General Motors German subsidiary Opel will launch in Australia in the second half of next year with three models – Corsa, Astra and Insignia.
Astra – sold in Australia by Holden from 1996 to 2008 - returns with an all-new range and variants included in its five-door hatchback and sports tourer lineup, powered by turbocharged 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. The sporty Opel Astra GTC coupe which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show is not yet confirmed for Australia, but is under consideration.
Opel’s compact Corsa range will debut three and five-door models, initially powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.4-litre engine.
And Opel’s award-winning Insignia will arrive in both sedan and sports tourer versions powered by turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines.
Models from Opel Performance Centre (Opel’s version of Holden Special Vehicles) are on the wish list and could come here.
“We’re able to draw from our European portfolio and offer the right mix of models that will appeal to Australian customers and hit the sweet spot for these segments,” explained Opel Australia Managing Director, Bill Mott. “Australia is one of the most competitive automotive markets in the world with a real appetite for European, and particularly, German brands. These brands have enjoyed strong growth which is significantly higher than the market average. Bringing Opel to Australia gives GM an opportunity to compete in this really important area of the market. Australians will quickly discover that Opel delivers on the promise of German engineering, but not in a conservative way.”
