Opel Szentgotthárd to continue growth in 2015
Opel closed an exceptional year in Hungary in 2014. The company reported on a 51.5 percent record growth in engine production, sold over 10,000 new cars in the country and launched the production of its third – small-sized petrol – engine family in Szentgotthárd.
2015 will bring new engine variants, growing production volumes and an increase in the Szentgotthárd-based engine plant's workforce.
In 2014, the brand sold 10,195 cars in Hungary, up from 6,730 in 2013. This represents a 51.5 percent growth in sales and a market share of 2.26 percent. In passenger car sales, Opel has taken the leading position in Hungarian car sales for the fourth year in a row with 9,051 units sold and a market share of 13.41 percent.
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The Szentgotthárd plant plays a stressed role in the promotion of new engines. The 1.6-litre diesel engine currently manufactured at the plant will already be available in the spring in the new Mokka and also in the new Insignia later this year.
The Insignia is now available with a new, 2.0-litre diesel engine with a performance of 170 bhp and 400 Nm torque. These engines will also be available in the new Astra. These units form part of a new product offensive announced last year, within which the company will launch 27 new models and 17 new engine variants by 2018.
Besides the over 100,000 engines manufactured at the Szentgotthárd Flex plant, 275,000 units were made at the company's older Family 1 factory, 70 percent of which will be sold in overseas markets. In addition, the company manufactured 200,000 units of machined engine components for Chinese customers. In 2015, the company will significantly increase production volumes.
"The two units will altogether manufacture 580,000 engines, which represents a more than 50 percent increase from 2014 volumes. In 2015, demand on Flex engines will further increase, we already registered a 10 percent increase compared to our initial plans, which is a positive and promising sign for the future," said Tamás Solt, CEO of Opel Szentgotthárd.
"Mass production of the three-cylinder variant of Opel's new small gasoline engine (SGE) was launched last summer, which will be followed by additional products. In the near future, we will launch nearly 20 new petrol or diesel variants," added Solt. Employment will further increase: the total headcount of the Szentgotthárd plant reached 1,400 last year, to be increased by 500 in 2015.
