Holden unveiled its new Cruze at the Melbourne International Motor Show though it won't go on sale for at least a month. Indeed, it may be as long as four months before we see the car on our roads. The company is playing this new model coyly, anxious to gain feedback from the media and the general public before launching the Cruze onto a savagely waning car market.

Cruze (not to be confused with the small Suzuki-sourced 4WD of the same name that sold here from 2002 until 2006) is a small-medium sedan with elegant styling. It looks considerably more upmarket than the Holden Viva that it will eventually replace. Like the Viva, the Cruze comes from GM's subsidiary Daewoo in South Korea. It looks to have a lot more international input from countries like Australia, the USA and probably Europe as well, which should result in a superior vehicle in a number of ways.

The interior has an upmarket quality and ambiance that bodes well for Australian drivers considering moving down from a large car due to concerns about future fuel costs and exhaust emissions.

Holden Cruze will be sold with the choice of a 1.8-litre petrol engine or a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. Transmission options will be five-speed manual or an ultra-modern six-speed automatic.

As with other Holden models the Cruze will be sold in two formats: CD or an upmarket CDX. Both will have advanced safety features including ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and six airbags.

We haven’t had an opportunity to drive the new Holden Cruze as the Melbourne appearance was very much a teaser appearance to whet people’s appetite. As soon as we can put in some serious test driving we will bring you a report.