Associated Press - November 12, 2009 6:05 AM ET

DETROIT (AP) - Two General Motors cars due in showrooms next year must be hits to help the automaker turn around sales and pay back its big debt to taxpayers.

The Buick Regal midsize sedan and Chevrolet Cruze compact face stiff competition and other obstacles to success.

The Cruze will be built at the GM plant in Lordstown, near Youngstown in northeast Ohio.

University of Illinois marketing professor David Koehler says a lot is riding on the Cruze. It will be targeted at younger entry-level buyers as well as those seeking fuel economy. It's supposed to get around 40 mpg on the highway.

But GM has postponed the Cruze's April build date about three months. Vice President Mark Reuss says GM wasn't pleased with the transmission.

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