Opel Monza set for a comeback in 2024 as an electric crossover

Opel’s long delayed revival of the iconic Monza designation is reportedly set to come to an end in 2024, not as a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan, but rather as an all-electric crossover positioned above the Insignia.

Shown as a gullwing concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show seven years ago where it provided a glimpse of Rüsselsheim’s intended future styling language, the project eventually came to nothing following the Blitz, and UK sister brand Vauxhall’s offloading by General Motors (GM) to the PSA Group four years later.

At the same time, Britain’s Auto Express reported that the Monza name would have gained an ‘X’ suffix and feature on an SUV positioned above the Grandland X, which then CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann had billed as an Insignia “for those who also want an SUV”.

In an interview with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport through, Michael Lohscheller, who succeeded Neumann months after’s Opel/Vauxhall’s acquisition by PSA for R30.3-billion, said the marque needs a new flagship model, ideally with electric assistance but not in the shape of a large SUV.

“We want to transfer the subject of sportiness into the future. Regardless of what it is then called. One thing is clear: Mobility has to be fun, it has to appeal to the heart and not just the brain. This is especially true for electro-mobility,” a translated version of Lohscheller’s interview with the publication read.

Despite Lohscheller not revealing any further details, the German publication alleges that the Monza X, which could drop the ‘X’ based on Opel’s recent unveilings of the new Mokka and updated Crossland, will ride on PSA’s dedicated electric eVMP platform, measure 4.9 m in overall length and pack a 60 or 100 kWh battery capable of offering a 400-600 km range and an output of 294 kW.

“The Monza is an icon in our history,” Lohscheller said of the original that bowed in 1978 and went out of production in 1986 as a two-door fastback-styled version of the range-topping Senator sedan, itself derived from the last generation Rekord and then the first Omega.

“With this, Opel made a statement as early as 1983,” he said of the GSE that served as the range-topping version of the second generation Monza that had debuted the year before as Opel’s biggest and most powerful coupe above the Manta. “The concept car from 2013 also rightly attracted a lot of attention. I am not surprised that many people rave about it”.

In spite of little being known at present, don’t be surprised if more details, or pre-production test mules disguised as Insignias or Grandland Xs, emerge over the coming months.

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