Car Review : Opel Corsa Hybrid Concept

Automotive News

Green is looking like gold for Opel at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show. The GM brand said on Wednesday it will showcase the world premiere of the Opel Corsa Hybrid concept there in September, along with the Opel Vectra Flexpower. Both vehicles "show potential" for presumably seeing the light of day as production vehicles, Opel said.

The Corsa Hybrid uses the 75-horsepower Corsa 1.3 CDTI and GM's next-generation belt-alternator starter technology, which makes its debut on the concept. It also uses a lithium-ion battery. Opel says the concept "requires just 3.75 liters of diesel per 100 km and emits only 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer."


The Opel Vectra Flexpower with a 2.0-liter turbo engine is designed to use a bioethanol/gas mix. The Vectra Flexpower's 2.0t engine makes 175 hp and 195 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm.

Opel said its ecoFlex lineup in Frankfurt will get special design touches, such as "green spirit" exterior paint. The cabins will be outfitted with green stitching on the leather steering wheel and other spots, just to drive the green point home further

Opel Transforms Derelict Plant Into Car Lover's Delight

Opel has announced it will transform its vacant historic plant here — parts of which date back to 1911 — into a showcase for its classic-car collection. The move is also designed to "clearly position Rüsselsheim as a 'car city,' " the European automaker said in a statement on Wednesday.

The building project, dubbed the Opel Forum, will house the company's vast classic-car collection, which dates back to 1899. The collection will feature production vehicles, racing cars, design studies, prototypes and motorcycles. It is designed to be a mecca for car buffs traveling to the Continent.

The facility will also house a shopping mall, hotel and restaurants, along with a marketplace for classic cars and space for private collections of historic automobiles and motorcycles.

Future Opel Vectra Caught Testing in the U.S.

igilant spy photographers snapped these photos of the next-generation Opel Vectra during hot-weather testing this week. Although the Opel brand is not sold in the U.S., GM is using its German subsidiary to funnel new products to its Saturn brand in the U.S.

Both the current Aura and the Vue are based on Opel models in Europe, while the upcoming Astra hatchback is nearly a direct carryover from its Opel counterpart

Expect to see the next-generation Saturn Aura debut with only minor changes from the Vectra shown here. It's still a couple years off, so the Saturn version won't be here until the beginning of the next decade at the earliest.