Head of Opel, Hans Demant, has said that he wants to expand the Opel brand so that it is represented in all vehicle segments including the entry-level and premium segments. He said to expect a new small low-cost Opel made from motorcycle components.
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According to Automobilwoche, Demand said “Opel is the brand in the GM portfolio that will be represented in the most European vehicle segments.” He said the most important model ranges would continue to be Corsa, Astra and Insignia (Vectra successor). A new Astra is due at the end of 2009, and this will be followed by a new crossover model in the third quarter of 2010. Beyond this Demant said a small low-cost Opel could appear.
Jonathan Browning, GM’s vice president for sales and marketing, sees particular growth opportunities in the entry-level and premium segments. “These two segments will account for at least 45% of the European car market by 2010,” he said.
To achieve these goals, Demant said there would be further platform consolidation in the premium segment. “By 2009 the number of vehicle architectures will have been reduced from three to just one, to support seven model ranges in the future.” The GM Epsilon architecture will support the Insignia and the next generation Saab 9-3 and 9-5, as well as the next generation Chevrolet Epica, and future Buick models for the Chinese market. This should also help lower unit production costs.
GM Europe has been realising higher average sales prices in recent years. In 2002 its cars averaged US$16,400 in price, but this had risen to US$18,400 by 2007.
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