GM’s European arm, Opel, has been going through a rough patch, business-wise, caused mainly by the slumping continental sales and people’s increased propensity to buy even cheaper cars that are not made by traditional manufacturers. However, after talks of production cuts and general uncertainty, it seems company heads have reconsidered and are now aiming higher than ever.
Thus, Opel (with Vauxhall included) is now hoping to gain 8 percent of the entire continental market (including Russia and Turkey) for itself, by the year 2022; 10 percent is the goal for native Germany.
It plans to do this through the introduction of no fewer than 27 new models (among which we mention the new Corsa), which in turn will be powered by 17 new engines; all will be launched in or before 2018, so the new range will then have four more years to complete the set goals.
The information comes to us officially, directly from Opel, with a quote from its CEO, Karl-Thomas Neumann: “In the past months Opel’s management team has worked hard on advancing the DRIVE!2022 initiative. The catalogue of strategic targets presented here today is the result of our efforts. We have already made the preparations for implementing the plan step by step. We have the full backing of our parent company General Motors.”
Before all of that, though, the brand needs to become profitable again (they’re still posting losses). This is said to happen after 2015.
By Andrei Nedelea
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