The Australian arm of General Motors, Holden, announced at the Melbourne International Motor Show on February 27, 2009 that sales of the South Korean-produced Cruze would begin under the Holden brand.
Replacing the Holden Viva, the Cruze reached dealerships on June 1, 2009. The Cruze also became the replacement for the Holden Astra, dropped from the Holden lineup the following August.