Stellantis, an Italian-French joint venture that emerged with the combination of FIAT Chrysler and PSA, continues its work on the brands under its roof. In its last big move, the company moved the Fiat Doblo production in Bursa to its factory in Vigo, Spain, and now it has taken a big decision regarding Opel.
All of the models that Opel started to produce during the GM period, except the Insignia, stopped production. The production of the vehicle in the D segment, which was the last car of that period, will also be stopped by the end of 2022.
Production line to electric car
An Opel official, who made a statement on the subject, stated that Insignia production will be stopped gradually until the end of the year. The production line emptied from Insignia at the company’s factory in Russelsheim, Germany, will be used for the production of electric vehicles. “Insignia production will be phased out this year as a result of the focus on CO2 emissions regulations and the rapid rollout of three new multi-energy models in Rüsselsheim,” Opel officials said.
The end of production of the Insignia was actually not so surprising. Vauxhall, Opel’s twin brand in Britain, has recently announced that it has removed the Insignia from the UK market. The Russelsheim factory currently produces the Opel Astra, Astra Sports Tourer and DS4 models, apart from the Insignia.
The compact electric model, which will replace the Insignia, will also be the successor of the Insignia. The model, which is expected to be released in 2024 or 2025, is expected to have a fastback-crossover type chassis structure.
After the farewell of Insignia, only two vehicles remained in Europe in the D segment. Peugeot 508 and Skoda Superb stood out as the last remaining vehicles in this segment.