Chevrolet previews Cruze Hatch ahead of New York debut

General Motors has provided the first glimpse of the Chevrolet Cruze Hatch ahead of its debut at the New York Motor Show in March.

The Cruze Hatch has the same wheelbase as its bigger sibling, but sports a new roof and rear-end structure, including an integrated spoiler. Chevrolet has managed to reduce the weight of the car by 91 kg over the previous model, with the body structure accounting for half of the savings.

Inside, the Cruze Hatch features heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats and Athens leather-appointed seating surfaces. Chevrolet claims that the Cruze Hatch offers greater rear legroom over direct rivals Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra (not to be confused with the sedan available with the same name in India), albeit by just two inches.

To keep up-to-date with moving times, the Cruze Hatch also supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 4G LTE.

On the safety front, Chevrolet’s latest offering is equipped with Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Park Assist.

“With 9 percent market growth in small hatchbacks last year, it’s the perfect time to bring the Cruze Hatch to America,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and Global Chevrolet. “As Cruze continues to set the tone for Chevrolet globally, it articulates the brand promise of offering cars with the latest technologies, more features and greater efficiency, performance and safety with fresh, distinctive styling.”

The new Chevrolet Cruze Hatch will make its public debut at the New York Motor Show, scheduled from March 23 to April 6. The car will hit Chevrolet’s American showrooms later this year, in LT, Premium and the peppier RS trim.

It remains to be seen if and when GM brings this car to our shores.

Also read: 2016 Chevrolet Niva images leaked