Vauxhall/Opel boss Karl-Thomas Neumann has confirmed to Autocar that the company is planning a new line of cheap, entry-level vehicles to go head-to-head with budget manufacturers such as Renault’s Dacia brand. As part of the effort, two new entry level vehicles will be introduced to fill the void left by Chevrolet’s departure from the European market, one of which will be the recently spied Viva hatchback.
The Viva will sit on the same platform as the next-generation Chevrolet Spark and will be priced to compete with the Ford Ka, which starts at £8945 ($15,241 USD) in the UK. It will slot in below the Corsa in Vauxhall’s lineup, but will sit directly alongside the Adam in size. The Viva will be cheaper and less focused on style and image in comparison to the Adam, however.
“We think there is possibility for Opel to come up with some entry-level product, specifically now Chevrolet is out of the market,” said Neumann. “We had Chevrolet, which looked like a budget brand, but it was not.”
The second vehicle in the new cheap car lineup will be a compact crossover to compete with the Dacia Duster. Autocar says the new SUV may be a replacement for the current Meriva MPV.
Neumann noted “all the burden” is on Opel and Vauxhall to perform now that Chevrolet has left Europe.
“GM can only be successful as a leading car maker in the world if we have a strong stake in Europe, so we can’t give up,” he said.
Check out Autocar’s recent spy photo of the Viva prototype here.
Comments
“Neumann noted “all the burden” is on Opel and Vauxhall to perform now that Chevrolet has left Europe”
Well with 30% of all GM sales in Europe I would say Vauxhall ARE performing. I just hope that the Vauxhall and Opel chassis engineers are involved in the development of the Viva and it is nothing like the current Spark but the idea of a budget entry level car is sound and if properly executed will increase sales and market share. The big question mark is will Vauxhall and Opel make any profit out of it !
Methinks this car would rather be a replacement of the Opel/Vauxhall Agila, which is more or less a rebadged version of the Suzuki Splash and produced in Suzuki’s plant at Esztergom, Hungary.
I agree, it makes sense. Otherwise you would have Corsa / Agila / Viva & Adam all in a similar size market
A low cost line up is smart but it should a separate sub brand, like Davis, so not to cheapen Opel.
Funny, Spark is mainstream here but low cost in Europe. Next gen Corsa should be federalized to counter Fiesta.