General Motors’ Saturn brand has served as the automaker’s U.S. gateway to its lineup of European Opel models, but that relationship will soon end as the Saturn brand is set to be sold off or shut down by 2012. However, the death of Saturn won’t stop the inflow of Opel models to the U.S. market.
According to Automotive News, GM will continue to sell Opel-based models in the U.S., but will instead offer them through its Buick division. Moreover, the first Buick-badged Opel – the Insignia – will likely hit our shores in 2011. The Insignia was slated to become the next-generation Saturn Aura, but will now be badged as the Regal for the Buick brand.
It remains unclear which other Opel models have been earmarked for the Buick lineup, but Susan Docherty, president of GM’s Buick-Pontiac- GMC line, did confirm Buick will source future models from Opel.
Although Opel is currently dealing with its own instability, Docherty says GM will continue to have access to its lineup of global vehicles – such as those from the German Opel brand.
