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6WHEELS October 10 2008 General Motors executives are calling their new four-door sedan, the Cruze, "the most important car in our history." The Chevrolet Cruze, is GMs new C- segment sedan. And while the car has nothing like the hi-tech content of the Volt, GM believes it's the car that can help steer the company through the credit crunch. The Cruze is the modern equivalent of the Chevrolet Caprice. While Cruze may be a lot smaller than the big old GM model so beloved of North American police forces and taxi drivers, it's worth remembering that the Caprice itself was originally conceived as a downsized American car during the 1970s oil crisis. It's big by today's standards, but in 1977, the Caprice looked a lot smaller than the highway leviathans that were built in the early 1970s. The four-door Cruze on show will be the main seller, not just in the US, but in Asia too, big markets such as China and Japan favour the sedan style, which is why it 's being launched before the Europe-oriented five-door hatchback and estate versions, which will break cover next year. The Cruze is the first car to be built on GM's new compact platform. It will also provide the base for the next-generation Astra, as well as the pro- duction version of GM's other Paris show car, the Chevrolet Orlando. Orlando is a seven-seat compact MPV, and the concept on display was fully engineered. So while the real thing will probably lose the funky neon-outlined door handles and mirrors, it will retain the American-style SUV looks. The Chevrolet Cruze will help owners downsize. GM banking heavily on Cruze