Coming off Golf hatchback, I didn't find the space in the back big. Plus the back is really slanted, less boxy ... which takes some usable space away in my opinion.
You know why they put the imaginary 3rd seat to the second row? .... you can thank the government rebate BS rules .... 5 seaters are entitled to more money than 4 seaters, even though they really can sit only 4 adults and a cat or small dog. When you have a government formula to beat to maximize your rebate, who cares how many adults it can sit .... LOL
Right, the body shape of a Golf would provide a lot more cargo capacity.
But when comparing it to a sedan, I have no idea why people buy sedans, I think it's pretty decent. The slanty back does rob some cargo space which is a bit unfortunate, the Cruze hatch has a more practical shape.