Last week when GM vice chairman Bob Lutz spoke with TheCarConnection.com about the Saturn Aura, he explained that the plan had been to "short-cycle" the current Aura and bring this new Opel Insignia to the States as a Saturn. Now with Saturn being re-evaluated--could it be all small cars once again?--and with big changes in the dollar/Euro value in just a year, the plan to replace the Aura is kaput, and the current car will soldier on through a normal life cycle.

So while it's not coming to the U.S. now, there's no definitive say on whether the new Opel Insignia will ever show up on American soil. It seems too bad; the car's visual themes are what GM calls "sculptured artistry"--from its BMW-like taillamps, to a front end that smacks of the Volkswagen Jetta and its "coupe-like" profile, the two-word curse that's beginning to afflict even SUVs. The body sports a low, low coefficient of drag of 0.26, and inside, there's a "premium" interior treatment that's much nicer than the current generation of Opel sedans.

The Aura's also missing out on all-wheel drive, which is engineering in the new Insignia, as well as a "FlexRide" chassis that adjusts suspension settings automatically or by driver choice. The Insignia also gets adaptive lighting and a lane-departure warning system on its options list.

As for mechanicals, the Insignia has seven available powertrains: three gas four-cylinders of 2.0 liters or less; a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6; and three diesels of 2.0 liters. Six-speed automatic and manual transmissions are offered.

The new Insignia goes on sale in December 2008 across the Continent. Hold your breath if you'd like it to appear at a Saturn showroom; our bets are on Saturn shrinking to a three-vehicle brand (Astra, Vue, and Sky) before too long.

“Suicide is painless,” goes the theme song from “Mash.” But don’t use that word around General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner. “We’d rather you don’t use that word,” he explained, during a conversation at the Geneva Motor Show, following the debut of GM subsidiary Opel’s new Metiva Concept.

Why so squeamish? Well, you might understand why an automaker like Opel would rather not use the term, ‘suicide doors,” but would rather call the onospace” Meriva’s rear-hinged portals “FlexDoors.” It just seems like a much friendlier way to connect with potential customers.

Well, whatever you call them, Meriva’s got some interesting ideas to offer up, and we expect to see a number of them showing up on the production version, which is soon to replace the existing Meriva model in GM’s European line-up.

“The Meriva Concept clearly illustrates how our new Opel design language can be adapted to create bold, fresh design solutions for the monocab segment,” explains Mark Adams, Vice President of Design, General Motors Europe.

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Opening a full 90 degrees, the unusual door design is meant to enhance Meriva’s functionality – without borrowing the sort of sliding doors that hallmark a minivan. Opel officials insist the rear-hinged design makes it easier to control access to the back seat, handy when you’re hauling around a car full of kids.

The suicide, er, FlexDoors are just one of the more notable features of the Meriva Concept. One of the other distinctive styling cues is the ‘wave’ in the rear window line, intented to provide a better view for the passengers in the back. It isn’t an entirely new concept, however, first appearing – in admittedly more extreme form on the quirly Citroën C2.

While both the wave window and FlexDoors seem bound for production, the unusual, U-shaped windshield, which stretches up and back over the rear passengers, is less likely to make it onto the assembly line.

Meanwhile, Meriva gives a good hint at how Opel is shaping a consistent look for its line-up, with its rear lights echoing the design of those on the upcoming Insignia, which will become Opel’s new upper midsize model, after its Summer 2008 debut.

The Meriva Concept is powered by a new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with Variable Valve Timing.

While a number of new Opel designs are destined to be shared with GM’s U.S. brand, Saturn, insiders say Meriva is likely not to make the trans-Atlantic leap. --By Paul A. Eisenstein and Henny Hemmes

GM has announced it will have a trio of world debut cars at next month’s Geneva Motor Show – and this is the first to break cover.

European bosses have released a single sketch of a new small car, and the clue is in the title. It’s the Meriva concept, which obviously hints at a replacement for the B-segment compact minivan of the same name. It’s sold under the Opel banner in mainland Europe and the Vauxhall brand in the U.K.. It’s a five-seater people carrier and sits below the larger seven-chair Zafira.

There’s little in the way of official detail, but features of note include the distinctive tick-shaped line running from the front wheel arch down the flank. This has been seen already on the firm’s GTC Coupe and Flextreme models.

The window line, dipping down near the B-pillar before rising again, is also smart. A GM statement says it would allow rear seat passengers a better all-round view if it were offered on a production model.

What will happen to Opel’s GTC concept, after the Geneva motor show is done? Opel sources hint to TheCarConnection that a 2009 model-year production date in Europe is likely, with sales beginning in late 2008. That's for Europe, where the Opel brand is a mainstay.

As for other brands, might the GTC also become a Vauxhall - or even a Saturn? Since the GTC is based on the Opel Vectra – as is Saturn’s Aura – it seems likely that the GTC might be considered for the Saturn lineup too. GM officials tell TheCarConnection that the GTC might indeed have a spot in the Saturn lineup, although they stress that the concept hasn't even been confirmed for production yet. But if the concept's reception at the Geneva Motor Show is any indication, GM executives are studying their options very closely.

As for Vauxhall? What, do we sound British? Those guys at Autocar might know.

Opel GTC: A New Design Era?--TheCarConnection.com