!NEW! Opel Zafira Wins “autonis” Design Prize

• “Best design newcomer of 2016”: Opel Zafira triumphs in van category
• “Cost-effectiveness star”: Opel wins “Car Connectivity Award”
• Huge interest: 50,800 readers of auto motor und sport and CHIP have voted

New Opel Zafira received 36.3 percent of the votes and won its category comfortably

autonis – Best design newcomer of 2016: Karim Giordimaina (center), Director Interior Design, accepted the award for the new Opel Zafira from auto motor und sport editor-in-chief Jens Katemann (left) and his deputy Birgit Priemer

New Opel Zafira is already a star despite only having celebrated its start of regular production recently. Opel’s traveling lounge impressed the readers of magazine auto motor und sport and won the readers’ choice award “autonis – Best design newcomer of 2016”. 36.3 percent of the 18,300 auto motor und sport readers who participated in the online vote chose the Zafira, making it the most beautiful van in its class. Furthermore, Opel was the “Cost-effectiveness Star”, thus winning the “Car Connectivity Award” presented by auto motor und sport and computer magazine CHIP.

“Zafira’s success is further confirmation for our design philosophy ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’,” said Karim Giordimaina, Director Interior Design at the award ceremony in Stuttgart on Thursday evening. “I am especially happy that the completely redesigned instrument panel and simplified cockpit are so well received.” Elegant interior design of the brilliantly connected Opel traveling lounge allows the driver and passengers a perfect forward visibility. All important functions such as display and operating buttons can easily be reached by the driver.

Most important newcomers of the last twelve months are eligible in the autonis awards. In total, the readers can choose between 115 passenger car models in ten different categories. The rules are simple: Every participant has four votes – two for positive and two for negative scores. The results are made up of these scores. If, for example 20 percent vote for model A as the car with the best design and five percent decide that the same model is a complete flop it gets an overall score of 15. The Zafira achieved a positive score of 36.3 whereas its closest rival came in well adrift with a score of 17.4.

Popular: Opel offer high-tech at low prices

Elsewhere, auto motor und sport and CHIP asked their readers to cast their votes for the third time. 80 potential winners and many exciting products were divided into eleven categories. The initiators of the “Car Connectivity Awards” decided to create a new category for this year’s edition – the “Cost-effectiveness star”. Around 32,500 readers and users of online media came to the result that Opel leads the way in this category and offers innovative technology at a reasonable price.

Cost-effectiveness star: auto motor und sport editor Dirk Gulde (left) and CHIP Magazin editor-in-chief Josef Reitberger (right) present the “Car Connectivity Award” to Dr. Peter Heitkämper (center), Senior Manager Infotainment & Telematics at Opel.

“Large number of participants shows just how important connectivity has become for car owners,” said Dr. Peter Heitkämper, Senior Manager Infotainment & Telematics at Opel on the occasion of the award ceremony held in Stuttgart. “Award confirms our approach of offering state-of-the-art technologies such as IntelliLink infotainment systems and our personal connectivity and service assistant Opel OnStar at fair prices, thus making them available to a broad audience.”

Fully connected: Latest generation Radio R 4.0 IntelliLink is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and enables comprehensive access to numerous smartphone functions.

Latest generation Radio R 4.0 IntelliLink, which comes as standard as of the Edition trim level in the new Opel MOKKA X for example, is compatible with Apple CarPlay (Apple iOS 8 / iPhone 5 or higher) and Android Auto (as of Android 5.0 Lollipop) and enables comprehensive access to numerous smartphone functions. Furthermore, the optional personal connectivity and service assistant Opel OnStar is available. It turns Opel vehicles into entertainment hotspots.

!NEW! Connected Car Award for Opel’s new OnStar Connectivity

Award presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit

Stars in Detroit: Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann (left) receives the Connected Car Award from Tomas Hirschberger, deputy editor-in-chief of Auto Bild, in front of the new Buick Cascada.

For the second year running, Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann was able to accept a Connected Car Award for the digital connectivity of the company’s vehicles. Opel won the Pioneer Award for especially trendsetting innovations with OnStar, the comprehensive carefree package of connected safety, high-class mobility services and progressive information technology. Opel will initially introduce OnStar in selected European markets by the middle of the year. Each vehicle will be fitted with 4G LTE, the car becomes a powerful, mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, giving easier access to apps and services that require a high-speed cellular or data connection, for up to seven mobile devices. “Presently, internet is normally a premium topic but Opel have made an expensive technology mainstream,” explained magazines Auto Bild and Computer Bild in the reasoning for the award. Opel already won a Pioneer Award last year for the IntelliLink infotainment system in the Opel ADAM.

Opel ADAM: IntelliLink infotainment system

“OnStar and Opel will make driving in Europe safer and more relaxing,” said Karl-Thomas Neumann at the award presentation in Detroit. “With OnStar 4G/LTE, Opel drivers will enjoy high-speed mobile connectivity. With this, we take a major step towards realizing our vision of connectivity.”

Award presentation: Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann (left) receives the Connected Car Award for Opel OnStar from Tomas Hirschberger, deputy editor-in-chief of Auto Bild.

In addition, OnStar will offer automatic emergency services after an accident, it will allow for remote diagnostics in case of breakdown, can open accidentally locked doors via a mobile app and can locate a stolen vehicle. Drivers can also contact the call center at the touch of a button.

!NEW! ZKW Wins GM Awards

Lighting systems specialist from Wieselburg commended for top quality, deliverypunctuality and customer service

The flood of awards for ZKW is reaching its height: on 11 December ZKW CEO Mag. Hubert Schuhleitner received the GM SQ Excellence Award at the headquarters in Wieselburg. The award was presented by Zvonimir Facol, SQ Engineer Deployment at Opel AG. This medal is the reward for the particularly high quality of the supplier services. ZKW obtained 100 of 100 possible points in the assessment for the GM SQ Excellence Award, thus achieving the best possible quality performance. In addition, the lighting systems specialist received the GM Platinum Award for maximum delivery punctuality and optimum customer service. "The GM Awards and the numerous other commendations are the result of the special achievements of our employees. This is of enormous importance to us and reflects an extremely successful year," says Mag. Hubert Schuhleitner, CEO of the ZKW Group.

From left to right.: Karl Stöhr (Customer Director ZKW), Mag. Hubert Schuhleitner (CEO ZKW), Zvonimir Facol (SQ Engineer Deployment Opel AG)

Of the 8,300 European suppliers of General Motors, 191 were rewarded with the GM SQ Excellence Award in eight categories – including Electronics, Interiors, Exteriors and Body. ZKW was one of the few suppliers who were able to achieve two top rankings. The award winners were selected by the GM Top Management in Detroit. The assessment period was the last 12 months. One requirement for nomination is certification according to the international quality standards TS16949 and QSB.

Above all the plant in Wieselburg (Austria) was rewarded for delivery reliability and on-time shipping. ZKW has thus demonstrated highest quality along the entire supply chain. GM has been a customer of the Wieselburg lighting systems manufacturer since 1979. Currently ZKW produces a number of small lamps for the global automobile group. 

!NEW! Opel Corsa E Wins Prestigious AUTOBEST 2015 Award

• “Best Buy Car of Europe for 2015”: Opel’s new small car wins over expert jury
• First car in AUTOBEST history to win for consecutive generations

Unbeatable: The new Opel Corsa saw off stiff competition to win the AUTOBEST “Best Buy Car of Europe for 2015” award, becoming the first car in AUTOBEST history to win for consecutive generations.

The new Opel Corsa is a real winner. Just three months after its launch, Opel has already received over 55,000 orders for the fifth generation of the small car. And now the bestseller has already taken the spotlight on the European stage: the Opel Corsa has won the AUTOBEST 2015 award. At the large test finale in Belgrade, Serbia, the newcomer prevailed with a total of 994 points over the likewise brand-new competitors Hyundai i20 (906 points), Skoda Fabia (871 points) and Citroën C4 Cactus (830 points) making it the first ever car in AUTOBEST history to win the prestigious award for consecutive generations.

The AUTOBEST expert jury is made up of leading motoring journalists from 15 central and eastern European countries. Comprising around 300 million people, the award is extremely popular and highly respected in this market. Only cars with a compelling price-performance ratio can win this title, because next to classic vehicle characteristics, the jury also carefully considers maintenance costs, spare-parts distribution and dealers’ range of services. Ultimately the best deal for the normal, average customer is victorious – and the Opel Corsa proved to be unbeatable. Dan Vardie, chairman of the AUTOBEST jury, stated: “The new Corsa proved to be a great small car. All the jury members noticed the arguments that made the new Opel `The Best Buy Car of Europe in 2015`. The new generation is a meaningful evolution of the Opel model that won AUTOBEST award seven years ago”.

“Best Buy Car of Europe for 2015”: The AUTOBEST expert jury made up of leading motoring journalists from 15 central and eastern European countries gave the prestigious award to the new Opel Corsa.

“We are convinced that the Corsa is the best new small car, and now the AUTOBEST jury has confirmed this. We are very proud of this. The new Corsa generation stands for the art of German engineering, emotional design and excellent value for money. Safety and assistance systems as well as new, state-of-the-art engines and transmissions are real technological highlights,” says Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

The Corsa is one of Opel’s most important models and accounts for around one-fourth of the tradition-rich brand’s total sales. In the 32 years since the first Corsa generation was introduced to the market, over 12.4 million units of the small car have been sold. The fourth generation alone, the Corsa D, sold around three million units between 2006 and 2014 and won the AUTOBEST award in 2007. The new Corsa is also a cornerstone of Opel’s ongoing product offensive: to 2018, the brand will introduce 27 new cars and 17 new engines to the market.