2017: the largest promotion of Opel products
Opel’s new motto is “The future belongs to you” and the car company is committed to this philosophy. Never before in its history has the Opel brand introduced so many new models and innovative technologies as in the past 12 months. 2017 was a year of great change and the biggest product advancement in the history of the company. The highlight of the past year was undoubtedly the IAA Frankfurt International Motor Show, where Opel CEO Michael Löscheler unveiled three world premieres in the form of the Grandland X compact SUV, the sporty and dynamic Insignia GSi and the action-ready Insignia Country Tourer. “We are continuing the biggest product launch in the history of Opel (opelbook). This year we have significantly expanded our range with the Crossland X crossover, the Vivaro Life leisure coupe and the Grandland X SUV,” said Lescheler in Frankfurt. “Together with Groupe PSA, we are part of a true European champion. We will continue in the same spirit, creating technology with the “Made in Germany” logo and making it available to the widest possible range of customers, while remaining true to our company philosophy – the future belongs to you.”
A new generation of flagships, excellent models of crossovers and SUVs
The year began with the presentation of the new Opel Crossland X, the first model developed in collaboration with Groupe PSA. The elegant and flexible new addition to the range celebrated its world premiere in a somewhat unusual setting in the German capital Berlin. The second member of the X-family after the best-selling SUV in the Mokka X class, it has all the necessary crossover genes to succeed in the market – great SUV-style looks and the possibility of two-tone layout, cutting-edge technology typical of the Opel brand. and high seating in a spacious and flexible interior, all wrapped up in an extremely compact 4.21m cab.
Enjoy the true off-road spirit – 2017 was the year of rugged and enduring, yet dynamic and elegant shapes with bright accents at Opel. In the segment of small cars in the spring in the shopping centers of the brand, durable and solid KARL ROCKS appeared. At the same time, Opel got off to a fast start at the opposite end of its lineup with the introduction of the second generation Insignia to the market. The coupe-like silhouette of the Insignia Grand Sport was soon followed by the equally elegant and extremely spacious station wagon versions of the Insignia Sports Tourer and Insignia Country Tourer. All three new additions to the range share the following in common – breathtaking design, lightweight structural architecture as the basis for extremely dynamic driving pleasure and advanced technology, such as the latest generation IntelliLux LED® matrix headlight system without the risk of glare and the adaptive Twinster dual transmission with torque vectoring, the most advanced system in this class of vehicle. All this embodies in its purest form a combination of “German precision and plastic artistry.” The Insignia variants have shown impressive performance in their respective areas from the outset, with the Grand Sport and Sports Tourer performing brilliantly in urban environments, and the Country Tourer showing flair in snow-covered mountainous terrain. This was appreciated by customers who have already placed about 90,000 orders for the new Insignia (manual).
With these qualities, the latest generation of Insignia worthily continues the tradition of Opel’s large flagship models, one of which celebrated a significant anniversary this year. Exactly eighty years ago, the first top model of the Opel Admiral lineup left the factory in Rüsselsheim. With Art Deco design, exceptional practicality and a very attractive price for its time, Admiral quickly rose to the top of its market segment and became the market leader.
Practicality in everyday life and convenience at an affordable price remain the two main qualities of every car with the Opel emblem to this day. Obviously, this fully applies to the Vivaro Combi +, Vivaro Tourer and Vivaro Life vans, which debuted on the market in the fall. The new trio stands out for its superior versatility, making it an excellent companion for business and leisure endeavors.
Last but not least, the debut of the new sporty Opel Insignia GSi at the Frankfurt Motor Show and the highly competitive addition to the fast-growing SUV segment with the new Opel Grandland X. . The model promises maximum driving pleasure thanks to excellent engines, shorter suspension springs that reduce ground clearance by 10 millimeters, and dynamic design inside and out. It’s not hard to guess where the last chassis fine-tuning was done – on the world’s toughest and most challenging race track, the legendary Nürburgring North section.
For its part, the new Opel Grandland X attracted the attention of many visitors in Frankfurt with its great off-road design, while at the same time becoming the third member of the Opel X family along with the Crossland X and Grandland X. Stylish and powerful, dynamic and technologically advanced, this model makes everyday driving is again attractive and exciting. Journalists were convinced of its qualities at a press presentation in the Main region, and buyers were looking forward to the market premiere of the new Grandland X at the end of October. They were again fascinated by the “German precision” of Opel design, which naturally led to almost 50,000 orders for the new model across Europe. But the compact SUV not only impresses with typical Opel qualities, it will also be the first Opel model to which will be offered in a plug-in hybrid version. “This is another important example of the opportunities that are opening up for us within the Groupe PSA. We will certainly continue to keep a close eye on this direction,” said Opel CEO Michael Löscheler at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Electrifying future
This year, Opel has already revealed the key principles of the brand’s future sustainability with the introduction of the Opel Ampera-e. It is no coincidence that the revolutionary autonomous electric vehicle unrivaled in its class has joined the elite group of Rüsselsheim-made Golden Steering Wheel award winners. But this is only the beginning. By 2024, all Opel passenger cars in the European market will also be available in an electric version, either as a classic battery electric vehicle or as a plug-in hybrid, along with versions with high-efficiency internal combustion engines. Opel/Vauxhall will offer four electrified versions to the market by 2020. Among them will be the Grandland X PHEV, as well as the battery-electric version of the next generation Corsa (manual). The Model A offensive will continue with the new Opel Combo.