Uwe Hochgeschurtz said that Opel’s Ruesselsheim plant had been after the incorporation of production of the four Opel/Vauxhall Astra and DS models (photo).
Opel’s long-term term within the Stellantis Group is assured, as well as the brand’s two German meeting plants, said the group’s European head, Uwe Hochgeschurtz.
“I’m delighted with the brand. I really like the product range,” Hochgeschurtz told Automotive News Europe’s sister magazine Automobilwoche in an interview.
“Opel is and will be, like all other Stellantis logos, a standalone logo,” Hochgeschurtz said. The logo “has wonderful value,” he added.
Opel’s design centre in Rüsselsheim is one of the most modern in the group. “The development functions are high. We will expand many successful models such as the Corsa, Mokka or Astra,” Hochgeschurtz said.
Uwe Hochgeschurtz (pictured with the new Astra) says Opel will remain in Europe and that expansion into China is not an option.
Opel’s two plants in Germany, in Rüsselsheim and Eisenach, have a constant workload, meaning their long-term is safe, he said.
The plant in Ruesselsheim, near Frankfurt, was strengthened after adding production of the four Opel/Vauxhall Astra and DS models, Hochgeschurtz said.
He did not specify where the successor to the Insignia will be produced. The mid-size car built in Rüsselsheim until it was discontinued last year.
“There will be a successor to the Insignia with similar attributes. We have not yet announced the place of production. The old Insignia is a vehicle from another era, still based on a platform only for internal combustion engines,” Hochgeschurtz said.
Eisensach has smart use of capacity even though it only makes one model, the Grandland SUV, he said.
The Grandland “is a very capable vehicle with a large order book,” Hochgeschurtz said.
Opel, along with other Stellantis brands, lost market share last year as microchip shortages and logistical bottlenecks reduced deliveries to dealerships.
Sales of Opel and Vauxhall cars fell by 12% to 428,145 in 2022 in the EU, EFTA and UK countries, according to the ACEA industrial agreement. Its market share increased from 4. 1% to 3. 8%.
Opel’s Eisensach plant makes clever use of capacity even if it only manufactures one model, the Grandland SUV.
Hochgeschurtz said the drop in sales is due to a lack of shipping capacity.
“We had the customers. We had the cars finished, but they didn’t make it,” he said. “Logistic disruptions hit giant brands harder than others. Transport capacity is limited due to the lack of truck drivers. “
Opel offered dealers the opportunity to pick up cars from intermediate warehouses themselves.
Hochgeschurtz said Opel is now sustainably successful after posting losses for nearly two decades until 2017. These losses are attributable to its former owner, General Motors.
“The Corsa is the most successful small car in Germany. The new Astra is performing incredibly well. The Mokka is also in high demand,” he said.
Hochgeschurtz said Opel will continue to promote in European markets in the future, and that further expansion into China under the direction of former Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller is not an option.
“China is a challenge for Opel right now. We sell some cars in Latin America and will expand our exports where it makes sense. Turkey and North Africa are also smart markets for Opel. But the core of the logo is Europe, adding Vauxhall in the UK,” he said.
Hochgeschurtz, a former Renault, Volkswagen and Ford executive, succeeded Lohscheller as Opel’s chief executive in 2021 and rose to chief operating officer for Europe at Opel’s parent company Stellantis last year.
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