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Chevrolet will be debuting its wagon version of the Cruze at the Geneva show, and the vehicle is due to join the sedan and hatch models in the lineup within the next 12 months.

Not much details as yet, but the company says that the new wagon will feature generous storage space and a high level of standard and safety features. The exterior design features a tapering single arch roofline and comes with roof racks as standard, providing convenience while maintaining a poised and sporty look.

The wagon measures in at 4.67 metres long, slightly longer than the hatch (4.51 metres) and sedan (4.59 metres), and load space ranges from 500 litres up to the window line in the rear to nearly 1,500 litres up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down.

Chevrolet has two interesting concepts for the Detroit show – Code 130R and Tru 140S – catered to the young. According to US census data, there are 80 million American consumers approaching 30, representing 40% of today’s potential car-buying public and a combined $1 trillion in purchasing power. So it all makes sense.

Over the past year, Chevy has conversed with young consumers across America. The young say they want sedan-sized functionality in performance coupe form that seats four passengers, interior connectivity and convenience featuring innovative storage, WiFi, smart phone integration with Chevrolet MyLink and heads-up display, 40 MPG with a 1.4L Ecotec turbo with around 150 hp, and a price range in the low $20,000s.

In response, they came up with these two coupe concepts. Code 130R is the red one, a four-seat coupe with a simple upright profile. Code 130R features “heritage performance-inspired styling” and rear-wheel drive. There’s also the Chevy crossflag emblem on the fender. Small RWD coupe playing on the word “heritage”, sounds a bit like an American Toyota GT 86!

The Tru 140S is a front-wheel-drive “affordable exotic” four-seat sporty coupe. Shown in an all-new matte white with chrome wheels featuring crossflag emblems, Tru 140S is designed to look confident, exotic, expensive and fast. Tru 140S is based off the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze.

Which do you prefer, the “baby muscle car” or the “baby supercar”?

At this year’s season opening Detroit show, Chevrolet unveiled its B-segment contender, the next gen Aveo called Sonic. The upcoming NAIAS 2012 will see the GM brand wheel out the hot version of the Sonic, tagged RS. To go on sale in late 2012, the Sonic RS will be offered exclusively in five-door hatchback form – no sedan RS.

Go faster kit includes front sport seats, a thicker steering wheel with flat bottom, a new shift knob, aluminum sport pedals, specific instrument panel graphics and RS-specific interior trim colour. Outside, the RS is set apart by a deep air dam design and vertical intakes at the edges of the fascia that house the fog lamps.

Under the hood, the RS will come with the same 1.4L Ecotec turbo that powers top spec Sonics. This 138 hp/200 Nm unit is matched with a six-speed manual or six-speed auto gearbox. Unique gear ratios for the stick shift and a different final drive ratio for the auto gives the Sonic RS a “sportier feel” than non-RS models.

The suspension combines front MacPherson struts and an axle-mount compound link-type torsion beam, with gas-charged shocks. Front and rear tracks are identical at 1,509 mm for well-planted stability and balance, Chevy says. The RS is the only Sonic variant with four-wheel disc brakes.

Chevrolet has debuted its all-new TrailBlazer – in show car form – at the Dubai International Motor Show. The global offering is essentially the SUV version of the recently introduced Colorado pick-up, with which it shares its architecture and underpinnings.

The TrailBlazer’s styling and bold design presence were crafted in GM’s South American Design Centre, located in Sao Caetano do Sul, Brazil. The company says that the production form of the vehicle will bear a pretty close resemblance to the show vehicle. Given that the Colorado retained much of the looks previewed on the show truck version earlier in the year, it stands to reason the TrailBlazer should do the same.

The TrailBlazer offers seating for seven, with genuine third-row seating. Power comes courtesy of the 2.8 litre Duramax mill as seen on the Colorado – it features a variable-geometry turbocharger and balance shaft, and has 180 hp and 470 Nm of torque for numbers.

Design cues on the show car include a bonnet power dome, raised cowl and higher-mounted dual projector headlamps, while polished aluminium exterior highlights and tri-coat pearlescent white paint add to the vehicle’s luxury exterior finish.

Inside, the TrailBlazer has an intuitive and flexible seating configuration, premium interior appointments such as digital climate control system and USB and Bluetooth connectivity. In Australia, it will be badged as the Holden Colorado 7, and is set to make its market debut there in the first quarter of 2013, so Asean market countries can expect about a similar date of introduction.

The all new Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck has made its global debut in Thailand, and sales will start on October 17. Thai customers get to choose from 26 combinations of Colorado models, powertrains, cabins, and ride heights. They include LS, LT and range-topping LTZ trim levels, single, extended and crew-cab bodies in high and low-stance, wide and narrow-body options, as well as two and four-wheel-drive configurations.

The new Colorado is the product of a five-year, $2 billion program developed across five continents for customers in more than 60 markets worldwide. The development of the new Colorado was led by a team of GM engineers from Brazil who lived in Thailand during the development period, learning the highly competitive truck market and observing how Thais use their trucks and the driving conditions.

The engines are from an all-new global family. Called Duramax, they are built at GM Thailand’s newly opened $200 million engine plant, are available in 2.8 and 2.5-litre forms. The 2.8 features a variable-geometry turbocharger and balance shaft, and is rated at 180 hp and 470 Nm of torque. The auto ‘box is a six-speeder. If you opt for the five-speed manual, max torque is 440 Nm.

The 2.5L engine is rated at 150 hp and 350 Nm. Both engines feature components designed to last for 240,000 km, says GM.

Design wise, the production car retains much of the looks previewed by the Colorado Show Truck from the 2011 Bangkok Motor Show. Highlights include a power dome in the hood, a raised cowl, higher-mounted dual projector headlamps and the Chevy dual-port grille with a “three-dimensional” grille mesh. Also, GM offers LED tail lamps on high-level models.

Inside, there’s of course the brand’s dual cockpit design and “Ice Blue” illumination. Chevrolet says that front and second-row shoulder room, headroom and seat height are segment-leading. It’s also claimed to be best in class in storage areas – the regular cab has 16 storage locations, while the extended cab has 19 and the crew cab has 30, plenty of lubang to stash away stuff. Auxiliary power, AUX plugs and USB connectivity are standard across the range.

The 2.5L model will be priced from 537,000 to 808,000 baht. Pricing of the 2.8L model will be announced later. GM is targeting a 10% share of the total pickup market in Thailand by 2013, when TIV is expected reach the one million mark, with pickups accounting for 40-45%.

The battleground is tough. Besides the ever popular Toyota Hilux Vigo Champ, challengers include recently launched relative Isuzu D-Max as well as the upcoming new Ford Ranger, which has started production already. Oh, and this time around, the Colorado WILL come to Malaysia!