Opel Antara Available with Front-Wheel Drive: €2,000 Savings Over 4WD

Following in the footsteps of VW and its FWD Tiguan, Opel is now offering front-wheel drive versions of its Antara soft-roader (sold in States as the Saturn Vue) in Europe. Ditching the four-wheel drive hardware saves weight, reduces frictional losses and most importantly for buyers, has significant cost savings. The Antara front-wheel drive is available with Opel's Common Rail Turbo diesel 2.0-liter CDTI with 127HP as well as the 2.4 liter gasoline engine that cranks out 140HP. Regardless of the motor chosen, the price of the front-wheel drive is €2,000 (around $2,600 U.S.) less than Antara's all-wheel version. In Germany, prices for the gasoline Antara FWD start from €25, 970, while the diesel sells for €27,880.

According to Opel, 127 hp-strong 2.0 CDTI common rail diesel versions needs 7.3 liters to travel 100km (32.2 mpg U.S.) and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 11.5 sec. The 140HP 2.4 liter gasoline variant reaches a speed of 100 km/h from a standstill in 11.6 seconds it and needs 9.3 liters of gas to travel 100km (25.2 mpg U.S.).