Opel's Bright Line-up in the City of Lights: Two World Debuts and More at Paris Motor Show - VIDEO ENHANCED

• Premiere: GTC Paris concept car showcases an emotional tribute to performance

• Debut: Opel Astra Sports Tourer is the athletic wagon with startling practicality

• News Flash: Opel Ampera is ready for production in 2011

• Shining: ecoFLEX innovations keep Opel on move to environmental friendliness

• Dashing: Opel Meriva, the Flexibility Champion, now completes its engine offer

PARIS - September 2010: With two stunning world premieres and an array of technological innovations, Opel’s line-up glistens in the city of lights. Visitors to the Mondial de l’Automobile (Oct. 2 – 17) will see for the first time Opel’s vision of the accessible dream car, the GTC Paris, and the new exciting Astra Sports Tourer.

The Opel stand in Hall 5.2 (stand 501) will also show off exciting changes to the brand's eco-friendly ecoFLEX models, offer visitors a chance to see the Meriva’s new expanded powertrain family and give an update on the range-extending electric vehicle Ampera.

“Opel is fully energized and we want to show it. Our products on display in Paris will dazzle the public with quality cars that offer innovative technologies wrapped in emotional design,” said Opel Chief Executive Nick Reilly.

Opel GTC Paris Concept

Opel envisions GTC Paris as the obtainable dream car
Showcasing Opel’s emotional side, the GTC Paris concept car is conceived to be the obtainable dream car delivering German engineering precision and innovation matched with eye-popping design. Inspiration was partly drawn from a quote from Richard Bach’s famous novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull “…and the speed was pure beauty.”

This phrase is embodied throughout the character of the sporty compact three-door hatchback, with its sweeping lines, sculptural surfaces and wide muscular stance. It is bold yet pure and very iconic in presence. At 4.46 meters, the GTC Paris offers room for five passengers.

Click PLAY to watch the Opel GTC Paris Concept video

Most iconic cars have been drawn from the side. Many can be sketched with two or three sharp lines. So, too, with Opel’s new concept car: In profile, the designers have maximized tension by limiting the amount of lines in the GTC Paris. Similar to tendons in a sprinter, these lines create tension and provide a sculpted shape. They serve as the foundation to which the highlights and surfacing react and press into the wheels in a very athletic fashion.

The Opel signature blade is introduced in the same direction as first seen in the Insignia – a fine, crisp line that sweeps upward from the rocker at the beginning of the front door. A second line encapsulates the door handle and sweeps to the rear, emphasizing the vehicle’s dramatic stance by spreading the surfaces to a fine undercut and a broad shoulder. The third line following the silhouette of the roof is finished in finely brushed aluminum accentuating the window, guiding the eye to the sharply accented integrated spoiler.

Echoing the flowing, simple forms of the bodywork, the hallmarks of the GTC Paris interior are sweeping lines and shapes as well as the bold use of fabric. The interior is driver-focused, with a positive/negative use of color. While the driver’s seat is red with black trim, the rest of the interior is outfitted in a charcoal black with red stitching.

The best of Opel’s compact car technology is brought to its sportiest level on the GTC Paris. The chassis has a special design with an extra-wide stance. It features a compound crank with an Opel-exclusive Watt’s link in the rear, a new, updated execution of the adaptive mechatronic FlexRide suspension and a front limited slip differential. The GTC Paris is planted to the ground with 21 inch wheels.

Click PLAY to watch the Opel GTC Paris Design Study

The powertrain in the GTC Paris is a four-cylinder, 213 kW/290 hp-strong 2,0-liter turbo engine with gasoline direct injection. It is fitted with Start/Stop technology, proving that drivers can combine high performance with maximum fuel efficiency in urban driving conditions. The transmission is a six-speed manual gearbox.

Opel Astra Sports Tourer

New Astra Sports Tourer offers first-class quality and practicality in a stylish design
The new Astra Sports Tourer wagon brings style, practicality and eco-friendly technology to the compact segment giving owners the flexibility to combine professional and private use in one vehicle. Sharing the same Opel design DNA and Sports Tourer name as its larger Insignia counterpart, the Astra Sports Tourer also introduces a similar focus on first class quality and functionality.

Opel Astra Sports Tourer

Sculpted shapes encapsulate a cabin with all the widely acclaimed attributes of its hatchback stable mate, while adding an ample cargo carrying capability. Space-efficient trunk design, enabling an impressive load volume of up to 1,550 liters, is complemented by smart, upscale features such as the new FlexFold Rear Seats, which fold down at the touch of a button.

Athletic looks are backed by an equally athletic driving experience. The Astra Sports Tourer shares the same innovative rear suspension and mechatronic FlexRide chassis as its hatchback peer. Other class leading features such as AFL+ adaptive forward lighting and orthopedist-approved ergonomic front seats add comfort and safety to the driving fun on offer.

A wide powertrain choice of nine fuel-efficient engines provides a bandwidth from 70 kW/95 hp to 132 kW/180 hp. Fuel-saving Start/Stop technology will be introduced first on the 1.3-liter CDTI engine early next year, giving CO2 emissions as low as 109 g/km.

Click PLAY to watch Astra Sports Tourer video

Meriva's expanded powertrain brings more choice to suit wide needs
While it already makes headlines for its styling, outstanding versatility and appeal, the new flexible Opel Meriva expands its diesel powertrain line-up to bring more engine choice to families and best agers alike.

With outputs ranging from 55 kW75 hp to 96 kW/140 hp, customers can now choose from five diesels or three gasoline engines that suit their needs. However, Meriva flexibility is not just about its powertrain; Opel’s second-generation small monocab has been elegantly styled, with dynamic lines and sculptural shapes. It offers a large choice of innovative features that optimize on-board use of space, such as its highly versatile FlexSpace rear seating system that allows owners to flip all the seats down for maximum stowage or arrange the seating to suit five. Rear-hinged FlexDoors in the rear make ingress and egress easier, especially for parents helping buckle in their children and FlexRail console system provides a great variety of storage configurations.

In addition the Meriva is designed to be ergonomic so that its occupants interact with it efficiently and safely. The Flexibility Champion is the first automobile ever to receive a seal of approval from an association of independent doctors and back experts, called Aktion Gesunder Rücken (AGR), for its ErgoFlex System. That system includes segment-best front ergonomic seats, the FlexSpace, FlexDoors and FlexFix, Opel’s exclusive bicycle carrier that is integrated into the rear bumper.

ecoFLEX for ecological responsibility
Opel stands for efficient mobility without compromising performance – at an affordable price. In times when environmental compatibility and economy are top priority, Opel’s wide range of ecoFLEX models meets the most diverse needs of drivers – regardless if they want a small car or a mid-sized wagon; a small monocab or larger people mover. From Agila to Zafira, Opel offers vehicles which run efficiently on gasoline, diesel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

This year, new versions of the Agila 1.2 ecoFLEX (69 kW/94 hp) and the Corsa 1.3 CDTI (55 kW/75 hp) now feature Start/Stop technology. Opel will also introduce this fuel-saving technology next on the Astra and the Meriva. By the end of 2011, Start-Stop technology will be offered on all Opel product lines.

In its quest to reduce fuel consumption, Opel does not compromise on performance. As proof of Opel’s continuous work improving the efficiency of its ecoFLEX family, the line-up has significantly changed in the last six months. One example: In the Insignia range, the fuel consumption in the latest sedan versions of the 2.0 CDTI ecoFLEX (96kW/130 hp and 118 kW/160 hp) has been reduced from 5.2 to 4.8 l/100 km, and CO2 emissions from 136 to 129 g/km.

Ampera: On target for production start next year
At the Mondial de l’Automobile, Opel confirms it is on target to begin production and sales next year of its ground-breaking Ampera electric vehicle with extended-range capability. It will be the first emission-free, electrically driven car in Europe that gives owners the freedom to drive wherever, whenever they want. With its unique electric propulsion system providing lively acceleration and high levels of refinement, the five-door Ampera seats four passengers, offers ample trunk space and features an extended range of more than 500 kilometers.