When first exposed, the upcoming 2011 Chevy Cruze immediately raised expectations for GM and its ability to turn out spirited compacts akin to Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. This idea lives on inside the vehicle, where a bold yet accommodating interior assures Cruze's success.

Chevy Cobalt -- the car that the Cruze was designed to replace -- was often criticized for stiff seating and a general lack of storage space. But with new bucket seats, a dash-mounted compartment, a seemingly large glove box, folding arm rest, and plenty of in-door storage, the Cruze effectively silences the naysayers. The center console, reminiscent of the forthcoming Ford Fiesta's, looks "like it could be foreign," says Autoblog. Same can be said of the instrument cluster -- by far the best GM designers have allotted the Chevy brand in quite some time.

Also look for the interior components borrowed from the much anticipated Chevy Volt. As you will see from the still scarce photos, both vehicles share a very ergonomic, Honda-like steering wheel.