The Opel Astra GTC in Canada under the Buick badge?

The Opel Astra GTC in Canada

The renewal of the collective agreement between GM and its U.S. union opens the way for the launch in North America of a new German-designed car, the Opel Astra GTC, shown last week at the Auto Show in Frankfurt. It would be built in the United States and would be marketed here under the Buick brand. 

This emerges from recent statements made by the management of Opel and especially the summary of the employment contract on Tuesday for its members by the United Auto Workers. 

Indeed, the new labor contract negotiated between GM and its U.S. union states that the company promises to assemble a compact unspecified in a U.S. plant unspecified, creating 500 new jobs. 

The Astra GTC is a very likely candidate. Last week, the president of Opel, Carl-Friedrich Stracke said that the latest Opel could very well end up in the assembly line American, Australian and Chinese: "I see her very well as a Buick," at he said during a meeting with the press and financial analysts at Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim. His statement is self-observation reported by the magazine, published by the company Edmunds.com automotive information. 

A few days earlier, Opel Astra GTC was unveiled at the Auto Show in Frankfurt. 

GM often uses the expertise of its German subsidiary Opel and its South Korean subsidiary GM-Korea to develop "world cars" built in all GM plants around the world. 

A few years ago, GM had briefly imported to North America and Opel Astra sold here (it was a flop) under the Saturn brand until the mark is scuttled during the restructuring and the bankruptcy of GM in 2009. Similarly, the current Buick Regal and LaCrosse are based on an Opel platform. In fact, last year, the first Regal sold here were made at the Opel plant in Rüsselsheim (they are now assembled in Oshawa, Ontario). 

The Astra GTC made in the United States would not necessarily name. The Astra, period (a less and less high-tech sport) being sold in Europe is also manufactured in China and called the Excelle. Karl-Friedrich Stracke said the Astra GTC could also be marketed in China under the Buick brand and in Australia under the brand Holden (GM's subsidiary in Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific island countries). 

In North America, the Astra GTC is the smallest Buick, with its length of 4300 mm (Verano is 4671mm, the Regal, 4831 mm, and LaCrosse, 5003 mm). It would be a mid-range car, the more equipped than the Chevrolet, and enough sports to fill the niche vacated by the abandonment of Pontiac, where GM liked his fit Solstice, G8, GTO, Firebird and other fast cars. 

In Europe, the Astra GTC cost between 21,400 euros ($ 29,265) and 29,900 euros ($ 40,888), but a future version very sporty GTC OPC has a 300 horsepower engine would cost more. Impossible at this stage, whether the GTC OPC super tough cross the Atlantic. For cons, the 165 horsepower turbodiesel version that sells for 27,400 euros ($ 37,460) is likely to be sold here, judging from the precedent set by GM with the diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze, which will be launched by the end of 2013. 

The Astra GTC has a broader base and lower body and a more aerodynamic than the regular Astra, which it resembles slightly. It is full of electronic gadgets that justify a higher price and gasoline engines (all turbo) most used (1.4 liter, 120 horsepower, 1.4 liter, 140 horsepower, 1.6 liter, 180 horsepower) would to target fuel economy standards under the new U.S. consumer. The cheapest of the three burns 5.9 liters of fuel per 100 km in manual while the diesel consumes 4.9 l/100 km.