Tag Archives: Opel

Car of the Year: Winner

Yes, this is the big one. The best car of the year. This must excel in everything. It should be able to satisfy the little child in you, while taking you shopping and your children to school safely and comfortably. Price shouldn’t be too high either.

Based on all these things, we have picked the overall winner for our 2009 Car of the Year. And the best car in 2009 was:

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The new Opel Meriva

Opel has launched the second generation of the Meriva mini-MPV set to premiere March 4 at the Geneva Motor Show. The new car inherits Opel’s new styling language as seen on the Astra and Insignia but it also features a lot of practical innovations.

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Car of the Year Nominees: Part 4

This is the most important part of the nominees list. This where the the Car of the Year nominees are listed. It’s not the longest list of nominees, but choosing should be hard, as all the contenders are quite good ones.

Car of the Year

Yes, this is the big one. The best car of the year. This must excel in everything. It should be able to satisfy the little child in you, while taking you shopping and your children to school safely and comfortably. Price shouldn’t be too high either.

Volkswagen Golf: Great looks, plenty of practicality, comfortable and it’s good fun, especially in GTI form.

Mazda3: The new small Mazda is based on the Ford Focus so it drives brilliantly. It’s also cheaper than the Ford, it’s built with the same quality and it looks good.

Vauxhall/Opel Astra: As they did with the Insignia, Opel/Vauxhall broke tradition (one more time) with the new Astra, giving it a modern design.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Alex isn’t a fan of the styling but the new E-Class offers a very complete package combined with classic Mercedes quality.

There you are then. All the nominees are now out there. We’ll be working on picking out the best of the best to bring you the winners. We’re already running into arguments, so it won’t be easy and we can’t predict when the winners will be released.

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Car of the Year Nominees: Part 2

Continuing with Car of the Year nominees, here’s the second part. Family Car of the Year and Cheap Car of the Year are here.

Family Car of the Year

This is where we choose the ideal car for people with big families. Lots of space is an absolute must.

Fiat Doblo: Looks great, seats plenty of people, and it’s quite economical as well.

Toyota Sienna: The looks are a bit iffy in some places, but it promises sporty handling with a comfortable ride, great interior, and plenty of room.

Volvo XC60: A good looking car with a great, spacious interior. Very safe as well.

Vauxhall/Opel Insignia Sports Tourer: New Vauxhalls/Opels have said good bye to their old, conservative, ugly ancestors and buried them in the middle of nowhere. As a result they now make good cars and this good looking estate Insignia is one of them

Dacia Duster: A funky looking car with plenty of space, promising a low price tag.

Citroen C3 Picasso: Funky Citroen looks, with plenty of practicality and a reasonable price.

Cheap Car of the Year

These are cars for those of us who don’t want to, or simply can’t, spend too much money. Price range we set is $25,000 CAD and under.

Renault Twingo: A nice looking car with good handling and interior. Comes in a fantastic Renaultsport trim too.

Ford Fiesta: Ford has launched the new Fiesta hatch in 2008 in Europe but not in North America so we actually found an excuse to nominate it as it is a very, very good supermini.

Volkswagen Polo: This small, German hatchback has actually won the European Car of the Year Award, but that’s not important, as now it faces the most important test ever: Will it be our Cheap Car of the Year?

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Minicar on the Way from Opel

General Motors has declared that Opel/Vauxhall is in need of a minicar, something to compete with the Ford Ka and Peugeot 107.

Opel released a minicar concept called the Trixx five years ago, but it never made it to production. Many, many manfucaturers are in the minicar market, with more to come, so a move like this was expected eventually.

General Motors also mentioned that they were considering a battery powered electric car. There were reports a couple of months ago that they were considering teaming with Reva (Makers of the awful G-Wiz) to make an electric Chevy Spark, so that might be what they’re talking about.

Source: Autoblog

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Opel Astra Based Buick Debuts in China, Coming to North America

An Opel Astra based Buick has debuted in China. It’s called the Buick Excelle XT.

According to Autoblog, a car just like this was seen in August by the media when General Motors gave the media a tour of its design studios. The only difference is that it was a sedan rather than a hatchback. This presumably is what we’ll be getting instead of this Excelle in North America, as sedans are apparently more popular here. I prefer hatchbacks to be honest, but sadly the marketing department often has the last say. It should still be called the Excelle though.

The North American version should have a 181hp 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine in it. The Chinese version, and the European one, also gets a 138hp 1.8L engine, but chances are we won’t get it. If we do get it, it will probably be paired with a hybrid system.

Here’s the full press release for the Chinese Buick Excelle (In English):

Shanghai GM Introduces Buick Excelle XT
Five-Door Coupé-Like Sedan Offers New Standard for Performance & Refinement

Shanghai – Shanghai GM introduced the new Buick Excelle XT five-door coupé-like sedan today at the Guangzhou Auto Show. The premium compact hatchback was designed, engineered and executed to set a new standard for performance and refinement in its class. It goes on sale across China in 2010.

“The Excelle XT is Buick’s first coupé-like sedan in China that is based on GM’s all-new front-wheel-drive compact vehicle architecture,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “Developed as a collaborative effort by GM’s global team, the model was tailored for the domestic market by GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) automotive engineering and design facility in Shanghai.”

“The Excelle XT carries the same self-confident air as its sibling, the popular Buick New Regal sedan,” said Shanghai GM Vice President Terry Johnsson. “When people see this car, they’ll notice its presence, stance and proportions. When they get inside, they’ll recognize its craftsmanship and attention to detail. And when they get behind the wheel, they’ll appreciate its responsiveness and excellent handling.”

The Excelle XT incorporates Buick’s new design language and sets a new visual standard for its class, both inside and out.

Stylish Exterior

Inspired by the Buick Riviera concept vehicle, the new Excelle XT’s assertive, self-confident exterior is enabled by dynamic lines combined with sophisticated sculptural surfaces. The overall execution clearly speaks to Buick’s new design language, yet provides an expression that is appropriate for the compact segment.

A strong cab-forward silhouette with a deeply raked windshield and falling rear roofline adds excitement to the hatchback format, while also improving ease and versatility of use. Artistry is further reflected in free-flowing forms, such as the prominent but softly styled shoulder line, while precision can be seen in the visual balance of the four-window side graphic.

With a bold new “face” and a hood line that culminates in narrow three-dimensional-effect headlamp units, the Excelle XT looks dynamic and purposeful without being aggressive or brash.

Roomy, Fashionable Interior

The free-flowing forms and contours exhibited on the outside are carried forward inside. The interior is clearly up to Buick’s premium standards, with crafted flowing lines, low-gloss surfaces, and premium appointments throughout.

A signature feature is the wraparound wing-shaped instrument panel that arcs into the top of the door mouldings. It embraces occupants, offering a warm and welcoming ambience.

Four interior trim levels provide a wide choice of decor. The base trim, for example, offers the choice of a red or blue finish for the instrument panel, door panels and seats. The center stack, outer air vents and door grab handles are finished in a piano-black lacquer or grey or matte chrome trim, adding upscale, precision quality to the interior.

The Excelle XT offers a host of innovations and technologies. They include a class-leading choice of infotainment and communication systems, including three audio packages and two on-board navigation systems; Bluetooth wireless connectivity and USB and personal device connectivity; a tire pressure monitoring system; dual-zone electronic climate control; heated front seats; and electronic parking assist.

The Excelle XT’s design and overall proportions maximize occupant space. The cab-forward windshield and raked center stack add to the roomy feeling. There are ample onboard storage facilities in front and back. The Excelle XT also has a separate under-floor stowage compartment. The three-level moveable Flex-Floor in the rear cargo area puts the deck height at bumper level for the easy loading and unloading of goods.

Choice of Efficient Powertrains

Excelle XT buyers have a choice of three lightweight powertrains that offer high specific power output, low fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions:

– A high-output 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that delivers 135 kW, a specific power output of 84.4 kW per liter, and 235 Nm of torque between 1,980 and 5,400 rpm. The most powerful series production engine in its displacement class, it was developed for customers whose priority is sporty performance. Its Superboost function can briefly unleash up to 266 Nm of torque for quick and safe overtaking.

– A naturally aspirated 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine with a two-stage variable intake manifold that delivers 116 horsepower (85 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 155 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.

– A 1.8-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder gasoline engine with double continuous variable cam phasing (DCVCP) that delivers 138 horsepower (103 kW) at 6,300 rpm and 175 Nm of torque at 3,800 rpm.

A six-speed automatic transmission with sporty feature is standard in all models.

Excellent Ride and Handling

The Excelle XT has a fun-to-drive character with high levels of steering precision and ride comfort.

The chassis incorporates the proven McPherson strut layout in front. In back, Buick has applied a new suspension system for the Excelle XT – a compound crank rear axle with a Watts link. The result is greater wheel camber stiffness and compensation in body roll, with a constant track width in jounce. It also adds enhanced lateral stability for both improved handling and greater ride comfort.

The speed-sensitive rack and pinion steering system is electrically powered to save fuel. The electric motor is mounted on the steering rack rather than at the base of the steering column to give improved driver feel when turning the steering wheel. The Excelle XT is also equipped with the dual-circuit braking system, which features three brake disc combinations.

Advanced Safety and Security

With a maximum five-star NCAP safety rating anticipated, the Excelle XT’s body structure along with its restraint systems are designed to exceed crash safety standards around the world.

Its high structural integrity is reflected in its solid, on-the-road feel and the suppression of unwanted noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) inside the cabin.

The Guangzhou Auto Show is open to the public from November 24-30. Shanghai GM is showcasing 26 vehicles from Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac on its 3,000-square-meter stand.

Shanghai GM is a joint venture between GM and SAIC that was formed in June 1997. It operates vehicle and powertrain manufacturing facilities in Shanghai; Yantai, Shandong; and Shenyang, Liaoning. Shanghai GM builds, imports and sells a comprehensive range of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Saab products. In 2008, the joint venture sold domestically 445,709 vehicles. In the first 10 months of 2009, Shanghai GM sold domestically 548,708 vehicles.

Source: Autoblog

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Manual Transmission Confirmed for Buick Regal

Buick Regal

During a ride-and-drive press event, Jim Frederico, chief engineer for Buick, told journalists that the Buick Regal would get a manual transmission as an optional extra.

This transmission is presumably the same one as in the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, a six-speed. The optional extra will be added shortly after the launch of the car.

I think this is brilliant news. There hasn’t been a manual Buick in ages, and the Regal seems like a fitting car to finally revive the manual with. Hopefully the range-topper under consideration will receive the manual option as well (Providing that it makes it into production in the first place).

Source: Jalopnik

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Upcoming Models of the Buick Regal

Buick Regal

During the unveiling of the 2011 Buick Regal in Hollywood, Car and Driver had a talk with Bob Lutz and found out the following from him.

A manual-transmission model (Did I mention that it’s snowing in hell?)  and all-wheel drive are being considered, as well as a 335hp, AWD range topper. This, presumably, is the rumoured sports model. The Regal name was chosen because of its sporting credentials, and so this range topping sports model seems fitting. The Opel Insignia OPC/Vauxhall Insignia VXR has roughly the same specs as this range topper should have, so presumably it will be based on the sports model of the Insignia (OPC/VXR).

Also under consideration is a Regal Sport Wagon, a station wagon/estate car. A Buick version of the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer was planned from the beginning, until the recession hit, so now that GM is recovering, it is a possibility. This model may come in sports trim as well.

I’m looking forward to this, I liked the idea of a sports Regal ever since the first rumours.

Source: Car and Driver

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