“Opel is vital to GM”, Barra said.
The new Astra will also feature modern infotainment options, benefitting from the company’s IntelliLink system that’s available with 7.0- and 8.0-inch touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration software.
At an worldwide media conference and dinner the evening before the big Frankfurt Motor Show opened its doors, Australian journalists regularly asked questions about the future of their beloved Holden brand, which is scheduled to halt assembly in 2017.
The new Astra is based on the D2XX platform from the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, is up to 200 kg lighter than the outgoing model (depending on the variant). Opel now has GM’s OnStar remote roadside assistance service, which enables drivers to speak to a help center by pushing a button.
“Our new Astra Sports tourer and our new Astra hatchback-they are two sides of the same coin”, said Opel Group ceo Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.
The hatch is scheduled to go on sale in its home Germany on October 10, with the wagon due for release some time next year.
With that in mind, Opel plans to become the second largest auto maker on the European market by 2022, after securing third place on the European Union passenger vehicle market past year .
The Astra isn’t coming to the United States but its architecture could eventually be used on other GM vehicles.
Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director Tim Tozer said: “The all-new Brit-built Astra raises the bar in terms of quality, design and connectivity”. Volkswagen’s luxury brand Bentley has the Bentayga, an SUV with a massive 12-cylinder engine and a top speed of 187 miles per hour (301 kph). Holden is promising to deliver 24 new models over the next five years.
Ferrari unveiled a convertible version of its twin turbo 488 GTB launched in Geneva.
Germany’s historic Borgward brand, which went bust in 1961, was revived earlier this year, with the Frankfurt seeing the re-born company’s first vehicle – the BX7. Holden has said its engineers have been involved in ride and handling development of the vehicle .
“There are talks where we can intensfy the cooperation with Toyota”, Eichener said.