Opel Working on Minicar Project, Still Searching for Partner

German brand Opel, which is projected to become a Magna brand as soon as this week, is planning to build a minicar that would better address the current difficult economic times. However, in order to do so, Opel needs a partner which, at this time, is no where to be found. According to Autonews, Alain Visser, the company's head of sales and marketing said Opel's minicar would compete with Fiat Panda and other models in the same segment.

"This is the most difficult segment in the market to make money, so it's where many automakers join forces," Visser said.

Opel on the other hand has to resolve several issues before stepping further to its product plans. For example, Magna is already looking to make slight changes in Opel's product lineup, but it's still unclear which of the models might get discontinued once the Canadian - Austrian partsmaker takes control of the company.

Ampera is one of the models that will live on even after the acquisition is completed, with some rumors claiming that Magna might move production of the PHEV model in the United Kingdom.

“No one doubts Ellesmere Port’s ability to build the Ampera, but whether it will actually get it is another question,” Dr. Peter Wells, of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research in Cardiff, said earlier this month when talking about Opel's plans after the Magna deal. “Magna is likely to be an imaginative owner and could support greener cars, but its decisions will be ruled by economics – and making the Ampera at a smaller plant may be cheaper.”