Say hello to Vauxhall’s new small SUV called the Mokka. The vehicle is set to make its debut in Geneva, and enter the growing sub-compact B-segment end of the market towards the end of the year.

On call will be a choice of two petrol engines and a diesel, all with Start/Stop eco-tech, and the Mokka will be available in front or all-wheel drive, with six-speed manual or auto transmissions to pick from.

The petrol mills are a 115 PS 1.6 litre naturally-aspirated unit and a 140 PS 1.4 litre turbo, which has 200 Nm of torque. The diesel, meanwhile, is a 130 PS 1.7 CDTI turbo offering 300 Nm of torque. Both the 1.4 Turbo and the 1.7 CDTI can be combined either with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.

Design-wise, the Mokka – which will wear 18-inch alloy wheels as standard on most model variants – incorporates Vauxhall’s signature ‘blade’ on the body side, sweeping towards the rear, and looks to be a pretty beefy offering from the photos.

Inside, Vauxhall says there’s lots of versatility and user-friendly functionality on call, with up to 1,372 litres of load space and 19 storage locations to be had. In addition to the generous cargo volume, the SUV will also feature the fully integrated, latest generation Flex-Fix bicycle carrier exclusive to the brand – the carrier is fully integrated in the rear underbody, functioning like a drawer and accommodating up to three bicycles at a time.

Safety equipment includes ESC, traction control, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control, among others. Other kit includes an Advanced Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL+) bi-Xenon lighting system that includes High Beam Assist (HBA), as well as an optional front camera system which offers Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and second generation Traffic Sign Recognition functions as part of its inventory.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:13:20 +0000.

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1. Vauxhall Astra VXR – 280 horses 400Nm hot hatch!

GM’s European Vauxhall unit have revealed the first details on their new Vauxhall Astra VXR, a high performance version of their recently unveiled 3-door Astra GTC.

Under the hood you’ll find a powerful 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder direct injection engine producing 280 horsepower and 400Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels through a mechanical LSD differential. The car comes with a manual transmission, as you can see in the photo gallery below.

Vauxhall has also equipped the hot hatch with a customised version of the FlexRide system, which now features not only a Sport button, but a VXR button, offering drivers the choice of two, more focused stages of damper, throttle and steering control.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:13:20 +0000.

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1. Nissan Latio gets facelifted – range now down to two variants, a hatchback and a sedan; hatch goes 1.8L
2. Opel Astra GTC revealed ahead of Frankfurt premiere

Opel/Vauxhall has released details on the Astra GTC ahead of the model’s world debut at the Frankfurt show in September. The GTC is a three-door variant of the C-segment Astra, but isn’t the same car with two doors lopped off – the only bits carried over from the five-door hatch are the door handles, wing mirror housing and roof aerial. This approach is also used by VW for the Scirocco and the Renault for the Megane Coupe – cars the GTC will rival.

The Astra GTC started life as the GTC Paris Concept from Paris 2010, and retains much of the showcar’s looks. However, it must be said that the showcar appeared incredibly realistic from the start, and its production future was never in doubt.

Prominent design cues include the Opel signature blade (started with the Insignia) and another line that sprouts from the door handles. The front and rear lights have “wing shaped” elements. All of these were also on the Paris Concept.

Opel is keen to highlight the GTC’s front High Performance Strut (HiPerStrut) suspension, similar to than on the Insignia OPC. Compared to the standard Astra’s McPherson strut, HiPerStrut reduces kingpin inclination and offset and has a shorter spindle length. This improves grip and reduces torque steer, offering GTC drivers the “sporty, crisp feel they expect, with enhanced precision and feedback.” In addition, HiPerStut reduces tyre flops, which allows the car to accommodate bigger wheels.

The rear suspension combines a torsion beam with a Watt’s link, something unique to Opel. Compared to the five-door, ride height is lowered by 15 mm. The GTC also has wider tracks, +40 mm in front and +30 mm in the rear. Opel’s adaptive FlexRide chassis control system with Standard, Tour and Sport modes is also available.

At launch, the Poland built Astra GTC can be had with a choice of four powertrains – one diesel and three petrol. The upgraded 2.0 CDTI has 165 hp/380 Nm and does 0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds. Top speed is 210 km/h. Paired with a six-speed manual and start/stop, combined fuel consumption “does not exceed” 4.9 litres per 100 km.

Two of the petrols are 1.4 turbos with 120 hp and 140 hp. Both have 200 Nm of torque. There’s also a 180 hp 1.6 turbo that can reach 220 km/h. Not enough? There will be a high-performance OPC variant in 2012.

Gallery after the jump.

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Opel has released the first images of its Astra GTC, which is based on the GTC Paris Concept unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last October. The Astra GTC has been given the nod for series production, and the company is set to give the car its world debut in Frankfurt in September.

Full details of the production version will be announced in June, which will give European customers the chance to specify their ideal model and place an order early for the vehicle, which will appear in showrooms relatively soon after the Frankfurt debut.

Click to enlarge

The production Opel/Vauxhall Astra GTC will be a three-door body hatch with dramatic proportions, much like the rakish concept that previewed it. The Paris car wore a turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder mill offering an estimated 290 hp – we’ll have to wait and see what the final form wears.

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Opel will be premiering its Zafira Tourer Concept at the Geneva Motor Show, and the vehicle is expected to provide the basis for the production third-generation version of the compact MPV, which will arrive in Opel and Vauxhall forms sometime early next year.

The concept is powered by a new version of the downsized, fuel-efficient 1.4 Turbo pot featuring Start/Stop technology, while among the items found in the vehicle’s underpinnings is a FlexRide adaptive damping system.

Externally, things start with a colour scheme called Frost Liquid Metal, a special metallic silver-grey, and the Zafira Tourer Concept features, among other things, dark metallic grey 20-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels with 245/40 R20 tyres and wing-shaped LED daytime running lights, bi-xenon AFL and fog lamps – all contained behind a single Plexiglass cover – at the front.

Of course, it’s in the interior where all the action is – the concept features a cabin with generous space for rear-seat passengers and a light, airy outlook, provided by a panoramic windscreen that flows into a generous glass roof extending to the rear of the car.

A second pane of high-tech composite material is edge-lit by LEDs. Tiny metallic particles are embedded in the cabin’s upper sections to reflect the light and give off a warm glow that can be varied in different shades of yellow.

The seating configuration is versatile enough, so to speak. With two rows in place, providing five-seat capacity, the Zafira concept can be transformed at the push of a button into a four-seater with limousine levels of space. A folding mechanism allows the centre section of the second row to fold down, revealing two armrests for occupants in the outer seats. These seats can then slide back and towards each other.

The concept’s tiltable three-piece headrests are electrically powered, though the driver’s remains in a vertical position when the car is in motion. In the ‘lounge’ setting, each swivels 90 degrees to the horizontal position while the outer elements curve slightly forward.

Up front, a large touchscreen display dominates the centre console, above which a covered storage compartment can hold a tablet PC like an iPad. With pivot-mounted tablet PCs on the front seat backs, passengers in the second row can comfortably surf the internet or control multimedia apps.

The interior is finished in high-quality caramel leather for the seats, with colour-matched quilted seams and stitching contrasting with cocoa dark brown door trim, soft deep-pile carpet and a host of premium materials.

Gallery after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

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Opel has facelifted its Corsa supermini (Vauxhall Corsa in the UK), which first came on the scene in 2006. GM’s 2011 model year B-segment contender to the Polo, Clio and Fiesta gets a “sportier, expressive look” to cloak the internal updates for 2010 cars, which got new engines, upgraded suspension and retuned steering.

The facelift re-proportions the upper and lower grilles. The lower one is wider and taller to visually widen the car. In addition, a mesh grille design replaces the current horizontal bars while the chrome “wings” of the Opel logo is bigger. The German brand has also added “eagle eye” headlamps along with signature wing-shaped daylight lamps that made their debut in the Insignia. Six new alloy designs and a larger Opel Blitz logo at the rear are included as well.

There are also new fog lamp units with “integrated chrome blades” that really reminds me of the Mazda2; the green colour on the Corsa helps the visual link to its Japanese classmate too. What do you think? See the familiar smiley face?

All variants have been updated with new trim or fabrics. The new Touch & Connect navigation system has a five-inch touch screen that displays both 2D and 3D bird view maps from SD navigation cards. Features include an option to choose the most ecological route and the proposal of alternative routes when faced with traffic, even when navigation is not active. It’s Bluetooth, iPod and USB compatible, too.

Gallery after the jump.

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This is the Opel GTC Paris Concept that will be unwrapped at the Paris Motor Show next month. Much more than just a show car, it previews the three-door hatchback version and the VXR performance flagship of the current Opel/Vauxhall Astra, which made its debut last year as a five-door hatch. A wagon version called Sport Tourer surfaced in June.

This rakish three-door measures 4.46 metres long (slightly longer than the five-door) and the lines on its body is “similar to tendons in a sprinter”. We can see the “Opel signature blade”, a fine crease along the rocker panel, in the same direction as on the Insignia, where this cue first appeared. The five-door hatch and Sport Tourer have theirs in a different direction – back to front.

There’s also another prominent line that shoots from the door handles to the rear of the car; this gives the GTC broad shoulders and wider impression. Opel says that the brushed aluminium upper outline of the glasshouse guides eyes to the integrated spoiler. Of course they had to include LED running lights, and those on the GTC have “wing” motifs.

The concept is realistically powered by a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbo engine with direct injection. As with most new cars in Europe, there’s start/stop tech and a six-speed manual gearbox. Autocar UK says that the production car will debut late next year alongside a VXR range topper, which could have up to 300 bhp and an electronic limited-slip differential – the latter already on the GTC concept.

The GTC and the three-door Renault Megane are examples of carmakers putting in a lot of effort on differentiating their three-door “Sport” models from the regular five-door hatch, instead of just chopping off two doors. More pics after the jump.

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GM’s European unit have unveiled the interior for its new Vauxhall/Opel Meriva compact MPV! The Meriva is an MPV in the B-segment, built on GM’s Gamma/SCCS platform so I don’t think its a Zafira replacement, which is a C-segment vehicle.

A key feature of the Meriva being touted extensively in press releases (and probably soon ad campaigns) are the vehicle’s FlexDoors, which are basically rear-hinged suicide doors for the rear doors. GM says this provides easier access into the interior, and it’s probably one of the very few examples of suicide doors on a concept car making it to production. But since the B-pillar remains, I don’t see how it being rear-hinged changes anything.

The Meriva will also have a ‘FlexRail’ system which is basically a storage zone for random items like handbags, books, iPods, sunglasses, etc. FlexRail’s floor module comprises two cup holders, Aux-in/USB connections and a 12-volt socket.

Above this area, there are two polished aluminum rails, and on the top of the line SE model, there is a flip-top armrest module attached with a smaller cupholder tray below it. Both can be shifted into a variety of fixed positions along the rails, while rear seat passengers benefit from the option of a rear armrest module, which can be fitted to the centre seat back section when it’s folded down between them.

And finally the final ‘Flex’ feature is FlexSpace, which allows various cabin configs without having to remove any seats. Both outer rear seats can be moved fore and aft individually, and can also slide inwards o provide more shoulder width and leg room in a spacious four-seat layout. Additionally, rear seat backs can be fully lowered without having to remove their head restraints. The Meriva’s boot capacity grows from 400 litres up to 920 litres with the seatbacks folded. If you use all the space up to the roof, 1500 litres of capacity is available.

The Meriva strikes an uncanny resemblance to the Suzuki MPV concept shown in India this month but that could be due to the fact that GM used to have some kind of stake in Suzuki. But Suzuki is in bed with Volkswagen now.

Look after the jump for hi-res images of the new Meriva.

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These are leaked official images of the new Meriva MPV, badged here as a UK-spec Vauxhall (Opel in Europe). It appears to have survived the transition from concept to production pretty well, retaining much of the 2008 Geneva show’s Meriva Concept styling cues.

The design headline here is the suicide doors. Called FlexDoors, they can be opened to an angle of almost 90 degrees (only when the vehicle is stationary, of course!). The Meriva’s FlexSpace system has been updated to improve space usage. There is also an innovation called FlexRail – a rail above the centre console where storage bins can slide the length of the cabin.

As with the Astra and Insignia, a signature “blade” runs on the flanks of this MPV. The stepped windowline not only adds distinctiveness to the design, it gives the rear section more glass area for the kids to have a better view out. There’s also a full length panaromic roof. It’s more spacious than before too – wheelbase is longer and tracks are wider. A five-star EuroNCAP crash rating is almost a given.

The Meriva is set for its formal debut at this year’s Geneva show, and should hit the market by mid year. More pictures after the jump!

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Stressed at work? Here’s some news to cheer you up. According to GM’s UK outpost Vauxhall, Santa Claus has been in contact with them to request “swift and ultra-clean transport” for his annual blast around the world to deliver presents on December 24.

The jolly fat man said: “The ’08 Model Year reindeers have taken a rest this Christmas. In their old age they’re becoming more flatulent and their increasing methane emissions just can’t be good for the environment – never mind the fact I have to sit behind them.

“I’m as pleased as punch with my new slEigh-REV supplied to me by those kind people in Luton (Vauxhall’s HQ). They tell me it uses specially adapted E-REV (extended range electric vehicle) technology from their upcoming Ampera electric car, which means I won’t have to worry about re-charging as I do my chimney drops around the world on Christmas Eve.”

The slEigh-REV is propelled by an electric motor, and if juice is running low, Santa can count on a gasoline engine – just like the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera which goes on sale in early 2012. The Ampera is the European version of the Chevrolet Volt, which differs from hybrids by having electric to power its wheels at all times and all speeds – its 75 bhp 1.4-litre engine only works as a generator to supply the car electricity should the batteries go weak. The plug-in Volt’s battery-only EV range is 64 km and the total extended range is “over 480 km”.

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GM must have caught the flip flop disease from somewhere as it has at the last minute turned back on its decision to sell Opel to a Russian-backed group led by auto parts supplier Magna International, which took months and months of negotiation so far.

The deal was looking to be pretty much set in stone and Magna’s existing clientele had expressed unhappiness over a supplier suddenly becoming a competitor as well. Magna’s client list includes Volkswagen, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Daimler and BMW amongst others. Volkswagen had threatened to pull the plug on Magna’s VW group supply contracts if the Opel deal went through but it looks like now there would not be such a conflict.

Now because of “an improving business environment and the importance of its GM Europe divisions to its global strategy”, it has decided to turn back on its offer to sell. It would instead restructure its Opel division on its own, at a cost of 3 billion Euros. Where this money will come from is a big question now, as it most likely will not be able to rely on promises of financing that European governments had promised earlier.

European governments had granted financing from state banks in view that Opel would be in Magna’s ‘safer’ hands, and are now pretty pissed off that GM had pulled the old classic bait and switch tactic on them. Obviously the financing were granted assuming Opel would be in Magna’s hands soon. Germany’s government said it wanted GM to repay 1.5 billion Euro in bridge financing by the end of this month. Germany had offered a total of 4.5 billion euros in financial aid for the Magna deal. Opel workers are also pissed off as in their view now their jobs are less secure and held a protest, carrying black coffins with GM and Opel logos on them.

GM Europe president and ex-BMW man Carl-Peter Forster immediately left the company Friday last week after the announcement of the sale flip-flop. “A sudden shift like this is scarcely comprehensible. I do not find the process in any way okay. I would have wished for a completely different result,” said Forster. He clearly did not want to be any part of an Opel that remained under GM rule, and apparently he has already been offered a job with Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover.

Magna had nothing else to say but this – “We will continue to support Opel and GM in the challenges ahead and wish to thank everyone who supported the Opel restructuring process for their tireless efforts and dedication over the past several months.”

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Rumor has it that the topless version of the 2010 Vauxhall Astra will be released in 2011. According to Autoexpress, the five-door Astra will be launched in September this year at Frankfurt, then followed by the three-door as well as the Sport Tourer estate in 2010. The Roadster version should be unveiled after the introduction of the MPV version, known as the Zafira.

If the two-seater Astra goes topless, expect it to be a fast one. It should be offered with a number of engine options including a base 150HP 1.4 litre petrol, a 170HP 2.0-litre CDTI turbodiesel, as well as a range topping version that could produce up to 270HP.

The 2010 Vauxhall, or Opel Astra features General Motors’ Delta platform, the same one used for the Chevrolet Cruze and the Chevrolet Volt. After its launch in Frankfurt, the five-foor Astra will go on sale in Europe in the autumn of 2010.

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2010 Opel Astra: first details unveiled!

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German-based and General Motors-owned auto maker Opel, has released interior shots of its 2010 Astra, ahead of its official launch at this year’s auto show in Frankfurt. The sixth generation Opel Astra, which will also be sold under the Vauxhall brand name features a fresh interior that not only looks good, but one that is functional as well.

Design wise, the interior is treated to, among others, red ambient lighting (from above the centre console and within the door handle recesses), a four-gauge instrument panel with chrome outline on each gauge plus an LCD trip display and soft-touch surfaces. The auto maker assured that the interior offers a high-quality ‘feel’ with the materials used, as well as with tactility offered by the buttons and switches.

With the lack of storage areas in the previous model acknowledged as a problem, the new one comes with various storage solutions, including a sun glass case inserted above the door opening on the driver’s side, pen holders, a two-part glove box, under-seat drawer (for passenger seat), centre console with a 9-CD holding capacity and more.

Featuring a platform that is also used in the Chevrolet Cruze, the new Astra is expected to be offered with a number of engine options including a base 1.4 litre normally aspirated petrol, a 120HP – 140HP with 175Nm – 200Nm of torque 1.4 litre Turbo as well as a 180HP 1.6 litre Turbo that is carried over from the Insignia. There will also be a few turbo diesel engines including a 1.3 litre, a 1.7 litre as well as a 2.0 litre version. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

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The new Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer packs the practicality of a wagon with an electrical tailgate, the traction of all-wheel drive, the massive power of a turbocharged engine and the sweet sound of a V6 all in one vehicle.

The 2.8 litre turbocharged V6 from the top of the line Insignia originally producing 260 PS has been modified to make more power in the Insignia VXR. It now produces 325 PS, and this is put down to all wheels via an Adaptive 4X4 system and an eLSD (electronic limited slip differential). 0 to 100km/h takes 6 seconds.

Other changes with the VXR variant include a ride height that is 10mm lower, and a system called HiPerStrut, which is said to reduce torque steer and maintain negative camber during cornering, thereby improving wet and dry grip levels. The tourer rides on 19 inch alloys (20 inch forged at an option) which hide some nice Brembo stoppers behind their spokes. On the inside you have Recaro seats at the front and VXR specific steering, shifter and instrument panel graphics.

The Insignia VXR’s competitors are spelled clear. “The Insignia VXR Sports Tourer will be a compelling alternative for buyers in the premium sector who may currently be considering an Audi S4 Avant or BMW 335i M Sport Touring. We’ve already seen a swing to the Insignia from premium buyers who’d never before ticked the Vauxhall box on their wish list, and we expect to see the same buying pattern emerge with all versions of the Insignia VXR,” says Andy Gilson, Vauxhall’s Marketing Director.

Of course countries that get Opels instead of Vauxhalls will receive the Insignia OPC, which is the same animal with a different badge.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

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The new 5-door Opel Astra hatchback is built on the same new global Delta platform as the Chevrolet Cruze, and hopefully if this crucial model is as good as the Opel Insignia was, things will look pretty bright for GM Europe. As usual with Opels it will be sold in the UK as a Vauxhall.

As with most hatches sold in Europe there is a never-ending list of engine options available to suit the requirements of a wide scope of society. You have a 1.4 litre, a 1.4 litre turbo, a 1.6 litre turbo (180 horses in the Insignia), and a trio of turbodiesels with 1.3 litre, 1.7 litre and 2.0 litre capacities. The 1.4 turbo engine is new, and is said to eventually make its way into the American market. The higher powered versions of the Cruze will also eventually get this engine in certain markets.

Something different is the new “Opel Eye” system which is essentially a driver assistance camera mounted between the rear view mirror and the windshield that recognises raffic signs that indicate speed limits or overtaking bans and displays them in the instrument panel. It also provides a lane departure warning.

A public debut of the new Astra will be held at the 2009 Frankfurt Motorshow in September, and will hit the showrooms by end this year.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

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Well, the conditions for Fiat to take up a stake with the now bankrupt Chrysler has been fulfilled, and Fiat has been quick to look to something else in order to hasten the move towards consolidation of the auto companies during this recession.

Many have predicted that there will only be a few automakers left after this slump, with the rest either eliminated or merged. Datuk Syed Zainal’s suggestion for Proton to merge with Perodua a couple of weeks back would put Proton under the Toyota umbrella via Perodua’s Daihatsu shareholding, which is in turn owned by Toyota.

Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Vauxhall and Opel could share B and C platforms

Anyway back to Fiat and the New Chrysler – a third piece of the puzzle that Fiat is said to be interested in acquiring is GM Europe, which covers Opel, Vauxhall, and other GM European operations. The resulting company would be a giant with annual sales of 6 to 7 million cars, which is claimed to be similiar to how much the Volkswagen Group puts out. Saab is pretty much a separate thing, and at least 10 parties are interested in acquiring them at the moment, according to Saab spokersman Eric Geers.

The new company is temporarily given the codename Fiat/Opel and is described by Fiat head Sergio Marchionne to be a “marriage made in heaven” as Fiat and Opel could consolidate their B and C segment cars to use the same platforms, while Fiat continued with its small A-segment platform and Opel’s D-segment platform. Apparently Fiat offered 1 billion Euros for Opel, but GM considers the amount too small for the moment. No updates if any other follow-up offers were made.

Volkswagen’s platform-sharing success is an inspiration to all

But of course whenever there’s any news to do with GM you have to listen to what their unions have to say. Opel senior labor leader Klaus Franz says if the Fiat and GM Europe merger does happen, between 9k to 10k jobs may be lost via factory closures and other restructuring. He then accused Marchionne of trying to build a global carmaker financed with German and American taxpayer money.

Volkswagen’s CEO Martin Winterkorn also warned that achieving and maintaining real synergies between multiple brands while increasing volumes and lowering costs is a very difficult thing to do. He added that Volkswagen’s platform-sharing strategy started all the way back in 1992 and it was alot of hard work and planning for it to be the success that it is today.

And Fiat and GM have already been in some sort of alliance from the year 2000 to 2005, which ended in GM paying over US$2 billion to get out of the arrangement because it was not going very well. At that time Fiat was burning cash at a rate of nearly US$2 billion a year, accumulating $14 billion in net losses during the 5 year period. It was the time of the Fiat Stilo which went nowhere, and a Fiat Punto that shared components with an Opel Corsa.

Whatever happens, it’s really one thing to build a huge empire that could be the second largest carmaker in the world and perhaps the largest in the future, but another to structure and manage it properly once formed. Just look at GM and its mess of brands. You could end up flourishing like the Volkswagen Group or just another GM or DaimlerChrysler.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

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General Motors has revealed Vauxhall’s interpretation of the Chevy Volt which will be offered in a right hand drive form, and that potential buyers can expect a production version by 2012. Based on the Chevy Volt and the Opel Ampera, this almost similar looking Vauxhall Ampera also features the Voltec electric propulsion system, meaning for journeys of up to 60 kilometers, it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery pack and this is done by emitting zero emissions.

Once energy in the battery pack is depleted, electricity generated from an engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km. Recharging can be performed via a 230 volt house hold power outlet. GM also revealed that its Australian subsidiary Holden, will offer its own version of the Volt/Ampera for the Australian market. Personally, the Ampera looks a little better than the more down to earth Volt. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

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The new Vauxhall Insignia (UK name, also called the Opel Insignia in Europe and Buick Regal in China) has been voted as the 2009 Car of the Year (Europe)!

The Insignia won by the tiniest 1 point margin – 321 points, beating the first runner up, the Ford Fiesta to the pole. Trailing behind in third place is the new Volkswagen Golf Mark 6 with 223 points. The last time a car won by 1 point was in the 2001 awards where the Alfa 147 beat the Mondeo by one point.

Other finalists included the Alfa Romeo MiTo with 148 points, the Citroen C5 with 198 points, the Skoda Superb with 144 points, and the Renault Megane with 121 points. To quality for the awards, a car must be launched within the past 12 months and must be available in at least five European countries.

There has been much fuss about the new Insignia from the European motoring press and this news should be a slight bit of music to GM’s ears during the difficult times they’re facing now. There is speculation that the Insignia will bring back the Lotus Carlton in spirit form. The old Carlton was also a Vauxhall/Opel, and the top of the line Insignia’s 260 PS 2.8 litre turbocharged V6 would be quite tuner-friendly, making the job easier.

The COTY awards jury is made up of 50 senior motoring journos from 23 countries, and the UK jury includes Steve Cropley of Autocar, Andrew English of the Daily Telegraph, Ray Hutton of the Sunday Times, Paul Horrell of Top Gear UK, John Simister of The Indepedent and Phil McNamara of Car Magazine.

Look after the jump for more photos and a video of the Insignia

PHOTO GALLERY: Vauxhall Insignia
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

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VIDEO: Vauxhall Insignia Promotional TVC

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The new Opel Insignia (badged as a Vauxhall in the UK) is now in China, badged as a Buick. The Insignia is wearing the Buick Regal badge, the nameplate of a car that used to be a D-segment contender in China but has since been replaced by the Buick LaCrosse, which is also sold in China.

The last time there was a Regal in China was back in mid-2004 before it was replaced by the LaCrosse. The Buick LaCrosse is due for replacement soon though, with its lifecycle expected to end in 2009. GM is also planning a new LaCrosse based on the same Epsilon II platform that the Insignia/Regal uses, so does this mean China will have two Buicks of similiar size?

It will initially be offered with two inline-4 petrol engines. One is a 2.4 litre normally aspirated unit putting out 165 horsepower, probably the LE5 from the GM Family II engine range. The other would be the 2.0 all-aluminium direct injection turbo found in the European Insignia, putting out 220 PS and 350Nm of torque between 2,000 to 5,200rpm. It also features twin balancer shafts to smoothen out vibration.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the Buick Regal.

PHOTO GALLERY: Buick Regal
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

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© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:13:20 +0000.

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Vauxhall has updated its UK-market Vauxhall VXR8, a badge-engineered version of the Holden HSV Clubsport. The Chevrolet LS2 engine under the hood has been replaced by the latest LS3, which is larger in displacement at 6,162cc versus the LS2′s 5,967cc.

Other than just raw displacement, the LS3 also has other advantages over the LS2 such as high-flow cylinder heads, and an enhanced valvetrain design.

Despite quite a few modifications, power goes up only by 14 PS, with the V8 now rated at 431 PS at 6,000rpm. Thankfully emissions and fuel consumption are rated the same as the outgoing LS2. Translated to road times, the VXR8′s 0 to 100km/h sprint time drops by 0.1 seconds to 4.9 seconds.

Other changes include a standard gearbox oil cooler for models with an automatic gearbox, and a new colour called Heron White. View another photo after the jump.


Click to enlarge

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:13:20 +0000.

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