Holden’s Cruze hatch has been put through its paces across the Tasman as Holden engineers began local testing of the new hatchback.

Holden has released an exclusive image of early production models of the Cruze hatch that was being test driven in May in Victoria, Australia.

The new Cruze hatch was designed by Holden’s Port Melbourne design studio and will be sold as the Holden Cruze in New Zealand and as a Chevrolet Cruze around the world.

The new Cruze hatch will join the sedan, which is already one of the best-selling small cars in New Zealand, and arrives into Holden showrooms in the last quarter of 2011.