Opel/Vauxhall has responded to speculation surrounding its future prospects for the GM division in Europe, issuing a robust statement today (11 November).
The GM division’s head, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, was quoted this week as saying new vehicle demand in Europe would weaken significantly next year with some “painful cooling,” while the American manufacturer’s CFO Dan Amman was also cited as adding nothing was “off the table,” in terms of restructuring European operations.
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Reaction to the comments has been mixed, but the European automaker has responded by emphasising its range of new models and product initiatives.
“Opel/Vauxhall restructuring is essentially complete,” said a spokesman for the automaker in a statement emailed to just-auto. “Of course, we are working on continuous improvements to further decrease our structural costs and increase efficiency.
“Thus we will further drop the profit threshold – accounting for the international debt crisis and and a resulting weakness in the European automotive market. At the same time, the company is following a strategy to further increase its income. This includes the improvement of retail and fleet business margins, increase in market share and volume and entering new markets and segments.”
The spokesman highlighted the Ampera – currently in Germany and, from early spring, in right-hand drive form in the UK – as well as its EUR11bn (US$15.1bn) initiative comprising six new products in 2012.
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