An electrifying trio of disruptor cars from two brands out of the Stellantis portfolio is sending a strong signal to a downturned New Zealand market.
“There’s never been a better time for the consumer,” enthuses Noah Robertson, Country manager for Opel (and Citroen, for the purposes of this launch).
“Despite the uncertainty of government, a technical economic recession, rebate removals and the prospect of greater taxation, the good news is that cars – specifically electric ones – are coming down in price, with Opel especially, delivering on its promise of being a challenger brand.”
At the reveal of the Opel Hatch GSe, and the Opel Grandland PHEV and Citroen e-C4, Noah was quite adamant that the Opel brand would continue to challenge the status quo in terms of providing value for money, low emission vehicles.
This has served the brand well so far and given Opel product has come in for some serious price structuring, the brand’s success in Q2 looks set to continue well into Q4 and beyond.
The Opel vehicles launched with Bold launch pricing, which at this point looks set to end September 30, 2023.
The Bold launch pricing coincides with significant reductions across the entire Opel range including the existing Corsa, Corsa-e, Mokka Edition, Mokka SRi, Mokka-e, Astra SRi and Grandland SRi.
Bold launch pricing for the new arrivals then:
Astra GSe: $64,990 (after launch discount and clean car rebate) save $7k off list.
This is the hot hybrid-powered version of the ICE Astra reviewed on page 51 in the August/September edition of NZ Company Vehicle.
The Astra GSe gives a ‘green’ car some serious teeth, combining responsible performance from a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and a fun-to-drive car dynamically speaking, with plug-in hybrid technology for 61kms of pure electric running.
Grandland SRi PHEV: $65,965 (after launch discount and clean car rebate) save $8k off list.
The Grandland SRi is Opel’s either/or hatch/SUV and has the inherent characteristic of being suitable for the private or corporate sector, depending on what sort of vehicle the customer requires.
Whichever role, the Grandland is roomy, technologically on par with Opel’s best, handles very nicely and drives so very quietly. And that’s the ICE turbo petrol version. Now the Grandland is available with PHEV technology giving 67km of pure electric running and a seven-hour recharge time on a household socket.
Citroen e-C4 Shine: $65,990 (special introductory offer) save $4k off list.
Citroen doesn’t have quite the same level of introductory offer as the Opel twins, but the all-electric version of the ICE C4 reviewed last year – almost to the day in fact – still packs plenty of power into its launch pricing.
A single speed auto, front wheel drive, 50kWh lithium-ion battery powered hatch/SUV, the e-C4 boasts a 360km+- range, but that’s not the good part.
The good part is the high level of comfort we found with the ICE version – comprising seat quality, progressive hydraulic cushion suspension and overall build quality – is made even better by the sound of silence in the e-variant.
Although the private sector industry is down by about 31 per cent at time of writing, Opel and Citroen are introducing vehicles which – on the surface – are targeting that sector.
At NZ Company Vehicle, our opinion – humble though it may be – is that any and all of the latest offerings make sense as a fleet proposition, with the introductory pricing as a serious consideration for those looking to get on board the electrified vehicle train.
