GM CEO Barra underlines dedication to European model Opel, launches new model

The brand based in Ruesselsheim, Germany, has been struggling in recent years in a fiercely competitive market for mass-market vehicles in Europe, but is expected to return to profit by 2016.

Mrs Barra, attending the Frankfurt Motor Show to launch the new British-built Vauxhall Astra, firmly rebuffed the latest advances of Fiat Chrysler, saying that notwithstanding potential competition issues, her “compelling message” was that there was no deal.

It has lost 200 kilograms (440 pounds) compared with the previous version, which should improve handling.

The new Astra Sports Tourer is 200kg lighter than its predecessor and gets a more upmarket design, with splashes of chrome across the large front grille and sweptback headlights.

“Our new Astra Sports tourer and our new Astra hatchback-they are two sides of the same coin”, said Opel Group ceo Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

“Astra has made a giant leap forward with a new engine line-up, lightweight design and an advanced infotainment system complete with Apple vehicle Play and Android Auto compatibility”.

Alfa is aiming for sales of 400,000 a year by 2018, an ambitious goal after it sold under 68,000 cars last year.

Barra stressed GM’s commitment to Opel, which went through a rough patch after GM flirted with selling it following a bankruptcy restructuring in 2009.

Asked what would put Holden back on track, she said: “the right products, the right ownership experience and the right [approach] to market – all aspects of the business and that’s what the team there is working on”.

As GM looks to further expand its Buick portfolio in both the United States and China, there are rumors that the Astra could be a possible candidate for either export to America or production here.

The seventh generation Astra is equipped with OnStar, the first all-new Vauxhall to feature this technology, which includes high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery technology.

But General Motors President Dan Ammann said on Tuesday the launch of a new Opel Astra would help boost sales.