The Grandland sports utility just released here is to be replaced in mid-2024.

AN Opel that has just released in New Zealand will be bumped by a fully electric equivalent in Europe by mid-2024, but what impact that’ll have on availability here has yet to be spelled out.

This morning’s announcement from the French-owned German marque spelling out intention to replace the Grandland sports utility with a battery-dedicated equivalent with 700 kilometres’ range is in itself not a surprise.

Opel’s intention to provision only fully battery-compelled vehicles to Europe by 2028 was made clear some time ago.

That strategy also conforms to long-term planning for the marque here. At present, Opel already sells with Green promise as its line-up entirely comprises models that qualify for the government’s Clean Car Discount.

Grandland is the largest and last of the Opel models that is intended for sale here and is intended to rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq. We’re seeing in late in life. It has been in production since 2017.

In present, just-landed form it sells as a front-drive petrol model, in plug-in hybrid 1.6-litre and a three-cylinder 1.2-litre forms, both married to an eight-speed automatic.

The PHEV gets a combined 165kW/360Nm from its drivetrain, which involves a 13.2kWh battery, while the fully petrol car achieves 96kW/230Nm from a turbocharged 1.2-litre engine also shared with the Corsa small hatch and Mokka compact crossover.

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

Opel distribution rights are held by Armstrong Group, a 34-dealership independent automotive group that has 16 brands. Opel, Peugeot and Citroen – now all sister brands – are specifically represented by the AutoDistributors NZ operation.

Autodistributors’ senior management has been approached for comment about today’s news from Opel headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, but has yet to reply.

Opel indicated the new EV – which may not retain the Grandland name – will start rolling down the production line in Eisenach, Germany, that produces the current car, but only after it has undergone a $NZ174 million refit.

The car is on an all-new electric car platform, called STLA, that is also to underpin important future Peugeot and Chrysler Group models (because they all come under common Stellantis Group ownership).

“Eisenach, our most compact plant in Germany, has demonstrated a strong drive in quality improvements,” said Arnaud Deboeuf, Stellantis’ chief manufacturing officer today.

“With this allocation of Stellantis’ new fully BEV platform, STLA Medium, Eisenach plant’s highly skilled workforce will continue to improve the cost and the quality of the vehicles they produce to delight our customers.

“We have been building top-quality vehicles here in Thuringia for 31 years and improved our competitiveness continuously. We will stay on this clear path with the electric successor to the Opel Grandland,” said Florian Huettl, Opel chief executive.

“This decision is another important step for Opel on the way to the declared goal of being a purely electric brand in Europe by 2028.”

The Eisenach plant has produced close to four million vehicles since it opened in 1992.

Opel says the Eisenach investment is a key step in meeting the commitments of its ‘Dare Forward 2030’ strategic plan, which is led by deep emission cuts to slash CO2 in half by 2030 and achieve carbon net zero by 2038.

Core targets for Dare Forward 2030 also include 100 percent of passenger car sales in Europe and 50 percent of passenger car and light-duty truck sales in the United States to be electric vehicles by the end of the decade.

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