2016 got off to a good start for Opel. On January 14 the brand published the first photos of the Opel GT Concept. The Opel community celebrated the sports car of the future even before the world premiere. That took place at the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of March and brought the beautiful two-seater the “Car of the Show” title. Also in Geneva, the new Opel Astra was elected European “Car of the Year 2016”. By this time the new Astra was already on the way to becoming a bestseller – to date more than 300,000 units of the compact hatchback and station wagon have been ordered. Opel Mokka X was the second newcomer at the Palexpo in Geneva.
In April, the Opel commercial vehicle crew celebrated production of the 750,000th Vivaro. It rolled off the line in Luton, England. The new Opel Zafira then put in stellar display with its Wi-Fi hotspot, lounge comfort for up to seven passengers and fresh design.
The Opel locations Kaiserslautern and Dudenhofen also had a lot to shout about. They opened the gates to the public on their 50th birthdays. The new OPEL ARENA in Mainz officially opened in August with the match between Mainz 05 and Liverpool, with Opel brand ambassador and Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, sitting on the bench. With this stadium-sponsorship Opel continues its commitment to professional and grassroots football.
In September, lightning struck again: the Opel Ampera-e grabbed the limelight at the Paris Motor Show. The star of the show offers an electric range of more than 500 kilometers (based on the New European Driving Cycle in km: >500; provisional value), at least 100 km more range than the best competitor in the segment.
2016 was also sporty: Marijan Griebel took the European Junior Rally title with the Opel ADAM R2
He is therefore the first European rally champion from Germany for 15 years. Another little Opel also made a big splash: the KARL ROCKS urban warrior went on sale looking like a cheeky off-roader.
In November, Opel then made its strategy for the next year public. “7 in 17” is the name of the model offensive with seven premieres in 2017. Opel CEO, Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann: “Seven new models in one single year – Opel’s never had a year like this before! 2017 will be a great year for our brand. Not only because there are so many new cars, but also because they are stunning, each one a star in its segment.”
First out of the blocks is the brand’s new flagship: the Insignia. Completely newly designed and weighing in at up to 175 kilograms less than its predecessor, it will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The biggest Opel passenger car is offered as a five-door sedan named Grand Sport and again as the Sports Tourer station wagon. In addition, there is the Country Tourer adventure version. In the spring, the Ampera-e will start its electrifying European career. The new crossover model in the B-segment, the Crossland X, will follow. Then the versatile travelling companion Opel Vivaro and the compact class raider CUV Grandland X will come.
Summing up, Opel CEO, Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann says: “We announced the biggest model offensive in the company’s history and we keep our promises: 29 new models from 2016 until 2020. I would like to thank our customers, our internet community and everyone interested in the Opel brand, and wish happy holidays and a fantastic 2017.”
