!NEW! Opel engine plant in Szentgotthárd to be expanded

• Additional 130 million euro investment in modern engine plant in Hungary
• Annual production to increase by 100,000 engines
• Series production of new-generation Opel engines already started

Plans to expand the newly built, flexible Opel engine plant in Hungary were announced today by Opel Vice President Government Relations Joachim Koschnicke (left) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (right).

Plans to expand the newly built, flexible Opel engine plant in Hungary were announced by Opel Vice President Government Relations Joachim Koschnicke and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Opel will invest an additional 130 million euros in its new facility, where series production of the new generation 1.6 liter, four cylinder, SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) ECOTEC Turbo engines started last week.

New Opel 1.6 SIDI ECOTEC Turbo petrol engine

“Opel is in the midst of a product offensive: 23 new models and 13 new engines will be launched by 2016 and many of these engines will be built in Hungary.” said Joachim Koschnicke.

With this additional investment, the plant will be enlarged by 1,600 square meters, over 80 new machines will be installed and the new facility’s annual production will be increased by 100,000 engines. Including this expansion, total Opel investment in Hungary will be approximately 1.4 billion euros and the new engine plant’s annual production capacity will increase to 600,000 engines.

Koschnicke said: “Opel continues to be a strategic player in the Hungarian economy. We were the first automotive company to invest in this country back in 1991 and our latest investments underline our partnership and commitments here. We are proud of our history and of our success: Opel is the number one brand on the Hungarian car market and the strength of the brand is also supported by our strong manufacturing presence.”

New Opel 1.6 CDTI ECOTEC Turbo Diesel Euro 6 engine

The manufacturing portfolio in the new Opel engine plant will consist of a family of small gasoline engines, a family of medium-sized gasoline engines and a family of medium sized diesel engines. The new engine families will meet future Euro 6 emission standards, add direct injection to gasoline powertrains, secure a low power/weight ratio, provide smooth running and substantially reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Series production of the 1.6 liter gasoline engines has already started, and the new 1.6 liter diesel units which already meet future Euro 6 emission standards will follow by the end of this month.

New Opel Engine plant inaugurated in Szentgotthárd, Hungary

• Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán joins Opel Deputy Chairman Sedran open € 500 million world class flex plant
• Production of new generation engines starts before year end
• Half-a-million engines will be produced annually at full capacity   

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (right) has today joined Opel Management Board Deputy Chairman, Thomas Sedran, for the inauguration of Opel’s new engine plant in Szentgotthárd, Hungary.

The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has today joined Opel Management Board Deputy Chairman, Thomas Sedran, for the inauguration of Opel’s new engine plant in Szentgotthárd, Hungary, exactly two years after the project was announced. 

Thomas Sedran and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with new Opel 1.6 Turbo SIDI EcoTec engine

Orbán acknowledged the importance of the new facility for the Hungarian economy, while Sedran emphasized that the investment is an important part of Opel’s product offensive.

“We are investing billions of euro in 23 new models and 13 new engines by 2016,” said Sedran. “Many of these engines will be built right here in Szentgotthárd.”

The € 500 million flex-plant features world-class flexibility and efficiency. It will produce highly fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines. It will have the ability to swiftly adapt production in response to changing market demand. The plant will have more than 800 employees and manufacture half-a-million engines per year at full capacity. 

New 1.6 Turbo SIDI EcoTec EURO 6 petrol engine

The first 1.6 liter mid-size gasoline engines that roll off the line will power the new Opel Astra range with its new four door sedan. It had its world premiere last month at the Moscow International Motor Show. The engines provide extraordinarily high maximum torque along with significantly reduced fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. All of the new generation Opel engines built in Szentgotthárd will meet the strict future EURO 6 emissions standard.

As one of the most sophisticated engine plants in the world, the Szentgotthárd facility will play a key role within the European Opel manufacturing network. It will also deepen Opel’s business relationship with Hungarian suppliers and enhance the role of Opel in the local economy and job market.

History, tradition and the Opel brand in Hungary

The new investment in Szentgotthárd has almost doubled the amount that Opel invested over the past two decades in Hungary.  In the early 1990s, Opel became the first international automotive company to invest there and the first automaker to build passenger cars in the country. The start of engine production at the new facility in Szentgotthárd coincides with the 20^th anniversary of the production of the first Opel Astra in Hungary.

Opel Hungary plant Szentgotthárd

Over the past 20 years, more than 7 million engines and 5.5 million cylinder heads have been produced in Szentgotthárd. Opel’s footprint in Hungary is the key to a multitude of business opportunities for Hungarian companies. In 2011, the Hungarian suppliers of Opel/Vauxhall operations in Europe had a turnover of around € 400 million.

Supported by its strong industrial background, Opel has been among the top three brands in terms of new car registrations in Hungary over the past 20 years. Opel continues to be the number one passenger car brand in the country, with nearly 11 percent market share.