Photo: lars_o_saeltzer / Instagram
We only get to spend a little bit of time in the company of Opel in the newsreel because the German carmaker sitting under the patronage of the encompassing Stellantis group is subtly busy with its reinvention.
Unlike many other brands in the French-Italian-American company – such as Abarth, Chrysler, Lancia, for example – Opel is quite actively rebranding itself as a modern automaker that's not afraid to instill some personality into its models that are otherwise twinned with a lot of Peugeot and Citroen vehicles.
As always, they rely on the Corsa and Astra passenger cars to prop sales alongside the delivery gurus from the crossover SUV area – Mokka, Crossland, and Grandland. So far, the new brand image has reached the Astra, Corsa, and Mokka plus Crossland models – and we bet that the bigger Grandland comes next in line.
But what is Opel going to do after they revamp the entire lineup? Well, for the upcoming IAA Mobility 2023 show that kicks off autumn's string of automotive events, they prepared an Opel Experimental concept car that will not only look bonkers but will also set the brand on its new design journey in the future. Sure, but what comes after that?
If we ask the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, perhaps the answer is the resurrection of a beloved nameplate – Opel's Manta. Initially a rear-wheel drive sports car with two doors and classic coupe proportions, the model was built between 1970 and 1988 as a sportier version of the Ascona family car – aka the European response to Ford Mustang-like imitators and the Ford Capri.
Now, according to the virtual artist behind Larson Design (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media), who recently brought to life his CGI vision of the Opel Manta revival, if the Stellantis subsidiary ever dreamed of reinventing the nameplate, they should make it a battery-powered crossover SUV. Diehard fans will immediately discard this idea and say that electrification is possible in classic form – as Opel demonstrated with the great-looking Manta GSe ElektroMOD.
Others, on the other hand, will say it was about time Opel started to fight against the assault of Tesla's Model Y – the American compact crossover SUV has become Europe's best-selling car after the first six months of the year, irrespective of powertrain use. And that is exactly what the pixel master portrays here – the hypothetical, unannounced 2024 Opel Manta GTE compact crossover SUV.
Unlike Tesla's sweeping yet quirky Model Y design, this imagined CUV is a lot edgier – and it even feels like a Polestar if you remove the Opel Visor and pixel-style LED head- and taillights from the equation. As for powertrain – Opel could easily borrow something from Stellantis, such as the newly announced STLA Medium architecture with best-in-class 700 km (435 miles) range, the first of four worldwide-use BEV platforms set to arrive in the next couple of years.
As always, they rely on the Corsa and Astra passenger cars to prop sales alongside the delivery gurus from the crossover SUV area – Mokka, Crossland, and Grandland. So far, the new brand image has reached the Astra, Corsa, and Mokka plus Crossland models – and we bet that the bigger Grandland comes next in line.
But what is Opel going to do after they revamp the entire lineup? Well, for the upcoming IAA Mobility 2023 show that kicks off autumn's string of automotive events, they prepared an Opel Experimental concept car that will not only look bonkers but will also set the brand on its new design journey in the future. Sure, but what comes after that?
If we ask the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, perhaps the answer is the resurrection of a beloved nameplate – Opel's Manta. Initially a rear-wheel drive sports car with two doors and classic coupe proportions, the model was built between 1970 and 1988 as a sportier version of the Ascona family car – aka the European response to Ford Mustang-like imitators and the Ford Capri.
Now, according to the virtual artist behind Larson Design (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media), who recently brought to life his CGI vision of the Opel Manta revival, if the Stellantis subsidiary ever dreamed of reinventing the nameplate, they should make it a battery-powered crossover SUV. Diehard fans will immediately discard this idea and say that electrification is possible in classic form – as Opel demonstrated with the great-looking Manta GSe ElektroMOD.
Others, on the other hand, will say it was about time Opel started to fight against the assault of Tesla's Model Y – the American compact crossover SUV has become Europe's best-selling car after the first six months of the year, irrespective of powertrain use. And that is exactly what the pixel master portrays here – the hypothetical, unannounced 2024 Opel Manta GTE compact crossover SUV.
Unlike Tesla's sweeping yet quirky Model Y design, this imagined CUV is a lot edgier – and it even feels like a Polestar if you remove the Opel Visor and pixel-style LED head- and taillights from the equation. As for powertrain – Opel could easily borrow something from Stellantis, such as the newly announced STLA Medium architecture with best-in-class 700 km (435 miles) range, the first of four worldwide-use BEV platforms set to arrive in the next couple of years.
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