Sunday, December 5, 2010

Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna



opel antara copy 450x300 Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna
Opel has pulled the wraps off its facelifted Antara at the Bologna Motor Show, and the Euro-market midsize cousin to our GMC Terrain has received a host of upgrades. As is the way with mid-cycle refreshes, the Antara’s Theta chassis has been re-tuned, the interior has been reworked and the powertrain is available in a range of configurations.
The base Antara is powered by a 2.4-liter, 167 horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine that pulls around the front wheels. It can be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission in both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, while a six-speed automatic is also available on the all-wheel drive Antara.
For fans of diesel drinkers, the Antara offers two choices, both of which, oddly, are 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder units. One makes 163 horsepower at 3,800 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm while the other produces 184 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque in the same rev range. The 163-hp unit is available with either the autobox or the manual in your choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 184-hp diesel is only available with all-wheel drive but is still offered with either transmission.