VALENCIA / WELLINGBOROUGH, 6th February 2009 -

The Chevrolet WTCC team will conclude today in Valencia, Spain the intensive winter tests program that the new Cruze WTCC has undergone ahead of its race debut in Curitiba on 6-8 March. 

The Race of Brazil will mark the kick-off of the 2009 World Touring Car Championship and of Chevrolet\'s fifth season in the pinnacle series of touring car racing.

Emotions are running high as the debut date approaches.  Once today\'s session is completed,

the cars will return to the RML factory in the UK for final preparation before taking the sea to Brazil. 

The race debut of the Cruze WTCC runs in parallel with the introduction in global markets of the road version of the Cruze, a new compact sedan

, which strikes for its "four-door coupe" styling, its dynamic qualities,

its upscale interior and its excellent value. 

The new model has already reached record sales figures in the first month it has been on sale in Korea.

This week\'s sessions in Valencia complete a cycle of tests that has seen the Cruze in action also in the UK and the Portuguese circuits of Portimao and Estoril since the start of 2009.

  Despite the changing weather conditions in Southern Europe this winter,
 the three-day test in Valencia was less influenced by rain and wind, allowing the team to perform the planned development work. 

This was mainly aimed at validating new aerodynamic solutions and optimizing set-ups and reliability in view of the first race.

This time, Alain Menu and Nicola Larini were at the wheel of the Cruze, which sported for the first time the definitive new racing livery,

characterized by the energizing asymmetrical blue and white design that encapsulates the out of the box spirit of Chevrolet.