Opel receives clear feedback from many sides for the decision ADAM at the market launch to present a well-known generation of engines and for the time being to forego innovations in the area of engines and transmissions.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with Dieter Metz, Chief Engineer of the Opel ADAM:
BH: If you only look at the technical side, what are you particularly proud of about your new ADAM? Please only name 3 things:
DM: The two-tone roof, the starry sky and the fully automatic parking feature.
BH: What do you do better than your competitors - limited to the technical area?
DM: I guess, in the technical area, we put more effort into the subject of customization, in other words, we thought about how we can give the customer the maximum choice of personalization features in the interior and exterior.
BH: What do you think will fascinate the buyer most about the ADAM, or to put it another way - what do you wish for what should fascinate the buyer most about the ADAM?
DM: Generally speaking, the styling of the car, which I still believe is that we are setting new standards in terms of the interior - the quality impression in the interior in the mini segment - not better than the Opel standard so far - but better than the standard average in the segment so far . I always say that when you sit down in the ADAM, you feel like you're in a little insignia - purely in terms of quality. I think that's extraordinary in this segment and especially with the size of the vehicle.
BH: If there hadn't been a controlling department that kept telling the technicians - we have to adhere to cost limits - which feature, which equipment, which change would you have implemented first - in addition to the current status?
DM: I can't think of anything!
BH: The ADAM is currently only offered with a five-speed gearbox and a well-known engine, why didn't the ADAM immediately get a six-speed gearbox and a modern direct injection engine?
DM: On the one hand it is due to the fact that you have to be very price sensitive in the A segment and on the other hand because of the short development time.
BH: The ADAM has got a wide track, but the room height could have been increased and, especially in the area of the C-pillar, the roof slopes into the slope quite early. Why was it not so important to provide more headroom and trunk volume here?
DM: It's not the first priority - styling is particularly important, styling also comes before functionality here - trunk size and headroom are appropriate for the segment.
BH: How about a parking heater? Wouldn't it have been a real convenience feature for the segment?
DM: To be honest, nobody in this vehicle class buys a real parking heater. We have already made the experience.
BH: The ADAM has to get along without cornering lights and emergency brake assist, at least now for the start - why did you do without this?
DM: We discussed the subject of cornering lights internally, but we came to the decision that we should use the LED daytime running lights that we have in the car and also from the point of view that the customer also has to pay for everything he orders - so we do implement now, are better positioned. I think that's a very good strategy.
BH: Where do you see the average age of the drivers?
DM: A good question - we keep our eyes on the young and the young at heart. How many are really young then and how many have remained young - we'll see then!
BH: If you can choose 3 songs that you hear when you drive through the city with the ADAM?
DM: I don't belong to the very young generation anymore, I still like to listen to AC / DC - but I think especially Gangnam style from PSY would be a good fit * laughs *
BM: Thank you very much - 🙂 * laughing along * that's enough 😉
Before we completely drift off in terms of music taste, I have to end the interview. Thanks to Dieter Metz for the interview!
If you now have something else about the Marketing and the ideas behind it, then click on to the interview with Katie Purcell ...
