Chevrolet Cruze @ 2008 Paris Motor show

CHECK OUT MORE PARIS AUTO SHOW COVERAGE: www.insideline.com DETROIT — Three official images of the five-passenger Chevrolet Cruze were released on Thursday in advance of the small car's debut at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. GM's bread-and-butter brand insists that it is making a "strong design statement" with its global vehicle. "Our goal in designing Cruze was to be bold, not evolutionary," said Taewan Kim, Cruze chief designer, in a statement. "We wanted to take a big step forward, making a strong design statement for Chevrolet products around the world." Chevrolet detailed its launch plans for the car, saying that it will debut in Europe in March 2009, followed by other global markets "with regional-specific engine choices." At the same time, General Motors on Thursday confirmed that it will build the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze at its Lordstown, Ohio, facility after a multibillion-dollar investment there. Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager, told WJR-AM in Detroit on Thursday that the Cruze will "sell in over 100 countries. "The market is red hot for small vehicles," he said. Peper also described the Cruze as a "smaller version of [the Chevrolet] Malibu. "It's wider and longer than most of the small cars out there," he said. In a statement, Chevrolet said that the Cruze will be launched in Europe with 112-horsepower 1.6-liter and 140-hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder gas engines, along with a new 150-hp 2.0-liter turbodiesel. The engines are linked to a five-speed manual transmission or Chevrolet's first six-speed automatic transmission in the compact segment. The exterior design cues on the Cruze include a sculpted hood and two-tier grille. "Inside, Cruze features a 'twin cockpit' design motif, first introduced in the iconic Corvette sports car," said Chevrolet. The Cruze is the replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt. It will be the first vehicle to use GM's revamped Delta 2 platform, an architecture that will be used on all GM small cars around the globe, including replacements for the Chevrolet HHR and the Opel Zafira and i