As World Car Fans (via Auto Forum) points out, the existing car’s mesh grille is replaced by a horizontal bar design, while the lower front fascia sports a new intake and fog lamp design. Changes are noticeable, but minor, and it doesn’t appear that there are any significant changes to rear styling.
There’s speculation that the restyled Cruze sedan (and possibly the not-for-U.S.-sale Cruze hatchback) will hit the auto show circuit this fall, but that may be reading more into the video than Chevrolet has intended. It’s possible that the Korean Cruze variant seen here will simply carry slightly different styling than its U.S. counterpart.
In Korea, the Cruze was launched in July of 2008, while the U.S. version didn’t appear until some two years later. While it likely makes sense for GM to build a unified version of the Cruze wordwide, changing the style of a car still relatively new to the market doesn’t always make financial sense, either.
In other words, what you’re seeing in the video above may indeed be the new Cruze, but it may not be the new Cruze that we’ll get in the United States. If we do get it, there’s no telling when or what other changes lie beneath the sheet metal.