Motors has announced that it will invest more than $500 million in the US to build the Chevrolet Cruze compact car.

The company said that the vehicle will be built at its Lordstown, Ohio, plant. The investment in Lordstown is one of the several that General Motors (GM) has announced at US plants in the past five years, adding up to over $2 billion investment in Ohio and more than $20 billion in the US.

The new Cruze will be launched in Europe and Asia-Pacific in 2009. The Chevy Cruze will be officially unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

Rick Wagoner, chairman and CEO of GM, said: "Based on the quality of work and these strong partnerships, we are pleased to announce our plans to invest another $500 million in the Chevy Cruze product program in the US, including more than $350 million in Lordstown."

Staff Writer, Automotive Business Review.