Plug-involved products head push by brand re-energised by French ownership.

FULL exposure to the fresh design and electrified engineering direction taken by Opel will avail to Kiwis when the make resumes national sales from mid-year.

Familiar to New Zealanders for delivering a wide variety of passenger models, almost all as Holdens, between the mid-1980s through to 2020, Opel has since 2017 been in ownership of PSA, now part of the Stellantis conglomerate and producer of Peugeot and Citroen cars.

Distribution rights for Opel are now held by the PSA distributor for New Zealand, Armstrong Group, a 34-dealership independent automotive group that has national representation and involves with 16 brands.

Announcement of intent to put Opels on sale from June via eight national outlets, starting with a quartet of small and compact five-door passenger models, all with electric-involved drivetrains, was planned for a 10am web conference on Thursday, March 24.

However, that strategy was effectively blown today, when a national monthly motoring magazine virally shared the front cover of its latest edition, with a banner reading “Opel is coming to NZ”. The magazine hits retail on Thursday, but subscription editions were mailed yesterday.

The magazine’s story was not the first clue.

The operation established and run by Rick Armstrong, father out international motor-racing talent Marcus, has been dropping a hint or two.

The fattest was when Armstrongs identified itself as the country’s “sole Opel distributor” in media material sent out on March 3, when the company announced since-paused intent to undertake initial public offering (IPO) plans with institutional investors, ahead of a potential run at the Australian and NZ stock exchanges. That tilt was paused on March 21, due to “market turbulence, macro-economic conditions and geopolitical events.”

A website ‘opel.co.nz’ listing products and dealer locations went live last week, and seven days ago media were invited to participate in Thursday’s on-line conference to announce an unidentified modern and “fully electrified” German brand.

Some publications, including the magazine, were given an early briefing about this last week, to accommodate publication timings.

The website relates that among starters for Opel are the new Astra (above) that has been in production for less than a year.

Some of the products could be considered transition technology if overseas’ reports prove accurate. These suggest some of the nominated vehicles are set to update over the next two years. Also worth bearing in mind is Opel’s intention to provision only fully battery-compelled vehicles to Europe by 2028. That is bound to impact.

Aside from Astra, the other launch models are the smaller Corsa hatchback - which we have known on and off in the past as a Barina - and two crossovers, the Corsa-derived Mokka and larger Grandland. The Corsa-e and Mokka-e are shown below.

Pricing and individual models’ equipment specifications have yet to be detailed, but the website promises eligibility for Government’s respective EV and PHEV rebates.

The New Zealand-bound models already sell in the United Kingdom yet ours is surely the first country in which right-hook cars identify as Opels.

The UK market cars continue to provision as Vauxhalls (as per today’s images), rights to that badge were part of the sale deal to PSA. Had that not occurred, the Vauxhall nameplate would have gone into retirement with Holden.

Even though some names maintain from the GM era, all but the Grandland (the blue car at the bottom of this piece) have transferred away from their GM underpinnings engines to platforms and powertrains devised by PSA.

Though the incoming product will also provision with fossil fuel drivetrains, the primary push to emphasis the electric-associated credentials.

The Corsa and its Mokka crossover spin-off has the same PHEV and full EV drivetrains as the Peugeot 208 and 2008, the Astra – which only released in late 2021 - relates likewise to the Peugeot 308.

All are on PSA’s EMP2 platform but insofar as body stylings go, there’s no design relationship.

Opel was given free reign and took full advantage, developing a familial look that delivers a rectangular ‘Vizor’ nose and razor-sharp creases. This, and interior flourishes that include a fully digitised dash and textured interior surfaces are all about expressing German sophistication.

The operation also plans to add another crossover, a compact which goes by Crossland or Crossland X depending on where it goes, which will site below the Mokka. It’s a modern equivalent to the Holden Trax, with the same urban funk focus.

The Combo Life, a seven-seater small people-carrier based off a small commercial van, is also coming. There is also intent to sell three commercial vans, all with PHEV.

There are no apparent plans for Opel’s largest car, the Insignia, the car Kiwis would find most immediately familiar, as it was sold here as the ZB Commodore (though the Opel/Vauxhall versions were all four-cylinder; the V6 was a Holden-specific type).

Opels appears set to sell from two outlets in the Auckland region and others in Tauranga, Hamilton, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

In addition to basing the push around having every product availing with a plug, the Opel sales push will also highlight cars being available on subscription.

The local agency’s exact structure has yet to be shared with MotoringNZ.com, however it is known to be headed by Tom Ruddenklau, whose past industry endeavours include heading the national Hyundai and Volkswagen distributorships.