Opel has begun production of the Holden Insignia VXR at its plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany, following the decision announced last year.
The first Holden that rolled off the production line in Rüsselsheim is a Silver Lake colored Insignia VXR with 325PS (321hp), destined for export to Australia and New Zealand. The production of Holden vehicles plays an important part in Opel’s strategy to intensify the cooperation with the other GM brands in the years to come.
“We will work closely with our Australian partner whenever it makes sense in the coming years. It is not only further proof for the development expertise of our engineers and the attractiveness of our products, it also increases the capacity utilization of our plants,” said Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.
The Insignia VXR is the first of four new Holden-badged models that Opel will build in Europe, with the Astra VXR, Astra GTC and Cascada convertible also to be shipped to Australia and New Zealand starting this year.
As Holden recently announced, roughly one third of its future product lineup will be sourced from Opel. “Astra, Cascada and Insignia are renowned in Europe for their performance credentials and premium execution, making them the perfect addition to Holden’s range as we continue to offer more choice for our customers,” said Bill Mott, Holden Executive Director of Marketing.
Besides the Holden deal, Opel will also build vehicles for the Buick brand, with the first one being the Cascada convertible. A new Buick model for the US market will be built in Rüsselsheim later this decade.
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