Press Release
Page 1 ??????????????????????????????????????? Overview
Page 2 ??????????????????????????????????????? Technical data
Page 3 ??????????????????????????????????????? Market
Page 4 ??????????????????????????????????????? Design
Page 5 ??????????????????????????????????????? Features
Page 6 ??????????????????????????????????????? Bike Carrier
Page 7 ??????????????????????????????????????? Body & safety
Page 8 ??????????????????????????????????????? Powertrain
Page 9 ??????????????????????????????????????? Chassis
Page 10 ??????????????????????????????????????? Electronic Asst.
Page 11 ??????????????????????????????????????? Quality
Page 12 ??????????????????????????????????????? Glossary
Design
New Antara: In Great Shape for Any Challenge
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Expressive lines communicate Opel??????????????????????????????????????s claim as design leader
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Attractive mix of dynamic elegance and pronounced robustness
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Feel-good ambience in style of luxury sedan
The new Opel Antara??????????????????????????????????????s origin is plain to see. Its expressive design is derived directly from the Antara GTC (Gran Turismo Crossover) concept car, the star of last year??????????????????????????????????????s IAA in Frankfurt. The highly-praised design language of the off-road coup?????????????????? concept car is echoed in the dynamic series production five-door crossover, underlining Opel??????????????????????????????????????s claim as design leader. At first glance, the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s distinctive design character is emphasized by a attractive contrast. While the lower section around the bumpers, sills and wheels clearly displays the new crossover??????????????????????????????????????s robustness, the body??????????????????????????????????????s striking lines and taut surfaces unite stylish elegance with a sporty, athletic look. With this fusion of sports-wagon and off-road elements, designers visualized the Antara as a versatile car that is both dynamic and comfortable for long journeys.
???????????????????????????????????With its dynamic, yet robust design language, the Antara represents a new expression for the modern, urban crossover.????????????????????????????????
Mark Adams, Director of Exterior Design, GM Europe
Typical Opel style details such as the crease on the hood and the grille accentuated by the wide chrome bar with its large Opel logo confidently emphasize the car??????????????????????????????????????s high quality and brand identity. Carefully crafted side air vents with integrated turn indicator in the front fender also set fresh accents. With its compact dimensions (length x width x height: 4575 x 1850 x 1704 millimeters), the crossover takes up no more space than a mid-size passenger car.
Designers blended opposing elements on the front section to clearly underline the Antara's character, with its passenger car-like dynamic handling and rugged off-road qualities. The upper and lower halves of the bumper boast contrasting colors and, together with the distinctive underbody protector, they set off the broad gleaming chrome crossbar of the signature Opel grille. This contrast reappears at the ends of the bumper with integrated fog lamps. The darker tint flows from here over the edge of the flared wheelarches and the side sills to the rear bumper, where the eye-catching two-tone colors and underbody protector once again highlight the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s robustness.
The powerfully curved hood, designed to meet new pedestrian protection standards, also adds to the Antara's dynamic look. Highlights include headlamps tapered in the lower corner that are drawn back into the fender, giving the impression the car is winking. The hood is accentuated by the typical Opel center crease as well as elegant three-dimensional contours on both sides. They blend the hood boldly with the A-pillars, harmoniously integrating the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s front section into the shoulder line.
Crisp lines and exciting accents
The five-door Antara??????????????????????????????????????s powerfully molded shoulder is a bold feature of its silhouette. The sporty, sloping roofline also echoes the Antara GTC concept car??????????????????????????????????????s dynamic design, which earned it the title ???????????????????????????????????Concept of the Year???????????????????????????????? in 2005 from the British specialist magazine ???????????????????????????????????Autocar????????????????????????????????. With a sporty downward swing, the silhouette tapers into sleek side air vents. These exciting side accents flow into lines traced by the roof railings and side windows. With their matt silver surfaces and chrome borders, both features also reflect the high quality conveyed by the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s look.
This look continues to the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s rear. A striking chrome crossbar not only enhances the stylish look, it also emphasizes the vehicle??????????????????????????????????????s width and stability. This is underlined by the large curved rear window, which boasts frameless fitted glass that extends to the D-pillar ??????????????????????????????????????? a design feature that also improves rear visibility and lets plenty of light into the interior. Finally, large three-dimensional rear lights set at an angle make the Antara unmistakable from the rear. Sculpted into the shoulder line, they create a smooth transition into the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s profile.
Interior in luxury sedan style
The interior is reminiscent of the style and elegance of a luxury sedan. Sporty, contoured seats and a dominant center console with central info display reflect the Antara's dynamic SUV character. Attractive d??????????????????cor elements emphasize the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s stylish interior look. Extending from the instrument panel to the doors, these elements also contribute to the sense of generous spaciousness, as does the clear layout of the instrument panel that has one or two colors, depending on the model. The upper half is always anthracite gray to prevent disturbing reflections. For the lower half, Antara buyers can opt for the same color, a friendly light beige, or a colored look to match the upholstery and door panels. The Antara??????????????????????????????????????s welcoming character was created with great attention to detail and is completed by lighting that warmly illuminates the interior in the dark.
???????????????????????????????????It was important to us that the vitality and elegance of the Antara??????????????????????????????????????s exterior flows into the interior to create an all-round sense of well-being.????????????????????????????????
John G. Puskar, Director of Interior Design, GM Europe
Eye-catching interior features include three large round air vents on the center console and a distinctively shaped handbrake grip. The passenger grip has the same shape but a slightly slimmer design and is also located directly adjacent to the seat, giving the ???????????????????????????????????co-pilot???????????????????????????????? a firm hold, even during off-road driving.
In typical Opel style, all instruments and operating controls are ergonomically placed and clearly laid out. Large, distinctive instruments and center console with central info display give the cockpit a driver-oriented layout. Depending on the equipment variant, the 7.5-inch color screen displays all information from the navigation and audio systems, as well as all on-board computer functions.
???????????????????????????????????Good Design drives a Brand forward????????????????????????????????
Interview with Bryan Nesbitt, Executive Director of Design, GM Europe
As Executive Director of GME Design since 2004, Bryan Nesbitt is responsible for the design of GM??????????????????????????????????????s European brands Opel, Vauxhall and Saab ??????????????????????????????????????? and most Saturn models for North America. Born in 1969 in Phoenix, Arizona, Nesbitt graduated with Honors from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and studied architecture and industrial design at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He has worked for General Motors since 2001. In his last assignment in the USA, he was responsible for the exterior design of all automobile and crossover models sold by GM in its domestic market. We spoke with Bryan Nesbitt about working within a global network and Opel??????????????????????????????????????s design language.
Mr. Nesbitt, the Antara GTC concept car received an enthusiastic response from press and public alike at the IAA 2005. What do the concept car and the production version of the Antara have in common?
Concept cars help us explore visual solutions. Many solutions on the concept focused the design execution of the final production vehicle. We translated the GTC concept??????????????????????????????????????s design language into a five-door, five-seat production crossover with a spacious, versatile interior. Many of the concept car??????????????????????????????????????s style elements are recognizable in the production version, including the front fender vents, the protective cladding solution, and importantly, the front and rear graphics.
The Antara shares its architecture with other GM family models. How can you realize Opel design language in such an international environment?
An architecture is not unlike a skeleton, it??????????????????????????????????????s the frame of the proportions. Fashion designers choose runway models based on proportions, not cultural origin, and we do the same.
The Opel Antara was designed in R??????????????????sselsheim and two members of our team were on site in Korea to follow into series production.
And that ensures the brand??????????????????????????????????????s identity?
Yes. Just as runway models Heidi Klum or Kate Moss can convincingly support Calvin Klein or Roberto Cavalli??????????????????????????????????????s brand identity, so does a global architecture support our needs. The Antara is another example of how GM Product Development works globally. Just like a runway model, the better the architectural proportions, the more I have to work with,
You don??????????????????????????????????????t see any danger of the cars becoming too similar if they share the same architecture?
No. On the contrary, the brand must always be the foundation.
GM Global Engineering provides bandwidth in the architectures to support brand identity differentiation needs. In a large organization like GM, research and product development is organized worldwide by model families and their technical architecture. Sales and marketing is organized by brands and countries. Because the designer has to bridge both of these worlds, he must always wear two hats, one for vehicle architecture and one for brand.
Is there a rulebook governing how Opel designs should look?
Targeted customers have certain expectations. However, identities necessarily evolve, so design must constantly progress, presenting an ongoing challenge for the company??????????????????????????????????????s engineers and production people. Good design drives a brand forward.
Where is the Opel brand heading and how can you incorporate this direction in the design of the cars?
Opel is currently experiencing a major transformation. For example, in the Zafira and Meriva, we have created products that provide unique versatility without compromising appeal to the modern customer. These have provided the foundation for even more progressive cars, more innovative vehicle concepts, and more adventurous designs. Generally speaking, people are becoming open to fresher styling solutions, which complement Opel??????????????????????????????????????s vision.
So, we can expect to see some stunning ideas.
Indeed you can. The Astra GTC, new Corsa and Antara demonstrate quite clearly how visually dynamic the Opel brand has become. We have searched for a new emotionality, which the upcoming cars will reflect. For example, early next year when you see the first Opel GT on the roads...
Given that Opel is a volume brand, does consumer acceptance place limits on how radical your designs can be?
Customers in Western Europe are very progressive in their tastes and their product expectations. There currently appears greater social acceptance in new vehicle concepts and body shapes here than, let??????????????????????????????????????s say, in the USA. This provides us more freedom in some cases.
Opel has a long history in Germany. Would you describe the current Opel designs as particularly German?
The continuing globalization of brands and brand worlds means that this aesthetic definition is no longer such an important criterion for customers. Opel, and therefore Vauxhall and Saturn, are working to represent the best of European design. Europe has a wonderful history of design, strongly influenced by the Italians, but obviously also by the French and Germans.
And a final question, Mr. Nesbitt. As chief designer, do you still have the opportunity to be creative yourself or do your management responsibilities take up all of your time?
Of course. Creativity can manifest in many ways. Every function needs to be creative in their problem solving. Today my creativity is more focused on brand identity and brand portfolio. Of course I have to assemble the right teams, ensure they have a suitable working environment and respective tools, motivate and empower the staff and, of course, provide decisive visual direction. But ultimately my job is to promote maximum creativity in the context of directing the visual brand identities of Opel, Vauxhall, Saturn and Saab to appeal to their target customers.
