Chevrolet has revealed the production version of its Cruze five-door hatchback ahead of its appearance at the Geneva Motor Show early next week.
Creating a hatchback version of the already well-established Cruze sedan was a natural move and one that's mainly targeted at the European market, where hatches account for 65 percent of the volume in this segment. GM has also confirmed that the new five-door is heading to South Africa next year.
Although the front end of the Cruze hatchback is identical to that of the sedan, the profile and rear design are completely different, a highlight being the coupe-like sweeping roofline.
Boot space has not been too heavily compromised in the transition to hatchback, with almost 400 litres still being available.
The European engine line-up will mirror that of the sedan, with petrol options including an 80kW 1.6 and 104kW 1.8 and the diesel choice being a 110kW 2-litre.
GMSA cannot yet confirm the local line-up, but we don't see it being any different to the European range, unless they're able to source the 103kW 1.4-litre turbo engine that the US market gets - this would be a real bonus for highveld motorists.