China Car Forums banner
21 - 40 of 45 Posts
Discussion starter · #28 ·
October 23, 2008 - German automaker Opel introduced its SUV model Antara to the Chinese market today, reported Beijing News. This Opel Antara SUV is the 2.4L AMT compact model, priced at 325,000 yuan ($47,600) and now is available in 35 Opel dealerships across China.

The model is a four-wheel drive SUV built on the same platform with Chervolet Captiva, and powered by a 2.4L Ecotec engine with a maximum output of 140 horsepower or a 3.2L V6 engine with the maximum output of 227 horsepower. The Opel Antara is expected to compete with Mitubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Chervolet Captiva and Honda CRV now sold in China.

With its intelligent traction Itcc, this Opel SUV features an electronically controlled electro-hydraulic differential which ensures optimal torque distribution between the front and rear axles in all situations. The car is 4,57 meters long, that is more or less the same measure of a mid-size sedan.

But at the same time the five-door Opel SUV is quite like a Chevrolet Captiva. As Chervolet's best selling compact SUV, Captiva arrived in China last year, and the imported U.S.-made SUV is priced between 240,000 yuan and 280,000 yuan in the Chinese market, according to industry sources.

The Opel Antara SUV is produced in South Korea by GM Daewoo, but sold under the Opel brand. In the UK, the car is sold as the Vauxhall Antara. In Australia and New Zealand the car is known as the Holden Captiva MaXX, and in North America as the Saturn Vue. In the Middle East, the vehicle is sold as the GMC Terrain.


Gasgoo.com
 
SAIC GM testing Opel Corsa in China

General Motors is loosing market share in China, this is bad news considering that China is the General's only hope for some good news. GM needs those sales up and tries another Opel.



The Corsa will problably use the Buick name, just as the rebadged Opel Insignia/Buick Regal. GM can surely use an entry model for the Buick brand, today's entry is a rebadged Daewoo called Excelle which loses against the cheap local Chinese brands. GM used to sell the Corsa in China before as the Buick Sail, that was not very succesfull, especially the estate-variant sold practically zero. The Sail was cancelled quietly two years ago.



But the Insignia/Regal seems to start very well so GM wants more and might try it again with the Corsa. Might, because this car still has Opel badges which problably means it is imported from Germany for testing in China, this to check how much the car needs to be adjusted for Chinese road conditions.

GM might consider to sell the Corsa as an import Opel, just as they do now with the Astra. I don't think they will. The imported Astra is far too expensive and even though I have seen a few they don't fly off the shelf. So how long will it take GM to adjust the Corsa, rebadge it and build a line? At least 9 months, GM might be dead by that time, but a newly independend Opel might pick up the Chinese Opel pieces, after re-rebadging off course, that is.



That piece of paper behind the Corsa's window is a so called test card, allowing a manufacturer to drive around with a car for testing purposes.
 
Opel Antara sells better then any other model ever.
The Opel Antara is sold out 99% of the time since the chinese customers realized that the lower versions of the Chevrolet Captiva on the market can not keep up with the flagship model of Opel for the chinese market.
Local Dealer are extremly frustrated of getting no support from the ( still ) american mother company GM.
Models like the Opel Astra & Opel Astra Twintop slowly starting to sell better in China.
The basic Opel Astra has the major problem in China of having only 2 instead of four doors like the chinese expect from a hatchback.
Customers have to wait for an Opel Antara up to 6 month and they are willing to do so instead of buying the cheaper and quality 1 level down Chevrolet Captiva.
But the Chevrolet Captiva is still very popular. The chinese just love all kinds of SUV's.
LOGAN
 
I hope so too but
still gonna depend on the deal that GM is trying to fix these days - even i do hope that BAIC gets a chance and grows together with Opel - it seems right now the other bidders are one step ahead
And GM seems to be a lil bit scared of Opel entering the chinese market big time because also the chinese customers would realize soon that the rebadged Buicks and Chevrolets dont stand a chance against the original higher quality Opel products.
 
21 - 40 of 45 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top