Shocked Opel Grandland confirmed for South Africa in June

Opel’s long overdue replacement for the Grandland X, the simply titled Grandland, has officially been confirmed for unveiling in South Africa in early June.

Shown as far back as 2021 when it received an extensive mid-life facelift that resulted in the “X” suffix falling away and the front facia receiving the Opel Vizor and Compass grille as part of the Blitz’s “Bold and Pure” styling language, the twin of the Citroën C5 Aircross and Peugeot 5008 has been on Opel’s drawing board since said year, but withheld at it focused on the smaller Mokka and Corsa.

Blitz with real spark

Initially earmarked for an early-2022 debut, the Grandland’s revised front-end and subtly tweaked interior is, however, expected to be overshadowed by its powertrain.

In a first for not only Opel South Africa but also parent company Stellantis, the Grandland will be offered as a hybrid and more specifically, a plug-in hybrid that comes in two different versions in Europe; the PureTech 225 and PureTech 300 Hybrid4.

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Like the C5 Aircross and 5008, the Grandland rides on the PSA-era EMP2 platform that, in the case of the hybrid, combines the long standing turbocharged 1.6-litre PureTech petrol engine with a 13.2-kWh battery pack and an 81 kW electric motor.

As its name indicates, in the PureTech 225, the setup produces a combined 225 pferdestarke (PS) that equates to 165 kW and claimed all-electric range of around 60 km.

The model tipped for the local market though is the Hybrid4 that utilises the same powertrain configuration, albeit with the inclusion of a secondary 81 kW electric motor mounted on the rear axle.

This translates to an effective all-wheel-drive layout, a combined system output of 300 PS or 221 kW and an all-electric range of around 50 km. Like the PureTech 225, the Hybrid4’s sole transmission option is an eight-speed automatic.

Petrol only

While still to be confirmed, the plug-in hybrid is anticipated to top the Grandland range only instead of being the sole powertrain available.

It, therefore, means that the existing non-electrified 1.6-litre PureTech mill that develops 121kW/240Nm is likely to be carried over at the expense of the European equivalent that develops 133kW/250Nm.

Despite being offered in the Mokka, the entry-level 96kW/230Nm 1.2-litre PureTech engine offered in the Old Continent is unlikely to be added to the local market line-up, with the same applying to the six-speed manual gearbox and the previously confirmed, but ultimately withdrawn, 2.0 BlueCDTI turbodiesel that makes 130kW/400Nm.

More details soon

At its stands, full details will only be revealed once the wraps come off but next, but don’t be surprised if details surrounding spec and possibly even price emerge before then.

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