A hint of luxury is the last thing you expect from the stripped-out, “eco-friendly” cars that are presently fashionable. The cabins in VW’s BlueMotion and Skoda’s Greenline ranges, for example, normally resemble the Siberian Steppes because any superfluous fripperies have been deleted to save weight, and thus fuel.
Vauxhall’s Astra EcoFlex is a different matter entirely. [...]
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 [...]
Way back in 2004, GM’s European arm put a toe in the water of the rapidly expanding city-car market with its Opel Trixx concept. A few years later, GM’s Carl-Peter Forster indicated that the automaker would not be entering that microcar market after all. Fast forward another couple of years and (surprise!) it looks as [...]
Apparently, Fiat’s alliance with Chrysler is only the beginning. According to a variety of reports coming out of the UK and Germany, the Italian automaker’s expansion plans aren’t limited to its 20% stake in Chrysler - Fiat is also considering acquiring General Motors’ European operations, including Opel, Vauxhall and even Saab.
The result could be a [...]
Chevrolet Aveo, a.k.a Chevrolet Kalos/Daewoo Gentra/Holden Barina/Pontiac Wave - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Eyebrows raised at reports that General Motors could hold on to its British subsidiary Vauxhall even if - or, more likely, when - its German counterpart Opel would leave the family. With the model ranges of the two European [...]
As if Fiat doesn’t have enough on its plate while working on an alliance with Chrysler during its bankruptcy proceedings, the Italian automaker’s CEO has finally confirmed that it’s pursuing an alliance with General Motors’ German arm Opel.
In the Fiat-owned newspaper La Stampa, CEO Sergio Marchionne said, “Now we have to concentrate on Opel. They [...]
Filed under: GM, Opel, Vauxhall
Emerging reports concerning the future of General Motors’ European assets casts some new light on the role which the American automaker could take with Opel and Vauxhall. The ownership and investment in Adam Opel GmbH has been a topic of much discussion recently, with General Motors seeking local government support, considering letting Opel go independent, the involvement of outside investors, and possibly the sale of the entire operation to another automaker, with Fiat and contract manufacturer Magna International touted as possible buyers. The General’s new CEO, Fritz Henderson, has stated that while the company could sell Opel and divest from the company entirely, it’s also possible that, given Opel’s integration into GM’s global operations, Detroit could hold on to majority interest in the German subsidiary while taking on additional minority stockholders.
The future of Vauxhall is emerging, however, as another question entirely. Previous reports placed the British subsidiary - the bulk of whose line-up are produced by Opel - in the same package as its German counterpart. And while Vauxhall could go to the same buyer as Opel, GM could apparently keep the British label under its own wing, citing the UK as one of its largest markets in Europe.
[Sources: The Detroit News and Automotive News Europe - subs. req'd]
Part and Parcel: GM could sell all of Opel, keep Vauxhall? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Opel Insignia Sports Tourer landed at a dealer in the Czech Republic, and it is nothing but tasty: a six-speed diesel with seating for five that holds from 540 or 1,530 cubic liters with the seats down (from 19 to 54 cubic feet) and the handsome hauler gets and 50 mpg (US) from its [...]