OFFICIAL: Opel Karl revealed

Re: Opel Karl revealed?

Doesn't look horrible, but there's certainly some mashing up of styling elements here.

This vehicle was already on the drawing board when GM made the decision to pull the plug on Chevrolet in Europe. It makes me wonder if this is actually what the next Aveo/Spark will look like and they just grafted an Opel/Vauxhall front end on the final product? Logistically that would make a lot of sense, especially since there would be virtually no overlap between the brands in world markets (with the exception of Eastern Europe/Russia).

Ambalanche said:

OK please, Nobody say they need to bring this over as a Buick!

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No. There would be no need. This is supposed to be the first in a raft of "cheap" Opel/Vauxhall products that will fill the bottom of their lineup now that Chevrolet has been killed off in Europe. Once Chevrolet was euthanized, GM Europe (now rechristened as the Opel Group) made the decision to green light such products in order to (re)capture any lost volume. The hope was to set the lower end of the new Opel/Vauxhall range to take on Dacia-esque products (which was Chevrolet's original mission in Europe).

In any event, the Karl/Viva doesn't need to come to the US (or China) as a Buick since Chevrolet already exists in both markets and has this particular consumer-segment covered.

If an eventual B-segment Opel product comes to the US market as a Buick, it's likely to be the more-upscale and competent Opel Corsa (and probably the next generation, rather than the current one).

On another note: I don't know how selling cheap cars under the same umbrella will ultimately affect Opel/Vauxhall's brand-awareness, or if it will dilute their now-improving image, but the decision was made. Personally, I still think that Chevrolet should have been allowed to continue in the market, and just reposition it as a true-alternative to Dacia, Kia, Hyundai, Perodua, etc (rather than permit the price-creep/feature-creep that ultimately made Chevy cars nearly as expensive as their Opel/Vauxhall corporate cousins).

Failing that, I still wonder if they shouldn't have just sold their cheaper cars as Vauxhalls in all European markets. This would have meant reintroducing the Opel brand in the UK, but it would have insulated the Opel brand's improving image and allowed an "adjustment period" for consumers to get used to the rebranded "Opel by Vauxhall" cars to catch on in the UK market.

At the very least it would finally end the Opel/Vauxhall branding schism and brought some rationality to the Group. But that's just my opinion.

Re: Opel Karl revealed?

paul8488 said:

So where is the Opel Lenny?

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I see what you did there.