The Vauxhall ADAM, making its show debut in Paris today (27 September), is a car “to turn heads and put a smile on people’s faces” Vauxhall managing director Duncan Aldred said.
The ADAM and the Mokka “are transformational products” that will make people re-appraise the brand. There is an “emotional connection” with the cars that has been missing from previous Vauxhalls, he said.
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Aldred predicted sales of 10-15,000 a year for the ADAM and around 30,000 for the Mokka [aka Buick Encore] which will make the compact crossover Vauxhall’s third best-seller.
It is also a car that he expects to appeal to private buyers. “It’s priced very well against the Golf and Focus,” he said.
Appealing to more retail buyers is a key element of Aldred’s strategy as he wants Vauxhall to be less reliant on fleet. Sales to fleet have been reduced to 55% of total sales while Vauxhall now accounts for one-in-ten retail sales in the UK’s close to 2m a year market.
“We’ve closed the gap on [top seller] Ford and are ahead of VW,” he said. ‘We’re having a good year in a gloomy Europe.”
