Cooperation between Opel and its sister brands within General Motors has entered a new era. The first Holden has rolled off the production line in Rüsselsheim, Germany – a Silver Lake colored Insignia VXR with 325 hp for the markets in Australia and New Zealand. Opel said it wants to intensify the cooperation with the other GM brands continuously in the years to come. The production of Holden vehicles plays an important part in this strategy.

“We will work closely with our Australian partner whenever it makes sense in the coming years,” said Opel Group CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann. “It is not only further proof for the development expertise of our engineers and the attractiveness of our products it also increases the capacity utilization of our plants. We are delighted that our successful flagship will also be available in Australia and New Zealand.”

The Holden Insignia VXR is known as the Opel Insignia OPC in mainland Europe. The Rüsselsheim-based carmaker announced in May 2014 that it would be exporting European vehicles under the Holden badge from 2015, according to the automaker. In addition to the Insignia VXR, the Astra GTC and the especially sporty Astra VXR (the equivalent of the Astra OPC) will also be exported to Australia and New Zealand as Holdens. The elegant Cascada convertible will complete the line-up.

“Astra, Cascada and Insignia are renowned in Europe for their performance credentials and premium execution, making them the perfect addition to Holden’s range as we continue to offer more choice for our customers,” said Bill Mott, Holden executive director of marketing.

In future, Holden will source roughly one third of its future product line-up from Opel, according to the automaker.