Chevrolet Cruze hatchback unveiled

The Cruze hatchback is officially a concept according to Chevrolet, but aside from a few details, such as the blue-tinted headlamps, the car is virtually production-ready and ready for launch at the Paris Motor Show, which starts on 30 September. The Cruze hatchback will join the Orlando MPV, new Aveo and the facelifted Captiva SUV as the debuts on the Chevrolet stand.

The front end design follows that of the Cruze sedan, but the hatchback features a sweeping roofline and an all-new rear end. Chevrolet has not released any pictures of the interior, but it is expected to remain unchanged from the sedan.

Despite the shortened rear end, Chevrolet claims that the Cruze hatchback will still have a commodious boot, with 400 litres of cargo space, which can be expanded further with the 60/40 split rear folding seats.

Engines to be offered for the Cruze hatchback will be identical to the ones offered on the sedan, with two petrol units available, a 1.6-litre with 113bhp and 1.8-litre with 141bhp. There will also be a 2.0-litre turbo diesel that produces 123bhp.

The Cruze hatchback will go on sale in Europe from the middle of next year, with other markets set to follow shortly after, although Chevrolet has not confirmed which markets will receive the car. Wayne Brannon, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe, believes the addition of a hatchback version to the range will further bolster the car's sales.

"Hatchbacks play a critical role in many markets," said Brannon. "The total compact segment in Europe represents around 4.8 million units which is over a quarter of the total market, with hatchbacks representing around 65% of that volume. We therefore expect to see increased business in a number of regions, while sending out a signal that Chevrolet is now a serious mainstream player in Europe."