!NEW! Germany’s Best: Opel Meriva MPV Wins TÜV Gold Certificate

• TÜV general inspections prove: No other passenger car has fewer defects
• Good results: Opel Astra, Agila and Insignia also convince TÜV inspectors

Opel Meriva MPV

This Opel means a lot of space and very few defects. When Meriva drivers take their Opel to a TÜV (German Technical Inspection Agency) general inspection, then they can count on their car. No doubt about it. Because the Meriva will pass the inspection with flying colors. This is confirmed in the new TÜV Report 2014, which also announces that its experts have named the Opel Meriva MPV the car with the lowest defect rate (‘defects dwarf’) and awarded it the TÜV Gold Certificate.

Opel Meriva MPV - FlexDoors

With publication of the TÜV Report in tomorrow’s Auto Bild, the trade magazine applauds, “Opel is back. And how ! The Hessians have a real winner with the Meriva MPV.”

With a mini defect rate of 4.2 percent, the compact van is winner in the two to three-year-old cars category, beating strong rivals from Mazda (4.6 percent), Toyota (4.8), Porsche (5.2) and BMW (5.5) tied with Audi (places two to five). This excellent result is not achieved by any other vehicle in the entire TÜV Report and gives the Meriva the overall victory among all inspected passenger cars in Germany.

“The Meriva is a typical Opel. With its extremely flexible and ergonomically perfectly designed interior, it is a real winner. This year it already won in its class in the J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey, and now it adds the TÜV Gold Certificate to its accolades. Our well-known slogan ‘Opel the Reliable’ is once again right on the mark here,” says Thomas Simon, Vice President Quality at Opel, adding, “In January our new Meriva will be available with the economical whisper diesel engine, modern infotainment and lots of chic chrome. Our small van is going to make sure we have many happy and satisfied customers.”

In addition to the Meriva, three more Opel models were named “defects dwarf” and made it into the top 50 of the two and three-year-old cars category: Astra, Agila and Insignia all landed in the top sector of the TÜV evaluation.

Opel Astra five-door hatchback

Ranked 16, the Opel Astra even came in seven places ahead of its arch-rival, the VW Golf (23).

TÜV inspected a total of nearly eight million vehicles within one year.

!NEW! GM Strengthens its European Brand Strategy

• Opel / Vauxhall to compete as GM’s mainstream brands across Europe
• Chevrolet to focus on iconic products in Europe
• Cadillac to expand in Europe

General Motors (GM) today announced plans to accelerate its progress in Europe by bolstering its brands in the mainstream and premium segments.

Beginning in 2016, GM will compete in Europe’s volume markets under its respected Opel and Vauxhall brands. The company’s Chevrolet brand will no longer have a mainstream presence in Western and Eastern Europe, largely due to a challenging business model and the difficult economic situation in Europe. 

Chevrolet, the fourth-largest global automotive brand, will instead tailor its presence to offering select iconic vehicles – such as the Corvette – in Western and Eastern Europe, and will continue to have a broad presence in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. 

This will improve the Opel and Vauxhall brands and reduce the market complexity associated with having Opel and Chevrolet in Western and Eastern Europe. In Russia and the CIS, the brands are clearly defined and distinguished and, as a result, are more competitive within their respective segments.

Cadillac, which is finalizing plans for expanding in the European market, will enhance and expand its distribution network over the next three years as it prepares for numerous product introductions.

“Europe is a key region for GM that will benefit from a stronger Opel and Vauxhall and further emphasis on Cadillac,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “For Chevrolet, it will allow us to focus our investments where the opportunity for growth is greatest.”

“This is a win for all four brands. It’s especially positive for car buyers throughout Europe, who will be able to purchase vehicles from well-defined, vibrant GM brands,” Akerson said.

Chevrolet will work closely with its dealer network in Western and Eastern Europe to define future steps while ensuring it can honor obligations to existing customers in the coming years.

“Our customers can rest assured that we will continue to provide warranty, parts and services for their Chevrolet vehicles, and for vehicles purchased between now and the end of 2015,” said Thomas Sedran, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe. “We want to thank our customers and dealers for their loyalty to the Chevrolet brand here in Europe.”

The majority of the Chevrolet portfolio sold in Western and Eastern Europe is produced in South Korea. As a result, GM will increase its focus on driving profitability, managing costs and maximizing sales opportunities in its Korean operations as the company looks for new ways to improve business results in the fast-changing and highly competitive global business environment.

“We will continue to become more competitive in Korea,” said GM Korea President and CEO Sergio Rocha. “In doing so, we will position ourselves for long-term competitiveness and sustainability in the best interests of our employees, customers and stakeholders, while remaining a significant contributor to GM’s global business.”

With the decision that Chevrolet will no longer have a mainstream presence in Western and Eastern Europe, GM expects to record net special charges of $700 million to $1 billion primarily in the fourth quarter of 2013 and continuing through the first half of 2014. The special charges include asset impairments, dealer restructuring, sales incentives and severance-related costs, and will pave the way for continued improvement in GM’s European operations through the further strengthening of the Opel and Vauxhall brands. Approximately $300 million of the net special charges will be non-cash expenses. In addition, GM expects to incur restructuring costs related to these actions that will not be treated as special charges, but will impact GM International Operations earnings in 2014.

!NEW! TV Star: Opel ADAM also at 2014 Germany’s next Topmodel

• Opel is the third time an official partner of the ProSieben-Model-Castingshow
• Stylish city car Opel ADAM brings color to television
• Current GNTM winner Lovelyn is now driving their own Opel ADAM

Beauty contest: Germany's next Topmodel 2013 Lovelyn has just found at the Motor Show in Essen their own Opel ADAM in reception.

Also in 2014 the Opel ADAM rolled back via the TV catwalk. While the candidates are spotted for the ninth season of Germany's Next Topmodel by Heidi Klum, a star is already certain: ADAM - the recently again been praised by the motoring magazine Auto Zeitung with the Auto Trophy stylish city car of Opel.

For the third time Opel is a cooperation partner of the popular talent show of the party. The unconventional ADAM brings as individualization champion and bestvernetzter subcompact automobile glamor in the ProSieben show and their environment. To start broadcasting in February 2014 therefore not only promise the young MODELS stunning looks, and the Opel ADAM shines in every respect with unique styling. However, in contrast to the supermodel hopefuls he does not have to make the judgment of the prominent jury of Heidi Klum, Wolfgang Joop and art director Thomas Hayo.

" The Opel ADAM and Germany's Next Top Model fit together perfectly. Young, modern, individual and distinctive style in our trendy Little precisely reflects the atmosphere of the consignment resist, "says Opel's marketing director Tina Müller the interaction of ADAM and ProSieben.

Brand Ambassador: The winner of the final season of Germany's Next Topmodel, Lovelyn, is also the heroine in a commercial with the stylish  Opel ADAM.

Germany's next Topmodel 2013 Lovelyn has just found at the Motor Show in Essen their own Opel ADAM in reception. As of now, the 17 -year-old - certainly almost as often seen so behind the wheel like on the catwalk - in the company. Abundant ADAM experience has been: This shows among other things the " ADAM & Siri " TV spot, which was broadcast station across in recent months.

State of the art of individualization Champion: Opel ADAM Black and White Link

Since its launch earlier this year of chic Opel ADAM attracts everyone's attention. For his unconventional, colorful appearance, makes together with his almost unlimited personalization options. They make virtually any ADAM unique. Moreover, in the lifestyle racer put a lot of innovations that were previously known best from the higher classes. These include the fully automated parking assistant, the heated steering wheel, the blind-spot warning system and the integrated rear bicycle carrier FlexFix. The latest proof of the attractiveness of Adam: In the Auto Zeitung readers' poll he won for the second time in a row the Auto Trophy in the category " City Cars "- by a wide margin to the competitors.

His role as an innovative individualization champion of the Opel ADAM with new colors as well as Opel ADAM Black Link and ADAM White Link once again done justice. The special models same noble smartphones on wheels. Opel offers  ADAM Black Link and ADAM White Link not only fitted as standard with an excellent, clever IntelliLink infotainment system and the Siri Eyes Free- language support, but also in a very special black-and-white smartphone design with aluminum accents. So this very special ADAM editions are the perfect combination of cutting-edge infotainment and networking technology as well as clear, technically a seemingly Design .