A plan for the European Volt was first hatched back in September of 2007, when GM previewed the Opel Flextreme, a plug-in concept sharing the Volt's E-Flex architecture. While the recently leaked photos of the production Volt clearly depict a U.S.-favored sedan, the European version caters to the Old World's love affair with hatchbacks. Flextreme's success even produced a naturally aspirated spin-off --- the UK-bound Opel Meriva Cocnept.

According to Edmunds Green Car Advisor, GM will "launch both Chevrolet and Opel versions of the Volt plug-in hybrid for the European market around the middle of 2011." The American Volt will be released sooner, by the end of 2010 - a rare occasion given the company's history of favoritism toward the European market.

Americans preferring the hatchback version to the sedan are likely to get what they want as well. In light of the recent Opel-Saturn model integration we could soon see a Saturn Flextreme identical to the Opel variant. The car may even make it to Australia as a Holden.