First official image: Opel Ampera

[Bartek S.]

With the Geneva Motor Show set to kick off this week, the dam holding back any remaining images and info is ready to burst. Exhibit A: the Opel Ampera. We've seen it leaked on the European Registry site, teased by GM, and spied in the wild. Today, the first full, official shot has been released, and honestly we have to wonder whether GM would have been better off giving the Chevy Volt the Opel's fascia. Seriously, for a car that's supposed to be so important, cutting-edge and revolutionary, the Volt looks pedestrian compared to the Ampera. The European cousin gets a more modern, and frankly, more attractive appearance. Sure, underneath, it's all the same tech, and the two cars' profiles are identical. But the Ampera's clearly the head-turner of the two.

More: autoblog

Press Release

The Opel Ampera: Star of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show

Electrically propelled vehicle with more than 500 kilometers autonomy

The revolutionary Opel Ampera, which will premiere March 5 at the Geneva Motor Show, will be the first emission-free, electrically propelled automobile in Europe suitable for everyday driving. For journeys up to 60 km, the five-door, four-seat hatchback runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero CO2. When the battery's energy is depleted, electricity from an on-board engine-generator extends the Ampera's range to more than 500 km.