Opel and its sister brand in the UK, Vauxhall, have certainly made some nice looking cars over the years. But few would say the marques lend themselves to the luxury end of the automotive market.
But according to the powers that be at the top of the organisation, all that is about to change. Opel is planning to start making cars for a slightly more upmarket audience – though not too upmarket. Opel admits that it cannot produce vehicles that will compete with the high-end leaders Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but it does feel there is a place for a car that is a rung or two above those it produces now.
It seems the strategy long term is to raise the profile of the brand to the degree where prices can be increased. Simultaneously, the firm is planning to reduce its break-even point – thereby making more money.
While Opel and Vauxhall are reliable, good cars – and not those you would associate too commonly with calling one’s vehicle recovery service – many people will find it challenging to think of the brand as a luxury one.
GM, the owner of Opel and Vauxhall, have for many years been trying to enter the European luxury car market – but despite its brief ownership of Saab and its attempts to sell the Cadillac model to Europeans, it has not succeeded. The premium luxury section of the market in Europe is the most profitable of the lot and is therefore understandably a very big prize for any car firm.
It will be interesting to see what type of car Opel come up with to fill this ‘almost-luxury’ section of the market.
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