Vauxhall arms up for 4×4 battle with launch of premium SUV

VAUXHALL is preparing to lock-horns in the lucrative premium SUV sector much loved by many UK business car user-choosers.

Along with its sporty drop-top Cascada, the General Motors (GM) owned brand is clearly making moves on the premium end of the market with the launch of its first large SUV since the Monterey was axed from its range 15 years ago.

The range-topping Vauxhall SUV will be built at GM’s Rüsselsheim plant in Germany before 2020.

The Vauxhall SUV announcement was made by Mary Barra,  GM CEO, and follows plans unveiled in March to invest €245M (£195M) at Opel’s traditional headquarters.

The new Vauxhall SUV will be marketed under both the Vauxhall brand in the UK and the Opel brand in Europe,

“This SUV will be the second flagship alongside the Insignia,” Barra said. Barra also promised additional investments of more than €0.5Bn in the engine and transmission plants in Rüsselsheim, Kaiserslautern and Tychy (Poland), hoped to boost Opel/Vauxhall’s drive toward more fuel efficient engines and transmissions.

Barra said:

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“Opel/Vauxhall is of high strategic importance for GM. The product offensive with 27 new models and 17 new engines has enjoyed a very successful start. These additional investments will help the brands shine again and further strengthen our position in Europe. They are a clear sign of GM’s commitment to Opel/Vauxhall, to Germany and to Europe.”

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Opel Group CEO Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann was delighted by GM’s vote of confidence, saying:

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“General Motors and Opel/Vauxhall are closer than ever before. Opel/Vauxhall has General Motors’ full support, the additional investments are further proof of the excellent cooperation.”

Both Barra and Neumann pointed out that all necessary decisions were taken after a constructive dialog with employee representatives. They recognised the cooperation with the European employee representatives and Opel/Vauxhall’s general works council.

Neumann also announced that a third shift will be established at the plant in Eisenach as of mid-2015. “This is good news for Eisenach as we are enjoying strong demand for the ADAM and the new Corsa.”

Barra said that 45,000 orders for the Corsa before its official market launch show that the fifth generation of the small car is well on its way to becoming a bestseller.

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