Buick hot hatch breaks cover, to be known as Exelle hatch
22 November 2009
14 Comments
The Opel Astra has gone full circle to become the new Buick Excelle hatch, complete with a 1.6T engine:
If you squint a little, you can make out XT which is probably the turbo/sports model.
I love it how Automakers moan at China for ‘borrowing’ designs and swapping the badges to their own, and yet here we have GM taking the easy way out and doing just that…
I am so glad GM decided to keep Opel. This means Buick can continue to get great cars like the Excelle above. A lot of GM’s front wheel drive platform engineering comes from the Opel division. Plus I love that blue color on the Excelle.
One BIG difference here Steve……….GM OWNS Opel and has the legal right to do so. GM does in America too, so does Ford and Chrysler. The last I checked, BYD doesn’t own Toyota and has no legal right to the designs of the F0 or F3. The new Zhi Xiang hatchback (older generation Ford Focus) by Changan is a different story……Ford co-ops with Changan in China, and the Zhi Xiang is legally licensed by Ford to Changan to produce and sell in China as a Changan product. Like you, I also do not like seeing companies like BYD literally steal designs from other companies like Toyota – but I see no problem with GM rebadging the Opel Astra and calling it the new Excelle hatch. The new Excelle hatch is a BIG improvement over the previous version (a rebadged Daewoo Lacetti), and ultimately benefits the consumer – a new Buick product for a very competitive price.
Wow! Steve what are you talking about? How is that even related to copying someones car. It isn’t a copy. It is the same car rebadged. Nothing stolen or copied. I am sure the Chinese car companies think they did nothing wrong if they think like you.
Steve,
Who moans about Chinese companies that legally put their logo on another companies car legally? I have never heard anyone complaining about that. Usually it is on an older out of date model anyway. People moan about Chinese illegaly using other companies designs by copying. Two totally different things. I don’t think anyone cares about rebadged cars.
Wow, this does look hot. There is some resemblance to the Fiesta hatch, however. In anycase, I like it.
When’s this coming onto market? I’m guessing there won’t a long wait, judging by the presence of the window sticker.
why american cars looks more and more alike japanese one???that buick reminds me the nissan tiida
Is there anyone more global than GM?
….have u ever heard about TOYOTA,the biggest car manufacter in the WORLD??
Ps: and they still make money!!
Hi Felipe,
News flash! They have just been ousted by VW
still not a american company…that’s the most important thing!
Maybe Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd, can put their badge on a Hummer now, or a Geely badge on a Volvo.
Or a skoda badge on the Audi r8, its all the same idea…
I hope they got the american build quality interior replicated in the uh, uh, Buick Astra. One inch panel Gaps, walnut trim, with Rock hard plastics and one mile per gallon, then its a real Buick.
I didnt think GM owned Opel, As there is now no mention on the Opel or Vauxhall website that relates to GM and nothing on the GM website that mentions Opel or Vauxhall!
Did they not sell to Magna, the people who make the panels for GM!
No, the deal to sell Opel fell through (GM changed their minds).
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