What you see in these pictures is the production version of the Chevrolet Cruze 5-door hatchback study, which was presented at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The compact hatchback version of the Cruze has lost some of the cool features of the concept car such as the LED strips on the front bumper, the blue-tinted headlamps and the clear crystal tail lights. The rest remains unchanged.

The new body style looks a bit sharper and sportier than the four-door saloon, but due to the shorter rear overhang, cargo capacity for the Cruze hatchback is reduced to 400 liters, which is some 50 liters less than the sedan. Chevrolet decided to build a five-door version of the Cruze to cater for the European market, as 65 percent of all compact cars sold in Europe are hatchbacks. The car is slated for a Singapore debut before the end of the year too. Locally, the car will compete with models such as the VW Golf and the soon-to-arrive all new Ford Focus. Personally, I feel that the new Focus has a much more adventurous styling than the Cruze hatchback.

The Cruze 5-door will share its engine lineup with the four-door model, which means buyers can choose between 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter gasoline units producing 124HP and 141HP respectively.