Even though it was Chevrolet that came out first with both a thinly disguised concept in 2010 and this year’s production version of the Cruze hatchback at the Geneva Show, the five-door model was actually penned by GM’s Holden division at the Port Melbourne studio in Australia. Now, it’s finally time for Holden to reap the benefits of its work with the release of the first official photos of the compact hatchback with the Australian brand’s lion logo.
“In designing the new five-door hatch we wanted to retain the sporty ‘Cruze’ proportions and bring the same Holden appearance to the hatch that we developed for the new locally-built Series II Cruze sedan,” said Holden Design Director, Tony Stolfo.
It’s worth noting that the Holden Design Studio is one of only GM three facilities in the world with the capability to design and build prototype concept vehicles for exhibitions and international auto shows. According to Mr. Stolfo, the Australian studio is currently working on several new secret projects.
“The Holden design team works on a range of global design projects from small hatchbacks like the new Cruze to large wheel drive performance vehicles and also a number of exciting vehicles yet to be revealed,” Mr Stolfo added.
Like the recently revealed Cruze Sedan Series II, the Australian-market version of the hatchback model will be manufactured locally at the Elizabeth plant with series production set to start in the second half of the year. Holden did not announce details on the hatchback model’s engine range but Australian buyers should expect the same gasoline and diesel options as the sedan.
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