Spy shots: Cruze-based Buick compact sedan

General Motors is still more than a year away from launching the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in North America. But now Buick is preparing to unveil a new entry-level model which is based on the GM’s FWD Delta II platform that underpins the Chevrolet Cruze. The upcoming Buick compact sedan will likely be offered as a global model like the Cruze.

In terms of styling, the baby Buick will feature traditional Buick design cues, such as a waterfall grille, and with these latest spy shots we get a first opportunity to see the interior for the first time. The Buick compact sedan also shares much in common with the 2010 Opel Astra, a model that also shares the same platform, which means there’s a chance it could be produced at Russelsheim plant in Germany.

U.S. versions are likely to be built at GM’s Lordstown plant in Ohio alongside the Cruze. The new model will almost certainly be offered in China as well, considering that is Buick’s biggest market.

Engine options should mirror that of the Cruze, which means a range of compact four-cylinder units in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms, with both petrol and diesel options.

The other benefit of the Delta II platform is the possibility of a plug-in hybrid version using Volt technology, although GM is more likely to use other brands such as Cadillac to expand its plug-in hybrid range.

The new sedan will be launched until sometime in 2012, possibly as a 2013 model.