Latest news with #FalkZimpel
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Opel Frontera SA launch delayed to 2026: What to expect
Planned for unveiling this year, Opel has pushed the launch of the revived Frontera to next year as part of its expanded crossover/SUV range, which currently consists of the Mokka and all-new Grandland. What to expect According to The Citizen, unveiled last year as the replacement for the Crossland, the Frontera changes segment from being a body-on-frame SUV, previously sold locally as the Isuzu Frontier, to a unibody crossover with five or seven seats based on parent company Stellantis's Smart Car platform. Measuring 4 385mm long, 1 795mm wide and 1 635mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2 675mm, the Frontera offers between 460 litres and 1 600 litres of boot space. Unlike the original, it is built in Slovakia rather than by Isuzu in Japan and comes without an all-wheel-drive option. Hybrid or EV Also without a manual gearbox option, the Frontera uses a mild-hybrid powertrain as standard. It pairs the well-known 1.2-litre turbocharged PureTech petrol engine in two states of tune – 74kW and 100kW – with a 21kW electric motor integrated into a newly developed six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The fully electric version, simply called the Frontera Electric, features a 44kWh battery pack producing 83kW and offers up to 305km of range on a single charge. A long-range version, claiming up to 400km, will arrive later. In its home market, two trims are available: Edition and GS Line. Notable features include the Opel Pure Panel setup with two 10-inch displays, up to 17-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting, IntelliLux LED headlights, a six-speaker sound system and up to five USB-C ports. The GS Line adds dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, a leather-look steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, auto-folding electric mirrors, front parking sensors (the Edition only gets rear), a reverse camera and Blind Spot Monitoring. Standard safety features across both trims include tyre pressure monitoring, Hill Start Assist, cruise control, Driver Attention Alert, Traffic Sign Recognition, Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist. For South Africa Speaking to The Citizen at Stellantis's Media Connect event at Montecasino last week, Opel Middle East and Africa head Falk Zimpel confirmed that a mid-2026 market debut for the Frontera has been approved, suggesting a launch around June or July. Priced from €23 900 (about R499 000) in Germany and from £23 995 (about R577 000) in the UK – where sister brand Vauxhall calls the Edition the Design – details on local pricing and spec will be announced closer to launch. However, it is expected to possibly forgo the mild-hybrid powertrain for the conventional 1.2-litre PureTech turbo developing 96kW/230Nm, as used in the Corsa. The electric variant is unlikely to join the South African range in the near future.
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Opel makes it official: New Astra in line for South Africa
Said to be an 'advanced stage' of studying, the Astra will most likely make its comeback sometime in 2026. All-new Astra L said to have been a constant topic of discussion for South Africa. Image: Opel In a surprise turnaround, Opel's parent company, Stellantis, has confirmed that it is poised to bring the Astra back to South Africa after initially ruling out its entry due to declining demand for C-segment hatchbacks. Unveiled three years ago as the internally named Astra L, the first generation not to made or produced by long-time former parent company General Motors since being founded by UK sister brand Vauxhall as a rebadged version of the Kadett D in 1979, rides on the same EMP2 platform as the Peugeot 308, but with differences in dimensions and inside. Not coming… The second model at the time, after the Mokka, to incorporate the Blitz's Bold and Pure styling language, the unexpected u-turn comes shortly after a response on X, following its global announcement about the chances of it returning to South Africa. ALSO READ: Comeback star: Long awaited all-new Opel Astra officially revealed 'We have received confirmation that the new Astra will not be made available in South Africa,' the response. … until now Speaking to The Citizen on the sidelines of the new Grandland's unveiling at Montecasino in Johannesburg on Wednesday (9 July), which also formed part of Stellantis' annual Media Connect event, Opel Middle East and Africa Head, Falk Zimpel, said that the investigation in bringing the Astra to market 'is in an advanced stage'. Interior adheres to the same detox principle as the Mokka and new Grandland. Image: Opel Admitting that the model's reintroduction to South Africa had been a topic of much discussion, Zimpel added that the arrival was expected to take place next year, although an exact date of reveal wasn't disclosed. What to expect? Assembled exclusively at Opel's home plant of Rüsselsheim in Germany, the Astra L also became the first to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain, although this would be an unlikely option for the local market. Similar to arch-rival Volkswagen's reinstated Golf 8.5, the local market Astra is likely to only become available with the long-serving 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech turbocharged petrol engine, also used in the Corsa. Astra L is the first in the nameplate's now 46-year history not to have been produced by General Motors. Image: Opel In Europe, the blown three-pot comes in two states of tune: 81kW/205Nm and 96kW/230Nm, with the standard transmission being a six-speed manual and, in the case of the latter, an optional eight-speed automatic. Neither is expected to receive consideration: the 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid, which produces a combined 132 kW, nor the performance all-wheel-drive GSe, which adds a second electric motor for a total output of 165 kW. Additional no-nos are the 1.5-litre Blue CDTI turbodiesel, the 1.2-litre mild-hybrid or the Astra Electric. Golf vs Astra resumes As it stands, the combination of the more powerful PureTech and eight-speed automatic would present the clearest option in rivalling the Golf, which itself makes use of the older 1.4 TSI engine rather than the newer 1.5 TSI Evo, paired to an eight-speed Tiptronic 'box. For the moment, no further details are known; however, some may emerge either before year-end or in the early part of 2026. NOW READ: It is a no: New Opel Astra won't be coming to South Africa
