BERLIN (AP) -- General Motors Co.'s Opel and Vauxhall operations are set to revamp their model range, even as they work to reduce capacity, the company's top European executive said Friday.
GM Europe president Nick Reilly wrote in an official company blog that he plans to announce his management team "soon."
It will be "a great mix of people familiar with the Opel/Vauxhall organization and others who can bring new, innovative opinions and approaches," Reilly said.
"At the same time, we will begin a new product offensive that will see a major revamp of our line-up," he wrote. "This year alone we will launch seven new products."
Among those will be the second-generation Meriva, which is to premiere at the Geneva Auto Show in March, he said.
The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on its Web site, citing unidentified supervisory board sources, that Opel managing director Hans Demant would be replaced by Reilly. The company declined to comment.
Reilly has said that GM likely will produce its restructuring plan for the European operation this month. He did not offer new details on that in Friday's blog entry.
"We must work fast to reduce our capacity, while maintaining productivity and quality," he said. "But reducing capacity and structural cost, both of which are critical, will not be enough."
"I am keenly aware that we must keep our eyes on our goal of designing and building stylish cars with exciting innovations at an affordable price," Reilly added.
GM in November abruptly canceled the planned sale of a majority in Opel and Vauxhall to a consortium of Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. and Russian lender Sberbank, instead deciding to restructure the brands itself.
