Buick already sells a car called the Buick Excelle in China, but up until now it has been a Korean-built car based on the Suzuki Forenza/Chevrolet Lacetti siblings. However, General Motors has been testing a Chevy Cruze-derived Excelle for about a year now.

Over the weekend, our shooters caught some photos of a image almost completely undisguised. Built on GM's Delta II platform, this new small Buick looks to be in development primarily for the Chinese market — just like the first Excelle.

The question remains as to whether it has a chance to make it to the U.S. market. The pending arrival of the Opel Insignia-based Buick Regal, with only four-cylinder engines and an available manual transmission, could conceivably pave the way for an even less traditional Cruze-based model. But is that a trip too far downmarket for a Buick model in the U.S?

There's another photo after the jump.

2009 LA Auto Show: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze