Opel’s on the offensive – following the initiation of their growth plans, things have been going swimmingly for them. To prove it, and to further boost sales volumes, the German marque is planning on releasing 7 new vehicles during 2017. It’s not 7 genuine models though, as 3 of them are all variants of one particular vehicle, and unfortunately not all of them will be making their way to South Africa.
1. Opel Ampera-e:
The Ampera-e is Opel’s version of the much lauded Chevrolet Bolt. It’s a small, compact electric hatchback with a claimed range of more than 500km (according to the flawed NEDC tests). Unfortunately, the Ampera-e is unlikely to arrive in SA – however if the Nissan LEAF and BMW i3 continue to sell, and the infrastructure is prepped and ready, Opel may well consider it in future.
2. Opel Insignia Range:
Three variants of the new Opel Insignia will be launched in 2017 – the Grand Sport, Sports Tourer, and Country Tourer. These three models will be a sedan, station wagon, and cross country semi-offroad wagon respectively, and will look to spearhead a more premium line of attack for the brand.
These are unfortunately almost guaranteed not to arrive locally, as the South African market barely gives a second glance to anything in the D-segment unless it bears an Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz badge. The fact that even the Honda Accord has been pulled from our market says enough.
3. Opel Vivaro:
The Opel Vivaro mini-bus is another one we no longer receive here – but is set to receive major updates to enhance its flexibility in terms of passenger accommodation.
4. Opel Crossland X:
Following on from the soon to be launched Opel Mokka X (the face lifted Mokka SUV), Opel will release a new model called the Crossland X. The Crossland X will occupy a similar segment to the Mokka, however it will be more practical, becoming what is essentially the replacement for the Meriva MPV – showing once again how crossovers are the new trend in family mobility.
The Crossland X is a strong contender for local arrival, but at this stage we still have no clue what it may look like besides the single top-down teaser image posted above.
5. Opel Grandland X:
The Opel Grandland X will be the 3rd SUV/Crossover in the Opel line-up – as denominated by the ‘X’ naming scheme. This C-Segment SUV will be based off the new Opel Astra, and will look to compete against the Nissan Qashqai, BMW X1, and Mercedes-Benz GLA – sitting side by side with the Astra and Zafira in Opel’s burgeoning C-segment offering.
Like the Crossland X, the Grandland X puts forward a strong case for the South African market and is highly likely to be made available here.
Again, the only visual details we have of the Grandland X is the top-down image shared by Opel at the top of the post.
