DETROIT -- Chevrolet plans a hatchback version of the next-generation Cruze compact sedan for the U.S., targeting a niche segment that could be ripe for growth.

Chevy executives showed a hatchback Cruze to dealers last week at a national meeting in Las Vegas, according to three people who attended. The car was billed as a 2016 model, although its launch date is unclear.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is scheduled to unveil the redesigned 2016 Cruze sedan at a media event here this week. A five-door model likely would arrive sometime after the first-quarter rollout of the sedan.