Opel/Vauxhall News: What's In Store for Opel After PSA Group Sale

[William Maley]

One of the big questions facing the sale of Opel to PSA Group is what will happen in the future. Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann spilled some of the beans in an interview with German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

Neumann will remain the CEO of Opel, but tells the magazine that he will work closely with PSA's CEO Carlos Tavares.

"It is important for me to stand before employees and show leadership. I have done this in the past and will continue to do so," said Neumann.

"I think we have great respect for each other. That is why I see a good foundation for continued cooperation," the magazine quoted Neumann as saying.

Opel will also have its own leadership, and the ability to design and develop its own cars. The only difference is that it will be using platforms from PSA. Neumann says it will take several years for the brand to transition from GM to PSA platforms.

The main priority is to get Opel profitable once again. This will be accomplished by deepening cooperation with PSA and lowering development costs. Opel is also planning their largest product offensive with 7 new models being launched in the near future. They include a new SUV that will serve as the second flagship model alongside the new Insignia and new electric models. Neumann declined to comment on a report he was planning to make Opel an electric-vehicle only brand.

Interestingly, Neumann revealed that he was very skeptical about introducing Opel into the Chinese marketplace.

"This is a complete misunderstanding of the situation. PSA has long since ceased to be sick, but has recovered very strongly and just presented a super result for 2016. And we are clearly on the road to recovery. From a strong and a well-being, two might now become strong."

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

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[G. David Felt]

Word Games as they focus on seeing where to cut fat and how to focus the products to not step on each other.

Expect closure and layoffs.

[Drew Dowdell]

I still don't see the benefit to PSA. They now have 3 mainstream brands. No economy brands. No Luxury brands. No presence in the US. Miniscule presence in Asia. Opel's presence was through Buick and Holden which are both now cut off.  Without GM behind them, I don't see the point of Opel in the global marketplace as part of PSA.

[G. David Felt]

^^^ +1 I totally agree

[regfootball]

I don't see how opel can hold market share or make more profits. 

Psa has good design chops but Drew more or less summed up theIr irrelevance in the global auto arms race. 

But this really underscores gm's inability to obtain a global force in Europe, despite decades