Spyshots: Opel Junior on the Road

⌕ Coming to market in 2013

About a month ago was the first time that the little Opel/Vauxhall Junior was spotted. At the time, the city car seemed to be doing its rounds on the track, but the engineers have done their work there, and the Junior has now taken to the road.

It’s expected that the car will measure about 3.7 meters in length, will slot under the Corsa and will have a premium feel to take on the MINI Cooper and the Fiat 500. It will be sold exclusively as a two-door model starting in early 2013.

“It’s a chic and stylish minicar that fits with today’s hip, urban spirit. It is not a low-cost verison of the Corsa,” Nick Reilly, GM Europe president, said when he was nominated back in November 2009, before the project had been canceled.

The project was actually scrapped some 11 months ago due to the bad global economy, but GM executives eventually changed their minds. The chassis will be borrowed from the Corsa, but the interior is expected to be bespoke, which is a good thing considering this isn’t Opel’s strong point right now.

Just like the Fiat 500 it’s meant to compete with, the Junior (expected to be called the Allegra) will only seat four people, and that’s just on short journeys.

“Toyota’s iQ is too compromised. Ours won’t be generous, but it will be capable of seating four on a normal journey,” design chief Mark Adams explains, adding that Opel/Vauxhall has a rich history in delivering small cars.

❐ Check out the Opel Junior Spyshots photo gallery