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Opel’s big guns
Continued from previous page
The car is likely to be a spiritual
successor for the Opel GT, which debuted
in 1968 as a two-door sports coupe based
on the Opel Kadett small car.
The last Opel GT was the short-lived
2007 model based on the Saturn Sky and
built alongside it in the United States.
That car was killed off at the height of
the global fi nancial crisis, along with the
Saturn brand and the factory that made it.
The new vehicle will be a European
affair, perhaps with a spin-off for American
and Chinese customers as a Buick.
Mr Mott said his team was working on
a business plan for the Mokka compact
SUV which was unveiled at the Geneva
motor show in March and is just now
rolling into European showrooms.
“We would love to have it,” he said. “We
do not have it confi rmed, but obviously it
is a booming segment in Australia.
“We think it is an excellent-looking
product, an excellently designed
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Switching dealer systems
can seem scary at fi rst.
But the benefi ts are enjoyed long
after the fear is forgotten.
product, and we are working to secure
it, but we can’t confi rm it.”
Left-hand-drive Mokka test vehicles
have been seen at Holden’s Lang Lang
proving ground, possibly as part of
Holden Engineering’s role in calibrating
the chassis for the related Chevrolet/
Holden Trax or to tune the Opel
version’s suspension for Australian
conditions.
The Mokka – based on the same GM
Gamma II platform as the Barina and
Corsa – is being launched in Europe
with three four-cylinder engines – the
1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine that also
sits under the bonnet of the Holden
Cruze, a 1.6-litre normally aspirated
petrol, and a 1.7-litre turbo-diesel.
The vehicle is being produced in
South Korea and shipped around the
world, including North America where
it is to be known as the Buick Encore.
Mr Mott confi rmed that the Spanishbuilt
Meriva small MPV, with its rearhinged
back doors, was unlikely to
make the boat to Australia – much to
his regret.
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June 27, 2012 Page 2
Opel Mokka testing in Australia
“Frankly, we have looked it and at
present we don’t plan to bring it,” he said.
“That’s causing some personal anguish
because I think it is a great representation
of the things coming of Opel.”
However, the bigger Zafi ra is more
likely to make the cut and head Down
Under for another attempt at the
compact people-mover segment.
“Zafi ra, now in its third generation,
is an excellent product – better suited
to Australia (than Meriva) – and we are
looking at that closely,” he said.
Mr Mott said the jury was still out on
the forthcoming mini-car, called Adam,
for this market.
“We have not made a decision either
way,” he said.
“It would be diffi cult – it relies very
much on personalisation, and with the
transit time (from Europe) it is diffi cult to
make that equation work, so we will have
to have more discussion with our dealers
on that potential as we get closer.”
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