Last month, GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the Chevy Volt’s fire hazards after the electric vehicle suffered collision. As investigations continue, GM’s Opel react by announcing the delay of Ampera deliveries throughout Europe until a solution to the defect is found. An Opel spokesman explains that Opel is, “not currently delivering the cars...
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Amid news of an introduction for both the Cadillac ATS and Chevrolet Sonic RS at this year’s 2012 North American International Auto Show comes news of a third vehicle – a Buick crossover – that will also make its debut. The crossover will reportedly be based on a platform that underpins the Opel Meriva (above)...
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General Motor‘s European subsidiary, Opel has contributed greatly to GM’s engineering and technology development. Despite this, Opel has had difficulty making profit. GM Vice Chairman and Opel’s supervisory board chairman, Stephen Girsky explained to Financial Times Deutschland, “Unfortunately, our plan for making Opel profitable this year did not work.” Analysts suggest causes for Opel’s unprofitability include...
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Opel, General Motors’ German wing is boasting big changes to their Insignia sedan, including a new biturbo diesel.The engine makes 195 horsepower and about 295 foot-pounds of torque, but the real eye-catcher on the new engine is fuel consumption and emissions. The new Insignia is only supposed to emit 129g/km of CO2 and achieves 48...
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During a recent statement, Girsky said that “in order to fully leverage [Opel’s] potential we will continue to work on optimizing the cost structure, improve margins and make use of economies of scale within the group.”
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General Motors has announced its decision to delay the addition of a second shift for the Chevy Volt assembly plant. Intended to meet projections for the Volt to double its production by 2012, the second shift is no longer necessary as a plant overhaul conducted this summer plus a modest addition of 300 workers working...
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While General Motors seemed desperate to sell Opel back in 2009, GM CEO Dan Akerson now says that the terms of the sale were a “bad deal” and that Opel, along with GM’s other global divisions, are now profitable. Nick Reilly, GM’s European president, said that GM Europe will be profitable – albeit not by...
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It’s that time of the year again as Car of the Year begins the laborious task of whittling down new Car of the Year contenders for 2012. A total of 59 journalists, representing automotive authorities across 23 European countries, have been recruited for the task of choosing top car. The number of journalists to represent...
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For quite some time now, GM executives in North America have been contemplating distributing Opel’s Astra GTC as a Buick in America. Now there’s a chance that the three-door, sporty vehicle could even be produced in America. In order to satisfy the UAW, GM has plans to build an additional compact car at an unnamed...
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Opel is set to make an impression as this year’s Frankfurt Show which takes place on September 15th to the 25th. Their main focus will be the surprise debut of an experimental car which Opel claims will emphasize the passion for driver-focused vehicles. In addition, the booth will host the world debuts of the Astra...
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General Motors has announced a second quarter net income of $2.5 billion or $1.54 per fully diluted share. By comparison, GM’s Q2 2010 performance showed a net income of $1.3 billion or 85 cents per diluted share. Revenue has increased from $6.2 billion to 39.4 billion compared to the second quarter of 2010. Earnings before interest and...
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Well, this is awkward. Volkswagen said some while back that GM might be selling Opel, possibly to them. It was a statement made by a chief executive, then repeated by German media, then finally catching the attention of GM itself. And now GM is distancing itself from such rumors, calling the statement “regrettable.” “In Wednesday’s...
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The ghost of Saturn just can’t cut a break. GM is considering what to do with Opel, its German division that won’t be turning a profit anytime soon. GM last tried to sell Opel in 2009 before giving the ailing brand another chance. But despite increasing its lineup with new vehicles, and even increased sales,...
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Vauxhall’s Astra GTC is poised to take on the European market with its sleek, stylish design and compact body. More importantly, its price point will really give Volkswagen’s Scirocco and Renault’s Megane Coupe some serious competition. Vauxhall announced that their 2012 Astra GTC will be available with four different four-cylinder powerplants, one of them being...
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General Motors will be adding two shifts and 2,500 hourly and salaried jobs to the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to build the new Chevrolet Malibu and the next-generation Impala alongside the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera electric cars. Additional shifts and a $69 million investment in equipment have been made to support the next-generation Impala. In...
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A “leaked document” (read: dubious rumor) claims that a coupe variant of the Opel Insignia sedan, may wear the famed Calibra badge. The previous Calibra was known for its slippery styling and turbocharged engines, and the Insignia would make a worthy successor. Opel previewed an Insignia Coupe with their GTC Concept, which was powered by...
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GM’s European Opel brand recently unveiled the new Astra GTC hatchback and according to the most recent reports this car will be sold in America, but under the Buick badge. The Buick brand has already had considerable success rebadging the Opel Insignia as the Regal on this side of the Atlantic. This plan has been...
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Word was leaked yesterday about a Buick version of the Chevrolet Volt being developed by GM. The vehicle would be a more luxurious version of the already fairly upscale Volt, according to a report by Bloomberg. This would make a fourth nameplate to carry a very similar platform. Already in Germany, Opel is showing its...
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General Motors will look to expand its lineup of extended range electric cars to three models by the time the current Chevrolet Volt’s production cycle has run its course. At least that is GM’s plan for the European market under the Opel/Vauxhall brands where GM has just launched the sister car to the Volt, the...
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General Motors is harnessing the small car expertise of their Daewoo division to develop two new small cars, an upscale hatchback to be branded as a Vauxhall or Opel products, and a smaller, less expensive version likely to be sold as a Chevrolet. The new cars are expected to slot in below the diminutive Corsa,...
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Vauxhall has turned to Lotus for help with their chassis engineering on their upcoming Astra VXR hot hatch. The input from Lotus will supplement the work done by GM division Opel, which is testing the car on German roads. Lotus has a long tradition of helping third-party manufacturers with their handling and chassis development. Prototypes...
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Chevrolet‘s next Aveo will see more bodystyles beyond the traditional hatchback, with a crossover and a sedan among them. A sedan model will be essential for the U.S. market, where hatchbacks are slowly gaining acceptance, but have been a traditionally tough sell. The Aveo sedan will likely debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January,...
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Buick is looking for ways to change its brand image and has so far done a good job with new designs, as well as the launch of new products like the LaCrosse and Regal. It will push further down-market with the introduction of the Verano compact car. But could Buick get smaller still? The answer...
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The Vivaro e-Concept is a plug-in, extended range vehicle that uses technology similar to the Chevy Volt.
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