Following the recent announcement that Opel would revive the name GSe as a new, more performance-oriented and electrified sub-brand, the German brand has presented the first models to be launched under this new name: the Opel Astra GSE and the 2023 Astra Sports Tourer GSe. You can choose it as a compact or a family car and, in any case, both models are positioned as the highest level of the Astra range. Now available to order for one price from €40,900.
When it was presented to the public, the Rüsselsheim model was already available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain of 180 hp. Its technical brother, the Peugeot 308, comes with the same hardware, but it is also marketed with a 225 hp plug-in hybrid powertrain. Opel now dangles the same technology on the Astra GSe. That means there’s a 180bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol block and a 110bhp electric motor, good to deliver 225 hp of power and 360 Nm of torque.
Opel has not yet released detailed technical specifications, although the numbers that the Peugeot 308 GT Hybrid 225 needs to complete the race from 0 to 100 km/h are undoubtedly indicative of what the Astra GSe can offer; 7.5 seconds. At the rear of these versions is a 12.4 kWh battery from which you can squeeze about 60 kilometers of purely electric autonomy. And if you want a little more sensation, the brand cites a less intrusive ESP system here.
But the Opel Astra GSe isn’t just a more energetic engine, it also has a retuned chassis. In fact, both bodies enjoy a sportier set-up than lowers the height of the vehicle by 10 millimeters. Likewise, the lightning signature also promises a calibration of the suspension (with adaptive dampers and specific springs) and the specific direction for the model. In any case, the company speaks of an “optimal balance between comfort and performance-oriented driving.”
In short, it is not a radical model, but one that allows you to enjoy more joyful performance and driving, without leaving aside the characteristics that make the Opel Astra a benchmark in the segment. That’s something you can see from the outside too with new Manta GSe ElektroMOD-inspired 18-inch wheels, specific bumpers and GSe badging. On board, we can find a set of sports seats with AGR certification and upholstered in Alcantara.
Source: Opel
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