Opel SUV

Opel and Vauxhall currently lack an SUV above the Mokka, which is why their utmost priority is to launch a model in this highly profitable mid-size SUV segment.

GM CEO Mary Barra announced late last year that Opel will build a flagship SUV at its core plant in Rüsselsheim by the end of the decade and it’s believed that the model will take styling cues from the Monza concept, unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Photoshop manipulator Remco Meulendijk has already made this exercise and the final result looks quite impressive, from both angles. His SUV renderings feature somewhat similar headlights to the study and a muscular appearance typical to crossovers.

It’s not yet known when exactly the Opel/Vauxhall SUV will arrive, nor whether it will be called Monza. What’s certain though is it will be a global model which will also be adopted by Buick. What do you think?

Renderings courtesy of RM Design

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Insignia VXR SuperSport

Vauxhall's version is named the Insignia VXR SuperSport and it replaces the current Insignia VXR. Just the like Opel model, the VXR SuperSport does away with the speed limiter allowing the car to hit 170mph (274km/h), or 15mph (24km/h) more than its predecessor. Acceleration from 0-60mph (96km/h) remains the same at 5.6 seconds.

Perhaps more meaningfully, Vauxhall has slashed the price by £3,760 over the outgoing car to £29,995.

As you probably have already figured out, there are no other changes under the bonnet where you will find a 2.8-liter single twin-scroll turbocharged V6 producing 320hp (325HP) and 295 lb-ft (400Nm) of torque channeled to all four wheels.

The only visual identifiers on the SuperSport are blue ‘Brembo’ lettering on its front brake callipers and additional increments on its speedometer.

The other vehicles seen in the photo gallery released by Vauxhall are the Lotus Carlton, which was the fastest production saloon in 1989 with a top speed of 176mph (283km/h), the VXR Maloo, the UK’s fastest light commercial vehicle with a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155mph (250km/h), and the UK’s first 100mph (160km/h) production car, the 30-98.

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Opel / Vauxhall Cascada

With the Cascada, Opel and Vauxhall are moving away from the compact segment and entering the mid-size sector. At 4,697mm long and 1,840mm wide, the Cascada is not only significantly bigger than the Astra Twin Top, but it's actually 71mm longer than the Audi A5 Cabrio and 85mm longer than the BMW 3-Series Convertible.

The car uses a platform derived from Astra and Insignia underpinnings sporting a 71mm longer wheelbase and front and rear tracks that are 56mm and 70mm wider respectively than the Astra Twin Top.

The company says that despite being significantly larger, the Cascada’s body is 43 per cent stiffer torsionally and 10 per cent more resistant to bending forces than its last open-topped car.

The Cascada adopts the HiPerStrut front suspension used on the 325PS Insignia VXR, while at the back, there's a crank beam axle design. All models can be equipped with the company's FlexRide fully adaptive chassis control system, while wheel options range from 18- to 20-inch in diameters.

While the Astra Twin Top utilized a more sophisticated but costlier and more space intensive metal hardtop, the Cascada gets a traditional soft-top with a triple layer construction for better acoustic and thermal insulation.

The electrically operated hood can be opened in 17 seconds at speeds up to 30mph (48 km/h) by an interior switch, or via a button on the key fob. With the roof down, the Cascada's boot capacity falls from 350 liters to 280 liters. The top will be available in three colors that can be coordinated with ten different body shades.

“Most convertibles look good with the top down, but many seem clumsy with their roof up. Thanks to its high-quality, aerodynamically clean soft top with a perfect, seamless profile, the Opel Cascada also cuts a fine figure when closed,” said Malcolm Ward, Opel Director of Exterior Design.

In this application, the four-cylinder unit produces a maximum output of 168Hp (170PS) from 1650-3200rpm and 280Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque. Initially, it will be offered only with an automatic six-speed gearbox.

Other powertrain options for the Cascada include an entry level, 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivering 138hp (140PS) and 220Nm (162 lb-ft), and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel rater for 163Hp (165PS) and 380Nm (280 lb-ft), available with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.

Opel and Vauxhall said that more powerful versions of both petrol and diesel engines will be launched "in due course".

The interior and exterior styling of the Cascada borrow elements from both the latest iterations of the Astra and Insignia, with the automaker providing several luxury amenities and tech goodies on the standard and optional equipment lists.

Vauxhall said that pricing for the Cascada will start in the UK from around £25,000 (equal to €30,800 or $40,500 at the current exchange rates), or about the same as the entry level BMW 118i Convertible.

"The midsize cabriolet segment is only occupied by very high-priced cars from premium manufacturers," commented Thomas Sedran, Deputy Chairman of Opel. "With the Cascada, Opel offers all the typical features and premium qualities of a midsize convertible, but at an affordable price."

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World Premieres of New Opel Astra Sedan and Facelift Astra Range at Moscow Show

For the first time ever, Opel will celebrate an automotive world premiere at the Moscow International Auto Salon that runs from August 29 to September 9.

To be more precise, GM's European division will host three world debuts including the brand new Astra four-door sedan and the facelifted Astra five-door hatchback and the Astra Sports Tourer (station wagon).

Opel says that more than a million visitors are expected at the Auto Salon where it will also host the Russian premieres of the sporty Astra OPC with its 276hp (280PS) turbocharged four and the Mokka small crossover

The automaker noted that after Germany, Russia is its second biggest automotive market in Europe selling around 70,000 cars last year, while for 2012, from January to July, Opel has recorded an increase of 29 percent in sales.

"According to predictions Russia is expected to become Europe´s main market with up to 3.4 million total vehicle sales in 2014," said Opel in a statement.

"Its high growth potential is down to the low average of vehicles per capita. For example, Russia has half as many vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants as Germany. More than half of all cars on Russian roads are more than ten years old," the company added.

Opel considers the new Astra sedan a key component of its growth strategy in the country. The saloon model is a sibling to the North American Buick Verano.

It measures 4,658mm long, 1,814mm wide and 1,476 mm tall offering a trunk volume of 460 liters, 90 liters more than the five-door hatch, which can be increased to 1,010 liters by folding the 60:40 split rear bench.

The Opel Astra sedan will be offered for sale in select Western European markets such as Germany and Spain (but not the UK), in Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey.

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Opel Adam Officially Unveiled

The German carmaker and its British counterpart say that the Adam will be the first model in the A-segment to have the option of LED daytime running lights.

Borrowing a page or two from the BMW Group's Mini and the Fiat 500 models, Opel will offer an array of customization options for both the exterior and interior of the car.

"No other car in this segment can be individualised as much as ADAM because we are offering virtually unlimited exterior/interior colour, fabric and kit combination choices. It’s very unlikely that you’ll find two identical ADAMs out there," says Mark Adams, Opel and Vauxhal Vice President of Design, who lead the team of European designers that penned the Adam.

Opel and Vauxhall are marketing the Adam as an upscale proposal in the mini car segment, something that becomes evident from the stylish interior that can seat four passengers.

Among other gizmos, the city car gets a top-of-the-range infotainment system with a seven-inch color screen designed to support new media sources, including Bluetooth, as well as connectivity for smartphones with Android or Apple iOS software.

Customers will also be able to opt for a heated steering wheel – another first in the class, as well as a LED-lit starlight roof trim.

Other tech goodies include the Advanced Park Assist II system, which searches for a parking space large enough to accommodate the car on the road and then at the touch of a button, steers the vehicle into the spot with the driver controlling the brake, clutch and gears.

The Adam will come equipped with standard front, side and head curtain airbags, as well as dual seat belt pre-tensioners for front occupants and two sets of ISOFIX points to attach child seats on the 50:50 split foldable rear bench.

The new mini is based on a shorter, re-engineered version of the Corsa's SCCS platform (Small Common Components and Systems), which itself was jointly developed by the Fiat Group and GM Europe. Among other cars, it also underpins the Fiat 500.

At 3,700mm (145.7 inches) long and 1,720mm (67.7 inches) wide with a wheelbase of 2,311mm (91 inches), the Adam is closer in size to the 3,723mn long Mini (wheelbase: 2,467mm) than the 3,546mm long Fiat 500 (wheelbase: 2,300mm).

Suspension-wise, there are MacPherson struts up front and a compound crank system at the rear, while Opel will also offer a lowered 'sports' chassis. A latest generation ESP system with a Hill Start Assist function will be standard on all models.

At launch, buyers will be able to choose from three ecoFLEX four-cylinder petrol engines including a 1.2-litre unit deliver 69hp (70PS), plus two 1.4-litre engines with either 86hp (87PS) or 99hp (100PS). All engines are coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox and will be optionally available with Start/Stop technology.

In terms of trim grades, the Adam will offer customers three options...colorfully named JAM ("fashionable/colourful"), GLAM ("elegant/sophisticated") and SLAM ("racy/sporty") (insert 'thank you mam' joke here).

Following its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September, the Adam will go on sale across Europe towards the end of the year or early 2013, depending on the market.

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