New Reveal At Geneva : 2012 Opel/Vauxhall Ampera

Finally, the Switzerland opened the doors of the Geneva Motor Show. Also, the Opel (badged as a Vauxhall in UK) Ampera has been revealed there. Those who check our site daily, knew how will the Chevy Volt-based Ampera looks like from the spy shots. Nevertheless, GM promises that the Opel Ampera will be in showrooms late 2011, as for Vauxhall's own Ampera will be release the same time but in right-hand drive for the UK market.
Compared with its sibling Chevrolet Volt, the Opel Ampera is looks similar with some European design touches. The Ampera features new front-fascia that shares its styling cues from the new Opel Inignia sedan and Flextreme Concept. At the back, the Ampera gets darker treatment for taillights and it also gets new rims. Inside, Opel went for some funky red textures on the doors, and glossy black for the center console, unlike Volt's white center console.
This is where the similarities end. Mechanic wise, the Ampera is basically a European-version of the Volt. So the Opel Ampera uses the same 5-door hatchback body, and the same Voltec plug-in hybrid system as the Volt. GM says that Voltec system has a 40 mile (65 km) range from a single charge. Small gasoline engine on the car which powers the generator will increase the range to about 500 miles (800 km). Recharging from a European 230-volt outlet is expected to take 2-3 hours.
GM also says 80% of German drivers travel less than 60 km daily. With the right pricing, this car could be a huge success. It promises what most Europeans want, 60 km daily driving and zero CO2 emissions.

Source : [Opel]