AFTER just under one year as part of Groupe PSA, Vauxhall/Opel is back in the black with a recurring operating margin for the first half of 2018 at 5%.
The competitiveness of the production plants in the UK and throughout Europe has been significantly improved. Together with the social partners, Vauxhall/Opel management has reached performance agreements at all European sites. This has already led to new investment decisions and product allocations.
This includes confirmation that the next generation Vivaro will roll off the assembly line in Luton from 2019 while the collaboration between the development teams has been well-received by customers.
With the Crossland X, Mokka X and Grandland X models, Vauxhall/Opel is nicely positioned in the high-growth SUV market and leads the SUV B segment, among others. Meanwhile the product offensive continues. Following the launch of the sporty Insignia GSi, the company will also launch a GSi version of the Corsa in the second half of the year.
The new Combo Life passenger version and Combo commercial vehicle will also bring important momentum for growth. Next year, the all-new Corsa will follow – including a purely battery-powered electric version in 2020, which means that Vauxhall/Opel will have four electrified vehicles on offer in 2020.
By 2024, an electrified version will be available in every European passenger car line, either with pure battery drive or as a plug-in hybrid. This will be possible by the use of Groupe PSA’s multi-energy group platforms.
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