Opel to Launch 7 New Models

Opel will launch its biggest product offensive to date with seven new models, including a successor to its Meriva minivan called Crossland X.

“In terms of product launches, 2017 will be the most active year in the history of our company,” Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann told reporters at a preview event in Ruesselsheim, Germany, for the models, according to Auto News Europe on November 6.

The seven models, which will all go on sale next year, are:

• The Crossland X small crossover. Opel will build its Crossland X and PSA’s versions in Zaragoza, Spain.

• A compact crossover that will be sold alongside the Zafira minivan. It is a sister model to the Peugeot 3008 and will be built by PSA in its Sochaux, France.

• Three variants of the Insignia midsize car. The Grand Sport and Sports Tourer will debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March and the Country Tourer will arrive in the second half of the year.

• The Ampera-e battery-powered car, which will arrive in European dealerships in May/June. The Ampera-e is expected to cost more than €35,000, partly because it has a large 60 kWh lithium ion battery pack that gives it a range of more than 500 km.

A new van is also expected to enter the European market to replace the aging Movano model.

Opel’s European vehicle sales rose by 5.2% to 895,000 in the first nine months, however the company had a $142 million third-quarter loss in Europe on October 25.

It is not known whether Opel intends to bring the new models to the Iranian market, but a 2016 Opel Moka retails for 1.6 billion rials ($45,000) which is priced at 100% above its European price.