We drive the electrified Opel range: Corsa-e, Mokka-e and Grandland PHEV

Opel faces 2022 with electrification as its main focus, a preview of the strategy that will lead the brand to offer a fully electric range from 2028. Today, the German brand already has 100% electric models in its line-up, such as the Opel Corsa-e and the Opel Mokka-e.

To these we must add the new Opel Grandland Plug-in Hybrid, and the newcomer Opel Astra. Orders are already being accepted for the PHEV version of the German compact, which in 2023 will be joined by a 100% electric version. Not forgetting the Opel Zafira e-Life and Opel Vivarto e-Combi. Later on, the Opel Rocks-e, the replacement for the Insignia and the future electric Manta… will arrive. In addition, Opel already has electrified versions across its entire range of commercial vehicles, with the Combo-e and Combo e-Life, Vivaro-e and Movano-e.

At an event organised in Madrid we had the opportunity to drive and review the electrified range of Opel, checking the advantages of this type of vehicle for certain uses.

Opel Corsa-e: a city car for leaving the city

It is curious that the electric version of the supermini from Opel, built at the Zaragoza plant, is the most powerful in the Corsa range, given that this is a vehicle with a clear urban focus.

However, its 359 km WLTP range and the ability to recharge the 50 kWh battery using fast charging of up to 100 kW (you get 100 km of range in just over 10 minutes, or charge to 80% in half an hour) allow the Corsa-e to extend its operating radius beyond the city. A power output of 136 CV and the 260 Nm of torque from its electric motor guarantee genuinely sporty performance. The agility with which you can move through urban traffic is surprising… and how pleasant it is to drive on the open road, even when the bends arrive.

The supermini from Opel can also feature innovations such as IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights, and first-class equipment in terms of driver assistance, safety and connectivity, without losing interior space or boot capacity compared with the petrol and diesel versions.

The Opel Corsa-e is available in Edition, Elegance, GS Line and Ultimate trims, with a price from 31,200 euros to 36,300 euros, excluding the purchase grants of the MOVES Plan. Opel advertises a commercial offer from 150 euros a month when financing the purchase (in this case including the 7,000 euro MOVES grant), thus matching the monthly payment needed to get a petrol or electric Corsa. You can read the road test of the Opel Corsa-e here.

Opel Mokka-e: the electric SUV for almost everything

With a striking design, a fully digitalised interior and sharing its electric propulsion system with the Corsa-e, the Opel Mokka-e is one of the most interesting alternatives for those seeking an electric SUV in this category. As in the Corsa, the battery position does not take away space compared with its combustion siblings, and high-power charging makes planning a journey no hassle at all.

As with the rest of Opel’s electric cars, the driving mode selector lets you choose between the Eco, Normal or Sport modes, in which torque and available power are limited (to 60 kW and 80 kW in the first two, offering the maximum 100 kW in Sport mode), as well as throttle response, steering assistance and climate control operation. This helps, for example, to achieve low electricity consumption in the city without having to worry too much about driving efficiently.

In this case, because some components of the propulsion system sit in the boot, the Mokka-e is left with a capacity of 310 litres, compared with the 350 litres of the combustion-engined versions. Even so, this should be more than enough for a car that makes good use of space relative to its compact dimensions. As we were able to confirm again, it is very pleasant to drive in any situation, whether in town, on the motorway or even on winding roads. Once again we very much liked how the driver’s position is resolved, which in the best-equipped versions can include a dual screen with 12-inch instrumentation and a 10-inch multimedia system.

For the Opel Mokka-e, the available trims are Edition, GS Line, Business Elegance and Ultimate, with a price starting at 36,717 euros, roughly 6,000 euros more than the Corsa-e. The top of the range costs 43,416 euros. Opel advertises a commercial offer, including the MOVES Plan, which allows access to a Mokka-e from 200 euros a month, with an initial deposit from around 4,400 euros and 36 monthly payments. Among its most direct rivals are the Peugeot e-2008 and the DS 3 Crossback E-TENSE, which share the Mokka’s propulsion system. Another alternative would be the Hyundai electric Kona.

Opel Grandland PHEV: up to 60 km of electric range

Although it is not an all-new generation, the restyling that Opel has carried out on the Grandland X, launched in 2017, makes some aspects feel as if this were a completely new car. Especially on entering the interior of the new Opel Grandland, which has also received digitalisation. The best part is that it gains aesthetically both outside and inside, offering a modern feel, and it also enhances its main strengths, which are ride comfort and interior space efficiency.

It shares its propulsion system with the Citroën C5 Aircross PHEV and the Peugeot 3008 PHEV, with two versions available. The entry-level one has front-wheel drive and combines an electric motor with a 1.6 turbo petrol engine to deliver 225 CV. The more powerful one uses a second electric motor on the rear axle, giving it four-wheel drive, and offers 300 CV. For most users the first will be sufficient, as it already offers a good level of performance. The claimed electric-only range is around 60 km.

As with its “cousins”, the propulsion system works very well, but in real-world driving it is one of the plug-in hybrids in its class that falls furthest short of its homologated range, and the one that suffers most in average consumption when, running in hybrid mode, the battery runs out of charge. Even so, it is far more refined and pleasant to drive than the petrol or diesel versions, and relative to its performance it can be driven at a moderate consumption.

Available in Business Edition, GS Line and Ultimate trims, the 225 CV Grandland PHEV has a starting price from 44,517 euros, while the 300 CV 4×4 version starts at 51,017 euros and is only offered with the two top trims. This represents a premium of around 4,500 euros over the 2WD version.

Opel Astra PHEV: awaiting the electric Astra

Although it was not available for a road test at this event with the electrified models from Opel, we will very soon be able to drive the new Astra Plug-in Hybrid. This sixth generation of the Opel Astra represents a radical change from the previous one, and is built on the same platform as the Peugeot 308, which also offers plug-in hybrid versions.

As with the Grandland, in the case of the Astra Plug-in Hybrid there are also two PHEV versions, in this case with 180 CV and 220 CV (the power of the 1.6 Turbo petrol engine varies), but always with front-wheel drive. The battery has a gross capacity of 12.4 kWh, allowing an electric-only range of up to 60 km to be claimed. It can be recharged at 3.7 kW as standard, or at 7.4 kW with the optional charger.

Opel has resolved the interior of the Opel Astra very well, using the digitalisation debuted in the Mokka, which is being extended across the whole range. The 10-inch screens for instrumentation and the multimedia system work very well, while retaining physical buttons for operating many of the main functions. In the case of the plug-in hybrid versions, the boot loses around 70 litres of capacity compared with the combustion-engined versions, leaving around 350 litres, among the best of the compact plug-in hybrids.

Opel has just opened orders for the Astra PHEV, offered in Edition, Elegance, GS-Line and Ultimate trims, with prices between 33,667 and 40,267 euros. The 220 CV version will arrive in the middle of the year. There is also an estate body variant, the Astra Sports Tourer, and the fully electric version is expected in 2023.