Kicking-off the changes in March, the venerable Corsa, which will be replaced next year, will receive a special edition model to celebrate the Russelsheim automaker’s 120th anniversary, in the form of the 120Y. Based on the top-spec Enjoy, the 120Y will benefit from a model specific bodykit, front and rear parking assist, chrome exterior detailing, Opel branded door sills, Jet Black cloth upholstery and velour floor mats with black 120 Years stitching.
Continuing the model offensive during the third month, the Astra range will be tweaked to include a six-speed automatic gearbox on the flagship 1.6T Sport, complete with the OPC-Line exterior and interior package, while the marque’s Intellilink infotainment system will become a standard feature on the entry-level 1.0T. The mid-range 1.4T Enjoy meanwhile will also benefit from a specification upgrade in the form of keyless entry, Park Assist with a reverse camera, dual-zone climate control and Blind Spot Detection.
Rounding off the month, the Grandland X, in Enjoy guise, will swap its 17-inch alloys for 18-inch roller, while also getting roof rails, rear privacy glass and fog lights. Slotting in between this model and the top-spec Cosmo, the new Enjoy Plus comes with the eight-inch Intellilink Navi 900 infotainment system as standard, along with a panoramic sunroof, leather seats and the so-called Winter Package with a heated steering wheel and front chairs. The 121kW/240Nm 1.6-litre PureTech turbocharged petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox will be retained for both models.
Touching down in April, the Crossland X will see the inclusion of a PSA sourced 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine, the first oil-burning passenger Opel in South Africa since the previous generation Corsa 1.3 CDTI and the Astra 1.9 CDTI from two generations, which will produce 68kW/230Nm and teamed to a five-speed manual gearbox. It will only be available in Enjoy spec.
The undoubted highlight of April however is the long awaited return of the much loved GSI badge with the confirmation of the Corsa GSI. Available only as a three-door and introduced earlier this year to celebrate 25 years of the equivalent Vauxhall Corsa in the United Kingdom, the GSI comes with a OPC inspired bodykit, optional 18-inch alloy wheels, a OPC tuned chassis, upgraded brakes with red brake calipers, alloy pedals, Recaro sport seats and a leather wrapped flat bottom steering wheel.
Likely to replace the current range topping Corsa Sport, the GSI will make use of the same 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that outputs 110kW/220Nm, which, connected to a six-speed manual gearbox, will see the warm Corsa dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.9 seconds before topping out at 209km/h.
Confirmed earlier this year, Opel will also be launching its Commercial division in May spearheaded by the new Combo van, which will in fact be available to order from next month. Initially, Opel’s take on the Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner will be offered as a panel van only aimed at the Ford Transit Connect and Volkswagen Caddy, and offered in short wheelbase bodystyle with a claimed payload of 600kg.
Powered by the same PSA 1.6 turbodiesel engine as Crossland X, which in Europe comes in two outputs 55kW/210Nm or 74kW/250Nm, the Combo will boast items such as four-speaker audio system with Bluetooth and USB, dual front airbags, a central partition without a window, a single sliding door and air-conditioning as standard with a towbar being optional. The year will be rounded off by the inclusion of the Vivaro van in December.
