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SPRUNG here for the first time in a swirl of disguise on the streets of Frankfurt is the 2017 Holden Cruze hatch.
Australia will see this sleek five-door play off against the newly redesigned Holden Astra hatch (K series) slated for a late 2016 debut, joining the next-gen Holden Cruze sedan as the company’s entry-level small car combatant against the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Mazda 3, and Toyota Corolla.
The German setting where the psychedelic 2017 Cruze hatch prototype was snapped underlines the under-the-skin relationship between it and the upcoming Holden Astra K (as well as also underpinning the second-generation Chevrolet Volt hybrid hatch that won’t come here), with both utilising variations of the new D2XX architecture that brings a lighter, stronger, and safer platform.
Compared with the current Chevrolet Cruze hatch, the 2017 version sits on a longer wheelbase (believed to match the corresponding sedan version’s 2700mm) for improved rear-seat space.
Those with longer memories may recall that the existing Holden Cruze hatch, released when the Australian-built JH arrived in 2011, was designed at Fishermans Bend. Local input is not confirmed this time around, but the Cruze’s suspension and steering are likely to be tuned to local tastes at Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground.
