Opel Astra GTC Coupe review (04/04/2012)

THESE are edgy times at Opel AG, the German-based arm of American giant General Motors. In recent weeks there has been considerable speculation about the future of Opel which, of course, also plies its trade in England as Vauxhall, and central to all that talk has been the consolidation of the company’s European operations, particularly its manufacturing capacity.

There has been serious focus on the future of company plants in England and Germany and it may be that a decision on their future will be made by today. Last week the decision on the future of the manufacturing operations at Bochum in Germany and Ellesmere Port in the UK was postponed despite pressure from the parent company in the US on Opel/Vauxhall to shift production from high-wage European factories to less expensive emerging markets.

While Opel has been making some decent cars in recent times — the