GM goes on brands offensive

08 September 2003: In addition to the surprise reveal of the Opel Insignia design concept tonight, General Motors showed off examples tonight of its latest cars and concepts from Saab, Opel, Cadillac and Daewoo.

The Saab 9-3 Sport-Hatch Concept (above) has 'worldwide potential' according to GM President Rick Wagoner. The car follows the Saab tradition of 'being creative with five doors' and is a cross between a conventional hatchback and a wagon. It is aimed at the growing lifestyle market segment.

The Cadillac SRX which gets its European public debut at the Frankfurt Show signals a new approach for Cadillac in Europe, according to Wagoner, as the brand begins to set up an independent pan-European distribution organisation. he said it will be a 'key member of the Cadillac family for Europe' along with the CTS sedan and the XLR roadster.

He also said he expects the new Daewoo Lacetti to play a hey role in helping to establish Daewoo as one of Europe's leading 'value brands'.

And with the unveiling of the Opel Caravan wagon on the Vectra platform, he said it would be 'an important building block' in the 'renaissance' of a brand that has 'faced some tough challenges'. "The Opel team has driven aggressive quality improvements, made major strides in cost efficiency, and, through it all, kept its focus on designing, developing, and building great new cars," he said.

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