GM Europe, Suzuki will collaborate on minivans
Decision means Opel Agila won't use GM's Gamma architecture
Luca Ciferri
Automotive News / January 16, 2006 - 6:00 am
TURIN, Italy - General Motors Europe and Suzuki Motor Corp. will collaborate on the next-generation Opel Agila and Suzuki Wagon R+ small minivans, a GM executive says.
"GM Europe will continue cooperating with Suzuki to replace the Agila in 2008," said Wayne Brannon, CEO of Chevrolet Europe.
The decision means that the Agila will not use GM's new global Gamma architecture, which is being developed by Korea's GM Daewoo Auto & Technology.
Brannon said the next-generation Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz minicar will be the first vehicle to use the Gamma architecture.
A new Matiz is expected within three years.
GM Europe builds the Agila and Wagon R+ in Gliwice, Poland. Suzuki has said it will build the next Wagon R+ at its plant in Esztergom, Hungary.
In September, Opel sources told Automobilwoche, which, like Automotive News, is owned by Crain Communications Inc., that the next Agila also will be built at Esztergom.
This would free capacity at Gliwice to transfer production of the Meriva small minivan there from Zaragoza in Spain.
A GM Europe spokesman told Automotive News Europe, another Crain publication, that no decision has been made on where the Agila will be built.
