General Motors (GM) Middle East last week sent us a press release about the introduction of an all-new vehicle called Cruze to the Chevrolet line-up in the region. We did report about the possibility of the vehicle being a crossover, since Chevrolet did sell a badge-engineered 'Suzuki Ignis' with the same name in some Asian markets. We though so, but we take our words back, since the Chevy Cruze is not a crossover, but a compact sedan according to reports.

GM will most probably sandwich the Chevy Cruze between the current compact sedan Optra in their line-up and the mid-sizer Epica. Built around the Delta 2 platform - the first GM vehicle to use the new architecture - the Cruze's exterior dimensions are expected to be almost identical to the Cobalt (Cobalt replaced the Cavalier in the US). GM pens the new Cruze with a global platform that can see it being launched in many emerging markets too. Expect the Cruze to feature economical engines in the lines of 1.5 and 2.0-litre capacities.