Once popular hatchback returns after three-year hiatus

Tuesday, 25 April 2023

The Opel Astra lands in New Zealand as either a pure petrol four-cylinder turbo or a plug-in hybrid.

The Astra nameplate will soon return to New Zealand roads, this time with an Opel badge instead of Holden’s lion and ball.

The German marque has confirmed spec and pricing details for both the angular new Astra and its flagship SUV, the Grandland.

It’s the first time the Astra name has been on sale in New Zealand since 2020, and the first time it’s been sold with a plug.

The Astra is set to be offered in both turbocharged petrol four-cylinder ‘SRi’ form and plug-in hybrid petrol ‘GSe’ form, following in the familiar footsteps of Opel’s other models, the Corsa and Mokka.

The Astra SRi comes with a 1.2-litre petrol producing 96kW of power and priced from $49,990. That price does not include a handy Clean Car Discount rebate of $2,593 – not bad from a pure combustion engine hatch.

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The Grandland has the potential to leapfrog the Mokka and become Opel’s most popular model.

The plug-in hybrid GSe, meanwhile, gets a more punchy 165kW combined across its combustion and electric powertrain elements. Its pure electric range is rated at a commendable 60km.

Curiously, Opel has yet to price the model. This is perhaps because while the petrol Astra is in the country, the GSe won’t get here until July.

Both Astra’s come with Opel’s gratingly named ‘Pure Panel Pro’ dual 10-inch touchscreen system, as well as proximity keyless entry, Alcantara and faux-leather upholstery, ambient lighting, an electric driver’s seat, and more.

The GSe throws in a few additional features, like bespoke front and rear bumpers, sportier front seats, sport suspension, and gloss-black wheels. Like all other plug-in hybrids, it’s also eligible for a $5,750 Clean Car Discount rebate.

The Astra is a double-whammy comeback of sorts. It marks the first time that the Astra nameplate has been offered in New Zealand since 2020, prior to Holden’s demise. Opel itself is a returnee to the market, having launched last year.

The Astra is not the only fresh face in the Opel line-up, though. The sharp looking Grandland SUV has also been detailed for the local market, sporting similar specs and surprisingly similar pricing to its smaller hatchback sibling.

The Grandland will also be offered in either a pure petrol SRi or plug-in hybrid GSe flavour. The two models share the same powertrain and power figures as their Astra namesakes. The Grandland SRi is already in the country, with the GSe landing in May.

As with the Astra, Opel New Zealand has only confirmed pricing for the pure combustion Grandland, which will be priced from $51,990. It qualifies for a $2,181 Clean Car rebate, which Opel says is the largest for any SUV in its class.

Pricing for the Grandland GSe has yet to be announced. It also features an impressive 60km of claimed pure electric range.

The differences in spec between the Grandland SRi and GSe again echo those shown between the similarly named Astras. Both models get the same dual-screen layout inside (albeit with a larger 12-inch digital cluster), wireless charging, a heated steering wheel, and more.

The new model pairing continues Opel’s trend of low-emission models. Barring pure EV brands like Tesla and BYD, Opel is one of the only marques with a full line-up of cars that qualify for the Clean Car Discount.