Opel Grandland GSe: plug-in hybrid SUV with 300 hp!
Not entirely new
Those who think that the Opel Grandland GSe has only a few sporty touches and the party ends there, are wrong. That starts with the powertrain. The SUV is equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and two electric motors (one on each axle). The system output of those power units comes out to 300 hp. That’s quite a bit more than the Astra’s GSe and only narrowly less than the Insignia OPC from a while back. Indeed, the latter kicked it up to 325 hp with its 2.8-liter V6.
The result of that 300 hp is that the Grandland GSe sprints to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds if desired. Nice, because then you will beat your neighbor with his electric Skoda Enyaq RS iV nicely. The top speed is 235 km/h. If you drive fully electric, which is possible thanks to the plug-in hybrid powertrain, you can drive up to 135 mph.
By the way, the powertrain is not entirely new. In fact, it was already in the most powerful plug-in hybrid variant of the Opel Grandland X. It might have been nice if Opel had pulled the more powerful 360 hp powertrain from the Peugeot 508 PSE out of the racks, but of course, with 300 hp you can’t complain either.
Focus on driving dynamics
So the powertrain is already known, but not the rest of the Grandland GSe. Outside, the sporty SUV can be identified by a distinctive rear diffuser, a GSe badge on the tailgate and 19-inch alloy wheels. If that distinction is still not enough for you, you can optionally order the Grandland GSe with the black hood shown in the photos.
To make the car drive like it looks, the Grandland GSe first gets a unique tuning for the steering gear, which should make it more direct. Furthermore, Opel is taking the chassis in hand with a unique suspension with McPherson struts in the front, a multi-link rear axle, firmer springs and shock absorbers with Koni FSD technology. The latter stands for Frequency Selective Damping, or adaptive suspension.
Opel Grandland GSe price
Inside the Grandland GSe, you sit on special Alcantara-clad sports seats that are AGR-certified. Then again, the dashboard is identical to the regular Grandland. Exactly what the Opel Grandland GSe will cost will be announced by Opel at a later stage.
