The Chevrolet Cruze may be delayed, but that doesn't mean that more variants of the Cobalt/Lacetti replacement aren't on the drawing board. In addition to the standard four-door model that Chevrolet debuted in Paris, a five-door hatch and a wagon will fill the rest of the range.

As General Motors burns through $1 billion in cash each month, the automaker's belt-tightening continues unabated, spanning the spectrum from lay-offs to shutting down the escalators at the RenCen. Naturally, its products aren't immune from the cash-strapped hatchet.

GM currently owns about 13% of the small car market. With demand for small vehicles increasing with the price of black gold, GM is out to increase that market share. Nevertheless, even if it doesn't increase its share, it plans to make more money off of each small car sold. How? By raising the price, naturally.

click above for high-res gallery of next-gen Chevy Cobalt spy shots

Chevrolet has big... well... smallish plans for Paris, where the automaker will unveil an "all-new" compact vehicle dubbed the Cruze. Born from Chevy's global design and engineering team, the Cruze will sport many of the exterior elements we've seen on recent concepts, so expect lots of angular lines, a high belt-line and a squat greenhouse. The Cruze will supposedly be able to handle a parcel of five passengers, along with whatever junk they can fit in the trunk, and will measure in at 4.6 meters (181 inches) -- think of it as the next Cobalt.

After its world premier in the City of Lights this October, the Cruze will go on sale across Europe in the spring of 2009, and, according to the press release below the fold, will be available in "other global regions" afterwards.