The first photographs of Chevrolet’s all-new Cruze sedan which is making its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October have been released.

It's a dynamic four-door coupe in an exciting design. Wider and longer than most of its competitors, Cruze has a purposeful stance and a ‘hewn from solid’ appearance.

Inside, Cruze features a ‘twin cockpit’ design motif, first introduced in the iconic Corvette sports car.

“Our goal in designing Cruze was to be bold, not evolutionary,” said chief designer Taewan Kim. “We wanted to take a big step forward, making a strong design statement for Chevrolet products around the world.”

Visitors to the Paris show will see how Chevrolet’s progressive design is also reflected in the quality of Cruze’s interior. The use of grained surfaces, soft-touch materials and low gloss trim panels ensures a quality ambience that echoes the clean, harmonious design of the exterior, he added.

At launch in Europe, Cruze will be available with 16-valve, 1.6-liter (112 hp) and 1.8-liter (140 hp) gasoline engines featuring variable valve timing (VVT) on both inlet and exhaust sides, giving more power as well as better fuel economy and lower emissions.

A new 2.0-liter turbo diesel, developing 150 hp and 320 N-m of torque adds power with even greater frugality, said a statement.

With sales in Europe up by 23 percent for the first six months of 2008, Chevrolet is GM Europe’s fastest-growing mainstream brand.

“Cruze further redefines Chevrolet with its design, quality, materials and great style inside and out. The fit and finish for gaps and interfaces sets a new standard for this segment in Europe and around the world,” said Wayne Brannon, executive director, Chevrolet Europe.

It's the first of a new family of compact products that will deliver world class quality. It will be backed by expected highest scores in all major crash safety ratings, he added.

It will be available in Europe from March 2009, followed by other global markets with regional-specific engine choices.-TradeArabia News Service