Opel Might Make US Market Return With Corsa

A few days back, the Internet was buzzing with rumors of GM selling its European division to Volkswagen, yet they were eventually denied. However, Opel has once again found a way to come into focus, as its compact cars are rumored to make an arrival on US shores.

The news comes via German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, which states that Opel’s counsel chief Klaus Franz proposed the idea of selling a small car in America to cater to the market that Fiat and VW Group is trying to capture right now. The main reason why US consumers can’t enjoy a Corsa or Tigra is that they might overlap with GM’s products, but Fiat seems to be giving it a go and there is no reason for The General not to do the same.

Under the new plan, the Corsa could be introduced as early as the 2013 under the Junior or Allegra name, though we don’t really understand why a swap is needed in the first place. Opel used to import cars under its own name to America during the 1960s to the early 1970s and Franz believes the Opel brand still carries a positive reputation among American consumers.

GM will introduce the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic soon, and it’s doubtful if an imported Corsa could ever be competitively priced.

GM’s Dan Akerson and Opel were in a state of tension, after the CEO was reportedly losing patience with the carmaker’s inability to return a profit, and was preparing to sell it to a willing suitor.

"There is no concrete evidence suggesting that GM wants to sell Opel," Klaus Franz, who is also deputy chairman of Opel's supervisory board, said in a phone interview from the division's headquarters in Ruesselsheim. "But I would prefer to hear that from GM Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson in person."