Opel

Opel is bringing back the Manta nameplate with a strong contemporary twist: an all-electric powertrain and a smart screen integrated in the front end that can display various messages or logos.

Opel (or Vauxhall in the U.K.) is refreshing the Crossland crossover, which now drops the X from its previous name (Crossland X) and puts on a face inspired by the new Mokka - which also dropped the X with the new generation.

That front end design is called Opel Visor and we expect it to pop up on other future products coming from the PSA-owned brand. Here’s what the facelifted Crossland has to offer.

Hillclimb racing is a discipline that can be easily described as ’rapid-fire motorsport’. You’re the kind who doesn’t have the patience to watch an entire Formula 1 Grand Prix or even a shorter MotoGP round? Hillclimb racing is for you since here you have the recipe for instant excitement packed in bite-sized chunks: there are ultra-fast cars looking like they come from the World Time Attack Challenge only here they have to tackle ultra-narrow mountain roads with no margin for error.

The surfaces are often bumpy and you basically only have two shots at getting it right each time around. Alexander Hin surely gets it right more often than not from behind the wheel of his low-slung Opel Kadett.

Watching a car travel 40 miles per hour straight into a barrier often results in the car getting walloped, but what if that same car was going three times faster at 130 mph and then slams into a stationary bus? The results are indescribable, but we do get to see the scene unfold before our eyes courtesy of YouTube channel Bri4ka.

The video isn’t in English so it might be a little difficult to follow. Fortunately, the visuals that you’ll see are about as straightforward as they can get. The objective is clear, too. A remote-controlled second-generation Opel Omega and a decommissioned city bus are the sacrificial lambs in this test. At the very least, the test gives us a glimpse of what can happen if a car traveling twice the speed limit in the U.S. hits a parked city bus. Before you watch it, be advised that the results are unspeakably destructive.

Opel/Vauxhall’s first all-electric SUV is called Mokka-e and comes with a radical design that’s far from what the Mokka has been showing since its inception.

Aided by the fusion with the PSA Group, the Germans seem to have finally found a direction for their future lineup, both design- and powertrain-wise, at least as electrification is concerned. Here’s all you need to know about the new Opel Mokka-e.

The Opel Grandland X Hybrid4 is the hybrid version of the Grandland X, a compact crossover than the German firm introduced in 2017 as a replacement for the Antara. It’s also the firm’s first hybrid vehicle. The Grandland X Hybrid4 features a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine and two electric motors. The total output almost hits 300 horsepower.

One of the first models launched by Opel following the takeover by the PSA Group, the Grandland X shares many underpinnings with the Peugeot 3008, which also features a hybrid variant. Not only a big departure from the Antara and Zafira as far as technology goes, the Grandland X also pushes the German brand into the hybrid market for the very first time. Better late than never, right? Let’s find out more about this SUV in the review below.

The 2020 Opel Corsa-e Rally is an all-electric rally car based on the sixth-generation Corsa hatchback, which now offers an EV version called the Corsa-e. The all-electric hatchback was developed specifically for a one-make series run by the German manufacturer in Europe. The race-spec hatchback is very similar to the road-going Corsa-e, with only small updates on the outside and a revised suspension. The electric drivetrain is identical to the road car’s setup. The interior, on the other hand, includes a handful of race-spec features. The Corsa-e Rally is the world’s first mass-produced electric rally car.

The Opel Corsa is one of the German manufacturer’s best selling models, and now there’s an all-new sixth-generation model out, based around the same platform as the 2019 Peugeot 208. The two cars are mechanically very similar, but what they propose are two distinct visual packages - the 2020 Opel Corsa is the more sober and restrained of the two, so it’s probably pretty attractive to you if you prefer to be more low-key and not stand out as much as you would in, say, the flashier Peugeot 208.

Aside from it sharing its underpinnings with other PSA products, the new Corsa also being offered in all-electric form for the first time. That model is called the Corsa-e and is motivated by a powertrain that is also shared with the new e-208). However, its platform sharing doesn’t affect the way it looks, and the 2020 Corsa looks like a current Opel model both inside and out. You can’t really spot the relation unless you know of it beforehand.

The 2020 Opel Corsa’s new platform also helps it shed significant weight over its GM-Fiat underpinned predecessor and, in doing so, it has become quicker, more efficient, and better at going around corners too. Sitting inside, you’ll notice the much lower and sportier driving position as well as the feeling of being cocooned in the cabin - a feeling akin to that you get from a sports car. It even feels a bit sportier inside than its Peugeot-badged cousin.

PSA Peugeot-Citroen acquired Opel (and its U.K. arm Vauxhall) in August of 2017, and since then, it’s launched a few Opel-branded vehicles based on its own platforms. None, however, have been as important as the sixth-generation Corsa. The 2019 Opel Corsa shares its platform with the rakish new 208 hatch, but it promises to offer a more restrained, more Germanic take on the same city car formula.

PSA has been attempting to reduce the number of platforms across its brands and increase more ‘sharing’ within the family. As such, Opel and Vauxhall will be using the EMP2 platform for the Astra L. The same platform underpins other products including the new Grandland X SUV. This also opens a wide array of options for Opel/Vauxhall, as the EMP2 platform will allow the Astra L to go for electrification.

High-riding vehicles, like crossovers and SUVs are at the height of popularity right now, but they’re not the only way to go if you want practicality and some off-road capability. Crossover style raised wagons are a great alternative and while they can still drive you over a rough field or rutted road with ease, they’re better to drive on road and actually pretty stylish.

They are essentially the wagon versions of different cars which have gained extra ride height and plastic cladding on the outside to protect them from scratches in their most vulnerable points. These vehicles usually have standard all-wheel drive and are usually a higher trim level, so they are not cheap (compared to the vehicle they’re based on) but they also come with a lot of equipment.

Here’s a list of the 13 coolest crossover-style wagons you can buy today.

Whether you call it the Vauxhall Corsa GSi or the Opel Corsa GSi, one thing is for certain - the Corsa GSi is one zippy concoction made to make a lot of bang for not a lot of buck. Available in mainland Europe as Opel and in the U.K. as the Vauxhall, the Corsa GSi packs a tiny, 1.4-liter turbocharged, engine, enough power to surge to 62 mph in less than 9 seconds and, with a proper amount of sporty features honed by the OPC, enough character to make you happy.

Opel revealed a new car - the GT X Experimental. It is only a concept car, but this term should be used with caution here as this is basically the first car Opel/Vauxhall revealed following PSA Group’s acquisition of the brand by GM less than a year ago. The new pseudo-crossover showcases all the important evolution steps Opel is about to take to transform General Motors ideas into something new. The first ideas are already out. By 2024, Opel will electrify all of its lineup, introduce a redeveloped and unified design language, release a number of crossovers, develop an autonomous driving system, and show a number of new models. Expect replacements for the Corsa, the Astra, and the Mokka, among others.

The concept Opel GT X Experimental is the first proper look into that future. After all, the GT X Experimental features an electric powertrain, Level 3 self-driving ability, it is a sort of a crossover, and it gives us a glimpse into the new design language. Obviously, Opel designers took some of the stylistic features from the Opel GT Concept from 2016 and adapted them for the new car as well.

Opel and Vauxhall are celebrating their one-year anniversary under the PSA umbrella, and as such, the duo are giving us a glimpse at things to come - specifically, a teaser of an upcoming concept car that’ll inform future production model styling. Looks promising.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Opel Grandland X marks a huge weight off the shoulders of the French automaker. Shackled by the completely underwhelming Antara, the Grandland X arrives with a new and more SUV-friendly design, a larger profile than the Crossland X, and some much-needed heritage from the Peugeot 3008, a car that has surprised a lot of people with its overall offering. The Grandland X is an all-new model, too, providing a much-needed boost for the French automaker in its fight for relevancy in the super competitive world of crossovers and SUVs.

Continue reading to learn more about the Opel Grandland X.

In an ever-growing market where customers want something new literally every day, you either adapt, or you perish. Guess Vauxhall chose the second option. As reported by Telegraph, Vauxhall and Opel are terminating the contracts of all 326 dealerships in Britain as they battle to deal with plunging sales and a changing market. Yes, all of them! Read on to know more:

We’ve known for a while that PSA was planning to invade the U.S. auto market and it has, in fact, already done so by kicking off its Free2Move mobility platform in Seattle last year. And, more recently – back in January of 2019 – PSA announced that it had chosen Atlanta, Georgia as it’s home away from home. The next move is adding certain PSA models to various car-sharing services, but PSA has reportedly already chosen what brand it will begin selling in the U.S. first, but we’re not privy to the information quite yet.

Reuters is reporting that PSA Group now wants GM to refund nearly half, or about $700 million of the $1.353 billion it paid to the U.S. Automaker last July for the acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall. The report comes with claims that GM failed to disclose just how badly Opel and Vauxhall would miss hitting emissions targets set by the European Union for 2021 and beyond. PSA, which includes brands like Peugeot and Citroen, says it was misled and is owed this refund as the acquisition of brands that fall so far from 2021 emissions targets will cause it to incur significantly more fines than previously expected. GM claims that it provided “substantial information” and that “PSA undertook a robust due diligence process” that included “their employees, many experts, and lawyers.”

Want to know more? Keep reading to learn about the change to EU emissions rules in 2021 and what kind of fines PSA is looking at over the Opel and Vauxhall Acquisition.

Peugeot parent company PSA Group is looking to recoup close half the amount it paid for Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors on claims that it was misled regarding Opel’s emissions strategy. The French automaker closed a deal with American counterpart on the sale of Opel and Vauxhall for $2 billion. The deal was completed just last month, but now PSA Group is up-in-arms over its claims that GM misled the company into believing that its Opel would miss the European Union’s 2021 CO2 emissions target for passenger vehicles of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Barely a month after taking ownership of Opel, the French automaker now things that Opel would be at least 10kg/km over the limit.

German automaker Opel first offered the Insignia in 2008, replacing the Vectra and Signum in its lineup. Also sold as a Vauxhall in Britain, a Holden Commodore in Australia, and the a Regal in China and the U.S., we’ve already seen a fastback iteration of the model offered on this side of the pond as the new 2018 Buick Regal GS. Now, Opel is offering up a hot-to-trot wagon version called the GSi Sports Tourer. The GSi nameplate was pulled from previous go-faster versions of Opel’s street cars, with previous examples including the Manta GSi and Kadett GSi from the mid-‘80s, as well as the Kadett 2.0 GSi 16V and Astra GSi and Corsa GSi. Now, followingw a full reveal at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, there’s a new one that the automaker says was designed to be both fun and practical. Outside, you’ll find long, lean, wide, and horizontal styling elements, while under the hood resides a potent turbo 2.0-liter engine, all of which combines with a substantial amount of space in back for people and things.

This is Opel’s new flagship station wagon, so it makes sense the Germans gave it the royal treatment. In fact, Opel is so certain it’ll bring the sporting goods, it included a picture of a racing suit, helmet, and gloves in the back of the trunk in the press shots. But is it really worthy of such connotations? Read on the find out.

Continue reading to learn more about the Opel Insignia GSi Sports Tourer.

Recently purchased by the Peugeot-Citroen Group (PSA) from General Motors, German automaker Opel unveiled the new Grandland X crossover at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Bu,t while adding a third SUV to the lineup is big news for Opel, the Grandland X isn’t exactly breaking news material, as the vehicle was previewed back in April. However, there’s big news in the fact that this SUV will get a hybrid drivetrain. And the important thing here is that the Grandland X will be the company’s very first plug-in hybrid vehicle. Now that’s something to get excited about.

As a refresher, the Grandland X joins Opel’s still somewhat limited crossover lineup, which only includes the Crossland X and the popular Mokka X. Nearly eight inches longer than the Crossland X, the Grandland X is built around PSA’s EMP2 platform, shared with vehicles like the Citroen C5 Aircross, Peugeot 3008, 4008, and 5008. Actually, the Grandland X shares most of its underpinnings with the Peugeot 3008, which was updated from a minivan-like vehicle into a full-fledged crossover in 2016. The only thing we don’t know yet is when the hybrid Grandland X will hit the market.

Continue reading for the full story.

After many months of speculation, General Motors and PSA confirmed today that German brand Opel, together with is U.K.-based Vauxhal Motors subsidiary, has been sold to the French company that produces Citroen and Peugeot. PSA will also purchase GM Financial’s European operations in a transaction that’s expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

GM will receive €1.32 billion ($1.4 billion as of March 2017) for Opel in the form of €650 million ($689 million) in cash and €670 million ($710 million) in PSA share warrants. An additional €900 million ($954 million) will be paid by PSA and BNP Paribas for Opel’s financing arm, which will be operated by the French bank. The whole transaction is valued at €2.2 billion ($2.33 billion).

“We are proud to join forces with Opel/Vauxhall and are deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman of the Managing Board of PSA. “We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall’s talented people have achieved as well as the company’s fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalizing on their respective brand identities.

“For GM, this represents another major step in the ongoing work that is driving our improved performance and accelerating our momentum. We are reshaping our company and delivering consistent, record results for our owners through disciplined capital allocation to our higher-return investments in our core automotive business and in new technologies that are enabling us to lead the future of personal mobility," said GM chairman and CEO Mary T. Barra.

General Motors admitted that selling Opel to PSA will free up resources for better opportunities in North America and China, as well as enable the automaker to return cash to shareholders. GM also claims that the European market has become so different from the company’s other major regions that only 20 percent of the vehicles in Opel’s lineup would have been shared with GM products. The company also expects the deal to free up around $2 billion in cash to use toward repurchasing its own shares. As a reminder, GM is in the middle of a buyback effort following its 2009 bankruptcy.

As far as its Buick and Holden brands are concerned, both sharing underpinnings with current Opel vehicles, the German carmaker will continue to provide parts. GM and PSA will also collaborate on electric car technology, so it’s safe to assume that the American firm and Opel will continue to have solid ties. However, some Opel models will be restricted from entering new overseas markets, while GM will be similarly barred from selling similar technology in Europe. All told, should GM plan to return to Europe with Chevrolet, it will have to develop its own vehicles without technology from Opel/Vauxhall.

PSA, which has now surpassed Renault to become Europe’s second-largest carmaker after Volkswagen, vowed to return Opel to profit after more than two decades of losses. Using the same strategy that saved PSA from going under, the French are targeting a two-percent profit by 2020 and six-percent profit by 2026. At the same time, PSA predicts joint cost savings of around €1.7 million ($1.8 million).

According to Tavares, the next-generation Opel Corsa will be the first vehicle to benefit from the new joint-venture. The subcompact will arrive in 2020.

Continue reading for the full story.

When it comes to major automotive offerings from Germany, Opel isn’t usually the first name to pop up. But it isn’t for lack of trying – the brand is well established across several international markets, with its flagship Insignia sedan leading the charge, packing premium touches at a bargain price point. Originally unveiled in 2008 at the British International Motor Show, the mid-size Insignia hasn’t failed to make the sale, with over 900,000 units moved since its introduction and a variety of accolades awarded. Now, as we quickly approach 2017, Opel says it’s dead-set on launching 17 new models, including the new-generation Insignia. Boasting a lower curb weight, more technology, a new architecture, and new styling, Opel’s next-gen flagship clearly isn’t pulling any punches.

The whole thing draws heavily from the brand’s Monza Concept, revealed in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new Insignia is tasked with introducing the production side of Opel’s latest design philosophy evolution, and as such, it’s adopting a new name – Grand Sport.

It’s a title that should only be reserved those models that offer superior comfort and style for the long haul, plus adequate (or more than adequate) prowess and speed when the feeling is right.

Does the new Insignia fit the bill? Well, one quick glance at the spec sheet suggests it’s at least heading in the right direction. And that’s a good thing, because the Insignia is much more than just an Opel – swap the badges and tweak some of the equipment, and it’s a Vauxhall in the U.K., a Holden Commodore in Australia, and a Buick Regal in China and the U.S.

That makes this car extremely important to several big names, not just Opel. But the question remains – does it have what it takes to get out of the shadow of the Big German Three?

Continue reading to learn more about the Opel Insignia Grand Sport.