Auto show season is when the automotive industry starts handing out awards, and car makers start showing the cars they hope will become award winners. Chevrolet is following that pattern closely as they roll out the U.S. spec 2011 Chevy Cruze at the L.A. Auto Show in December.

Autoblog reports, "General Motors has announced plans to unveil the U.S.-spec version of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze at next month's LA Auto Show, alongside the all-new Chevrolet Volt. The compact sedan has been available in Europe and across the Pacific for over a year, but will finally go on sale in the States in the third quarter of 2010."

Reuters says, "The No.1 U.S. automaker is counting on a series of upcoming vehicles like the Cruze and the Chevy Volt electric car to revitalize its lineup as it tries to reverse a long-running slide in market share after emerging from a government-financed bankruptcy on July 10."  Automobile Magazine adds, "The Cruze will help bolster GM's expanding lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles. The Cruze will be offered with a 1.4-liter turbocharged I-4 engine that offers up to 40 mpg on the expressway."

Not only will GM be showing the hotly-anticipated Chevy Volt at the show, it will also be announcing which retail markets will be first to get the extended-range electric vehicle. Inside Line reports, "The Volt will be available in ‘select markets’ in late 2010, GM says. The auto show will also be the stage for the naming of a winner in the contest to name the silver-green color of the brand-new EV. The short list of finalists was announced on Monday, and individuals can still vote online for their favorite until December 1."

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars, as well as this month's best car deals.