Opel officially returns to UAE
Liberty Automobiles relaunches the Opel line-up
By Shahzad Sheikh
After a hiatus of a few years, Opel is officially returning to the UAE market, and a full line-up of cars has officially been put on sale by Liberty Automobiles. The Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership, which has been selling and servicing Opels in this market since 2002, has entered into a direct agreement with Opel in Germany to distribute the vehicles here.
The 2013 Opel line-up will include the Corsa, Astra, Insignia, Meriva and the Zafira Tourer people carrier, as well as the Mokka SUV which will arrive later in the year. OPC, Opel Performance Centre, models, will also be available.
Prices are as follows:
CORSA hatchback 1.4L/4CYL 90bhp – AED53-68,000
ASTRA hatchback 1.6L/4CYL 115bhp – AED84,000
ASTRA saloon 1.6L/4CYL 115bhp – AED72,500 – 85,000
ASTRA GTC coupe 1.4L/4CYL 140bhp – AED90,000
INSIGNIA saloon 2.0L/4CYL 220bhp – AED120-140,000
INSIGNIA OPC saloon 2.8L/6CYL 325bhp – AED175,000
ZAFIRA TOURER 7 seats MPV 1.6L/4CYL 170bhp – AED TBA
MERIVA 5 seats MPV 1.4L/4CYL 120bhp – AED74,000
We’ll bring you a twin test featuring the 1.6 Astra hatchback soon, and try to review the other cars as they become available.
All cars will come with a guaranteed buy-back scheme up to three years old as well as a 3-year/60,000km complimentary service and maintenance package, and a 3-year/100,000km complimentary warranty for every new Opel.
Sheikh Khalid Abdul Aziz Al Qasimi, Chairman of Liberty Group attended a launch event at the Liberty showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road on Saturday, alongside the Deputy Consul General of the German Consulate in Dubai, Mr Joerg Herrera, and two senior executives from Opel headquarters in Germany – Andrew Dunstan, Executive Director, Opel Sales – Central & Eastern Europe and International Operations, and Jürgen Keller, Director, Opel International Operations.
Commenting on the launch, Duncan Peat, Managing Director of Liberty Automobiles said: “Opel is a brand that needs no introduction. Having recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, Opel is now the third largest brand in the European passenger car market.”
Andrew Dunstan added: “Opel has ambitious long-term growth plans which will see significant investment in our product portfolio, including 23 new models and 13 powertrains comprising three all-new engine families.”
