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We at C/D are unabashed proponents of the hatchback body style. Such cars generally offer more practical space than their sedan counterparts, and we also enjoy the slightly esoteric vibe they exude, at least in America where they are vastly outnumbered by more workaday crossovers, sedans, and SUVs. When Chevrolet introduced its Cruze compact for the 2011 model year, we hoped a hatchback would be part of the plan. Sadly, it wasn’t to be—even though Chevrolet developed a Cruze hatch for the European market in 2012. When the smoothly styled second-generation Cruze made its debut for 2016, there still was no hatchback in sight. Those crafty product planners clung to a sedan-only strategy for one more year, finally granting the Cruze five-door a U.S. visa starting with the 2017 model year. READ MORE ››