Opel Continues Export Offensive with Return to Japan

• Comeback in Japan next year
• Start with three models: Opel Corsa, Combo Life and Grandland X
• Electrified variants from day one
• Further models to follow
• Growth through new export markets is at the core of the PACE! plan

All-New Opel Corsa

Opel will continue its ongoing export offensive by returning to the important Japanese market. Starting next year, the brand with the Blitz logo will launch three models in a first step: the bestselling Corsa [1], which may be named differently in Japan, the multifunctional Combo Life and  Grandland X compact SUV. Further models will follow.

“The Japanese car market is one of the largest in the world. Opel enjoys an excellent reputation there as a German brand. Therefore, our return to Japan is a very important step to significantly increase our profitable exports – as we promised in the PACE! plan. Opel goes global – our comeback in Japan is further proof of this," said Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller.

In Japan Opel will be part of the National Sales Organization of Groupe PSA and will be able to leverage the on-site infrastructure and expertise of the group. This greatly facilitates the return to this market.

So far, the Groupe PSA is represented in Japan with the Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles brands and sold more than 15,600 vehicles in 2019. Launch of the Opel brand will help Groupe PSA expand its offering in Japan and attract new customers. All the more so as Japanese customers will also benefit from Opel’s electrification offensive: They will have the choice between combustion engines and an electrified drive, because the Opel Corsa will also come in a purely electric version, while the Grandland X will also be available as a plug-in hybrid.

In the coming months, the brand will build a dealer network in the major cities of the country, which will be expanded steadily. By 2023, the Opel network will be represented in over 80 percent of the import market area. Opel wants to grow step by step. As elsewhere, the focus in Japan will be on profitable growth and satisfied customers.

A comprehensive export offensive is one pillar of the Opel / Vauxhall strategic plan PACE! By the mid-2020s, markets outside Europe will be responsible for more than ten percent of Opel's sales volume. To achieve this, the brand is strengthening its presence in export markets in Asia, Africa and South America, where it already has a presence, and will enter more than 20 new export markets by 2022. Recent examples include the comeback in Russia or the market entry in Colombia and Ecuador.

[1] Opel Corsa may be marketed under a different nameplate in Japan.