Spied: 2012 Buick 'Baby' Sedan Based on the Chevy Cruze

Now that General Motors has taken the decision to trim down its passenger car portfolio with the sale of the Saturn and Saab brands as well as the demise of Pontiac in 2010, there seems to be plenty of space for Buick to expand in new vehicle segments that would otherwise be considered a 'no-no'. How else would you explain this new Buick small sedan prototype that was caught by our spy photographers testing in Germany?

The answer to the question could be that the small Buick sedan is destined exclusively for the Chinese market where the American brand is quite popular. Still, we're pretty sure that Buick's U.S. dealers wouldn't mind adding a smaller and more fuel-efficient sedan in their arsenal, especially now that American consumer tastes are slowly shifting towards more compact and frugal vehicles.

But while at this point GM's full intentions on the small Buick sedan remain a mystery, what is certain is that the saloon is based on the same Delta II platform as the new Chevrolet Cruze and next-generation Opel Astra that will be revealed this fall at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

This means that it will be roughly the same size as the Cruze sharing the same engine options that will include numerous four-cylinder diesel and gasoline units, the later in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms.

But will this be enough for the small Buick sedan to be successful? Maybe in China, but in order for the car to make it in the U.S. and justify a higher price tag than its Chevrolet stablemate, GM will have to think out of the box and forget about its effortless badge-engineering techniques of the past.

Chevrolet prices new Cruze from £11,545 in the UK

The new Chevrolet Cruze will be arriving at UK showrooms in July priced from £11,545 (approx $15,900 US or €12,700 with today's exchange rates) thus undercutting the entry-level VW Jetta S 1.4 TSI 122HP by more than £2,000. The newcomer in Chevy's range will be offered with a choice of four engines, the 1.6-liter and 1.8-litre petrols with outputs of 113 and 141HP respectively, and two 2.0-liter diesels with 125HP or 150HP power outputs. Automatic transmission will

The range starts with the 1.6 S, which comes equipped with standard remote central locking, follow-me-home lighting, CD-radio system, electric front windows, a fully-adjustable driver's seat and steering wheel, six airbags and ESC (Electronic Stability Control. The 1.6S A/C model, at £11,995, also adds air conditioning.

The LS model, which Chevy expects to be the best-seller in the range, starts at £12,595 for the 1.6 manual variant and includes air conditioning as standard, plus 16-inch alloy wheels, a chrome edged radiator grille, front fog lights and reverse parking sensors.

At the top of the range will be the LT, which comes in 1.8 petrol or 2.0-litre diesel guises, with prices starting at £13,595. The LT's standard equipment list includes cruise control, climate control, an automatic anti-dazzle rear view mirror, an upgraded high-output stereo, electric rear windows, chrome detailing and 17-inch alloy wheels, plus the option of an integrated satellite navigation system.

Model	On-the-road price
1.6 S	£11,545
1.6 S A/C	£11,995
2.0 VCDi S A/C 125PS	£13,495
1.6 LS	£12,595
1.6 LS auto	£13,695
2.0 VCDi LS 125PS	£14,095
1.8 LT	£13,595
1.8 LT auto	£14,695
2.0 VCDi LT 150PS	£15,195

Melbourne Show: GM's Holden Debuts Cruze Sedan in Australia

Unless Holden is readying another small car, the Cruze is the compact model that GM's Australian subsidiary announced at the end of 2008. If that's the case, then the Cruze has nothing in common with the teaser sketch released at the time of the announcement. Instead, the only differences between the Chevy and Holden Cruze concern the badges and the front grille.

When it goes on sale in Australia in the second quarter of 2009, the right-hand drive Cruze will be offered with a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder ECOTEC petrol engine and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged common rail diesel engine. Power will be transferred to the front-wheels through a five speed manual transmission or optionally, a six speed automatic transmission with Active Select.