Newcomers’ arrival means four Opels with common powerplant.

PETROLS here now, plug-in hybrids to follow: That’s the roll-out shared by Opel today in respect to its Astra hatch and Grandland sports utility, along with pricing for the fossil fuel-reliant editions.

In respect to stickers, the Astra SRi (top) will sit at $49,990 while Grandland (immediately above) is $2000 dearer.

That sites them below Opel’s two fully electric cars, the Mokka-e, which launched for $69,990 but is currently on promotion until the end of May for $52,740 if all conditions of purchase apply. The fully electric Corsa-e is a $59,990 buy. Astra is now also being produced in full electric but that variant has not been mentioned by Opel NZ in today’s news share.

The petrol Astra and Grandland have the same 96kW/230Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol with eight-speed automatic powertrain as sells in Corsa and Mokka here. The latter cost $36,990 and $38,990 respectively.

Under current Clean Car rules, the Astra and Grandland ape the Corsa and Mokka in achieving eligibility for rebates;  $2593 and $5750 in respect to the Astras and $2181 and $5750 for the Grandlands.

The mains-replenished Grandland SRi Hybrid will land next month, with pricing being held back until then, while the Astra hybrid, which names as a GSe, comes in July. Again, there’s no pricing detail.

The PHEV drivetrain in Astra and Grandland is a 1.6 litre turbo plug-in hybrid delivering 165kW and 360Nm and promises up to 60 kilometres’ electric-only range.

 There has been suggestion a third Grandland might be added. That’s a performance flagship with a 220kW plug-in hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive. 

Astra is Opel’s most recent car and lands with national awards from German, France and the United Kingdom.

Grandland is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of model age – it’s been in production since 2017 and was the last Opel developed by General Motors before the sale to PSA in France.

Conceivably it might be a short-term resident as last month a whole new Grandland was announced, beginning in production next year. The next one is a fully electric car and the factory in Eisenach, Germany, from which the type comes in about to be completely refitted.

Opel NZ believes Grandland will appeal through combining bold, striking design, premium features and good on-road performance.

It also claims the petrol edition as having the largest Clean Car of all new medium sized, petrol SUVs in the market, a factor cementing it as the most efficient in this class, according to Opel NZ commercial manager Noah Robertson.

“Grandland offers exceedingly good versatility and innovative new technology, and combined with power, efficiency and safety features, it makes for a great new family SUV.  

“This car is perfect for the daily commute but even better for family road trips and weekend adventures with plenty of space and modern features without the clutter.”  

Both Astra and Grandland have another Opel styling signature – a black roof – and the SUV has black roof bars too. They take dark-tinted rear windows and diamond-cut alloy wheels, 19s for Grandland and size smaller for Astra. 

Common interior treatments are digital instrument clusters and central touchscreens with navigation and smartphone connectivity and a wireless charging plate.

Grandland has front seats with six-way electric adjustment and aluminium pedals and other key features include IntelliLux adaptive LED Pixel headlights, adaptive cruise control with Stop and Go, advanced Active Safety Brake and Lane Positioning Assist (semi-autonomous).

Astra has ‘proximity’ keyless access and a start push button, matches Grandland in taking black Alcantara and leatherette trim and a heated steering wheel and gets a 10-way adjustable electric driver seat with memory function.

In addition to driver assists already listed for Grandland, it has advanced Active Safety Brake and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, long range blind spot monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors with a new 360 HD view camera.