Opel/Vauxhall won’t be teaming up with Suzuki Motor Corp. as it builds a new Agila small minivan, according to its head of sales and marketing Alain Visser. In an interview at the Geneva Motor Show, Visser said that the existing contract with Suzuki will expire pretty soon and that while Suzuki now has “different plans,” it will continue to work with Suzuki on the current Agila. Speculations that the partnership would end had spread ever since Volkswagen AG agreed in December to buy a 20% stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. Suzuki and Opel cooperate in the production of the Agila and its sister model, the Suzuki Splash. Visser added that aside from plans for the three- and five-door Corsa, and the minicar, “there is room for a future Agila.” The present Agila model will be replaced by 2012 at the latest; however, Visser declined to provide more details on the new car or of when it will be launched. Mark Adams, Opel’s vice-president for design, gave assurances that the new Agila would not cannibalize its other cars in the small car segment. Adams said that the growth of the small-car market is significant.
