Opel to Debut in China this Year

German brand Opel is very likely to make its comeback in China as soon as this year, with the first models scheduled to arrive in a few months. A report by Gasgoo.com shows that Opel has already informed parent company General Motors about its plans to expand in China and, if everything goes well, the carmaker should launch four new vehicles in China in the next three years.

Neither Opel nor General Motors commented on the subject, but sources familiar with the matter revealed that if Opel will indeed launch in China, its models are not supposed to compete with any other vehicles sold by GM's brands. This means that the Antara SUV, believed to be the first Opel to reach China, won't try to steal customers from Chevrolet's Captiva, although they will compete in the same range.

The new Antara is on track to debut in China as soon as this May, with power to be supplied by a 2.4-liter engine. In Europe, the 2.4-liter engine has been improved with 30 extra horsepower, being mated to a manual or an automatic six-speed transmission.

This isn't the first time that a Chinese comeback for Opel is brought into discussion, as sources from within the company said in mid-2010 that the German brand was expected in this large market by year end. Both the Astra and the Insignia were supposed to launch in China.

"We wouldn't suddenly sell 200,000 cars in China. Opel's image in China is strong but our product range is too small. Opel is not a direct rival to other GM brands. For German brands with German technology, there's an especially high regard throughout the world," Opel CEO Nick Reilly said at that time.