General Motors hosted the World Premiere of the Chevrolet Cruze, the all-new compact sedan with four-door coupe styling at an evening event at Le Pavillon Dauphine in Paris.

The Cruze was joined by the Chevrolet Orlando concept, also making a world debut, and the European debuts of the production versions of the Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Volt.

The Cruze is an important car for Chevrolet as it’s intended to be sold worldwide. The sharp-looking compact 4-door sedan was designed and developed by a world team and goes on sale in March 2009 in Europe. Plans for U.S. sales have yet to be officially announced, but Ed Welburn, vice president of Global Design, General Motors told MSN Autos that it will be sold stateside.

Welburn described the Cruze as a vehicle that embodies the attributes of what buyers can expect from Chevrolet going forward: value, quality, fuel-efficiency and great design.

Its design is characterized by an arching roof-line that creates a coupe-like silhouette in a body that is both wider and longer than many of its competitors and the bold front styling incorporates the now established Chevrolet two-tier grille, large headlights that sweep up into the fenders. Inside, the Cruze utilizes high-quality materials, grain details and soft touch surfaces further reinforcing the message of great design and value.

For the European debut, the Cruze will be offered with three different engines; 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter gasoline engines and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel. Powertrains for other markets will be announced at a later date.

Chevrolet Volt, Orlando and Camaro

The production–ready version of the Chevrolet Volt E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle), a 4-seat car that is powered at all times by an electric motor, made its European debut in Paris. Equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack provides a driving range of up to 40 miles when fully charged, the Volt also has an ethanol-compatible gasoline engine that acts as a range extender by generating electricity to power the electric motor. The aerodynamic design of the production-ready Volt also helps to improve fuel economy and driving performance.

The Chevrolet Orlando concept vehicle indicates Chevrolet’s vision for a new entry in the 7-seat compact multi-purpose vehicle segment, combining the best attributes of an SUV, a minivan and wagon into a single vehicle.

Powered by the same 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine as the Cruze, the Orlando is designed to deliver excellent fuel-efficiency and theater-style seating in three rows cargo capacity aim to compete with the best compact vans now available.

Chevrolet’s iconic Camaro debuted in production form for the European market in Paris. With modern styling that is true to the original design from the 1960s, the new Camaro is powered by a 400-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine with modern Active Fuel Management to deliver the muscle expected to remain true to its heritage.