General Motors South Africa (GMSA) will provide Opel fans with an exciting preview of two new models, both tipped to become available locally in the not too distant future, at the
Johannesburg International Motor Show
.
One of these, the all-new Astra GTC, will have its very first showing outside of Europe at the show. This latest addition to the popular Astra range had its international debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show and will be air freighted to South Africa directly from there. The second of the new models from Opel that will be shown for the first time in South Africa is the new Meriva, a small MPV that has won numerous awards in the European market.
“The appearance of these two exciting new models from Opel on our stand at the Johannesburg International Motor Show underlines our continued commitment to the Opel brand in South Africa and likewise the commitment to our market by Opel in Germany,” says Malcolm Gauld, GMSA’s Vice President: Sales and Marketing.
“The Opel brand has a strong support base in South Africa with a rich performance heritage and strong representation in the vehicle park. It is an important element of GMSA’s overall marketing plan moving ahead just as the South African market plays an important role in Opel’s international marketing strategy.
“Opel has a specific role to play in the GMSA product line-up. It gives us an extra edge that caters for buyers with a preference for a vehicle with true European fashion and flair. The Opel brand holds great appeal for many South Africans. It also provides us with the opportunity to cater for the performance-oriented buyer by offering OPC high-performance variants in all the main product lines.
“Both the Corsa and Astra, at the core of our current Opel range, are performing well within our expectations and we are on track to expand the brand to offer a wider range of Opel passenger vehicle products based on three latest generation platforms. In this process we will add five new models to the existing range in the near future.
“Opel’s marketing performance in Europe over the past 18 months has been remarkable. The brand has experienced a renaissance, emerging from the fallout of the economic crisis with a defined vision for future products and excellent growth prospects based on an exciting range of current and future products.
“The debut of the exciting new Astra GTC and the Meriva at the Johannesburg International Motor Show provide affirmation of Opel’s commitment to the South African market.”