After yesterday’s impromptu internet unveiling of the 2010 Opel Astra, General Motors has finally let the details out on its next-generation compact before its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.
The 2010 Astra’s design is inspired by the Opel Insignia, sporting all-new sheet metal that takes cues from its mid-size sibling and packages [...]
Opel’s Astra hasn’t exactly gone down a storm here in the U.S. while wearing a Saturn badge, but the four-cylinder econocar lineup is pivotal stuff in Europe, and the next-generation model could still find its way to America - even if it doesn’t wear a planetary badge.
Regardless of whether or not a stateside version is [...]
With the Frankfurt Auto Show looming on the horizon, German automakers in particular have been preparing their latest offerings for their debuts. And even with its future still hanging in the balance, General Motors’ Opel division has just released a series of teasers of its upcoming new Astra to be unveiled at the Frankfurt show [...]
Fiat’s bid for worldwide domination of the automotive industry has seen a bit of a snag in Germany, where government officials are said to be balking at the Italian automaker’s plan to take over GM’s struggling Opel brand. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne sounds confident that his plan is the best way forward for Opel, saying:
“I’m [...]
Further bolstering rumors that the Buick brand is set to receive rebranded products from GM’s European Opel division are reports from GM Inside News indicating that a small car based on the Astra platform - initially planned for the now-defunct Saturn brand - has been transferred to Buick’s entry-level luxury division.
Assuming these rumors are true, [...]
General Motors is looking for outside investment into German automaker Opel, and new reports coming out of Europe indicate that two main bidders have separated from the rest of the pack: Fiat, which we’ve already heard about, and Magna International. Oleg Deripaska, a familiar name to those who follow the auto industry closely, is said [...]
According to The Detroit News, Guenter Verheugen, the European Union’s Industry Commissioner, lashed out at Fiat on Friday in a radio interview, voicing concerns that the Italian automaker is acting irresponsibly to be considering new mergers and acquisitions when the company is already in debt. The public tongue-lashing from the EU official sent Fiat CEO [...]
Despite Fiat SpA chairman Luca de Montezemolo (above) denying that his company is interested in purchasing General Motors’ Opel brand, a new report by The Wall Street Journal indicates that many investors and analysts apparently find the alleged tie-up to be “far more compelling” than Fiat’s proposed alliance with Chrysler. If such a deal were [...]