The Chevy Cobalt will be replaced in 2011 by a whole new small car. This new small car will form the basis for General Motor’s new global small car platform. The new car, called the Cruze, will be engineered to be built all over the world under various manufacturing systems.

The Chevrolet Cruze will be the first vehicle to use GM’s revamped Delta 2 platform. Delta 2 is an architecture that will be used on all GM small cars around the globe, including replacements for the Chevy HHR, and smaller Opel vehicles. When the car goes into production in the U.S. in mid-2010, it’ll be built at GM’s plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

“The Cruze was developed by a global design and engineering team and will be built in multiple locations around the world.” stated one GM executive.The car will carry Chevrolet’s new design language, including the two separate front grills and golden bow-tie logo. A family resemblance is obvious as soon as you picture it next to a Chevy Malibu, or even a newer Silverado full size pickup truck. The resemblance is there.

In Europe, the Cruze will be offered with a choice of four-cylinder gas and diesel engines. For the U.S. market however, GM intends to fit a turbocharged, direct-injection 1.4-liter that will deliver up to 40 mpg in highway driving! That’s a sure fire way to keep customers coming back to the brand and shows off GM’s technical prowess. Whether it’ll hit the mark with consumers the world over remains to be seen.

Above: GM is putting all it’s chips in on this bet, hope it pays off….