2011 Holden [2] Cruze Hatch Show Car

Holden’s latest home grown hero, the highly-anticipated Cruze hatch will make its local debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne.

Displayed in stunning show form, the Cruze hatch show car premiered at last year’s Paris Motor Show and serves as a precursor to the production model which will be built in South Australia.

Designed and crafted by Holden’s Port Melbourne design studio, the Cruze hatch will join the successful Series II Cruze sedan line-up, which has rocketed up the sales charts since local production began in March this year.

Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux said the introduction of the stylish Australian-born hatch would bolster the Cruze line-up.

“Cruze has been a stand-out success, from the moment it launched it quickly became one of the country’s favourite nameplates,” he said.

“We achieved this sales success with only one body style, so we’re looking forward to adding this great looking hatch to the range and seeing Cruze go from strength to strength. We think the hatch will hit a sweet spot with buyers looking for great design, versatility and practicality.

“We’re very proud of the finished product, our contribution to the global design program and that our Cruze hatch will be rolling off the Elizabeth assembly line and into dealerships later this year.

“Importantly Cruze hatch represents yet another step in the Holden product renaissance, which is giving people more and more reasons to consider the lion badge.”

Locally Designed and Built

The Cruze hatch show car has been adapted to reflect Holden’s design DNA with an almost coupe like appearance with a low sweeping roofline and rising belt line.

Featuring the same dynamic proportions that have seen the Cruze sedan win favour around the world, the hatch stands out for its short front and rear overhangs and wide stance, helping it appear planted and secure on the road.

Holden designer Martin Love, a key player in the hatch program, said Cruze hatch design had to appeal to a broad range of customers to compete in the booming small car market.

“The customer base for a compact hatch is perhaps the most diverse imaginable,” Mr Love said.

“A vehicle in this segment needs to appeal to families through to empty nesters, as well as young, urban professionals.”

“When we designed the hatch, we needed it to be eye-catching and youthful yet sophisticated, and still provide practicality, features and comfort families need.

“We wanted to do something sporty and dynamic that would stand out against conventional hatch backs and we’re really proud of the result.”

Local launch

The Cruze hatch has already made its sales debut under the Chevrolet banner in several markets including the United Kingdom and Korea.

Meanwhile, Holden is conducting its final pre-launch evaluation of Cruze hatch on Australian public roads and at the company’s Proving Ground in Lang Lang, Victoria.

Pricing, full specifications and features of the full Cruze hatch range will be announced closer to launch later this year.

SOURCE: Holden