Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Our vigilant spy photographers snapped a mysterious prototype/mule in Scandinavia recently, which is but one of Opel’s upcoming products. You see, the German marque, which is owned by Stellantis, has a multitude of new and updated models in the making, and one of them could be a jacked-up version of the Astra.
This seems like a plausible scenario when it comes to the scooped tester, which wears the body of the current compact hatchback, with only a few modifications, and no visible tailpipes. Those fender extensions in glossy black, just like the grille and other bits and bobs, are but one update worth noting. The other and the most obvious for that matter is the ultra-generous ground clearance, which kind of seems overkill for a hypothetical jacked-up variant of the Opel Astra that might add the Cross suffix.
And it is this latter part that makes us question the fact that we are indeed looking at a Ford Focus Active and Kia XCeed rival from this automaker. Another scenario is that this is not a prototype, but a mule using the underpinnings of a brand-new compact crossover and the body of the current Astra. Such a model would inevitably slot between the Crossland and the Grandland, and would use the EMP2 platform, perhaps sharing some (or maybe all) powertrains with its low-riding sibling, the Astra. If this is indeed the vehicle that we are looking at, then it might launch with front-wheel drive, with the all-wheel drive system likely reserved for the upper specs expected to feature plug-in hybrid power.
Last but not least, our spy photographers believe this to be the next-gen Crossland, albeit in test mule form. The model has been around since 2017, and it comes to life at the Zaragoza facility, in Spain, using the old PSA PF1 platform. The logical move would be to make it a bit bigger and shift it to the eCMP construction, otherwise shared with the battery-electric versions of the DS 3 Crossback, Peugeot 2008, Citroen C4 X, and Opel Mokka. An updated version of this architecture is used on the Jeep Avenger, which is the brand’s new entry-level product in Europe, sitting below the Renegade. The Avenger is a versatile subcompact crossover that features ICE and electric power.
Whatever we are looking at here, one thing is certain: Opel and its British arm Vauxhall will enhance/renew its crossover family with an entirely new product. Judging by the fact that it is still in the early stages of testing, it shouldn’t be due until next year. Mind you, that’s our two cents on the matter, based on intuition alone, and you should take it as a rumor, because only those who are directly involved in its development know what it is and when it might debut.
And it is this latter part that makes us question the fact that we are indeed looking at a Ford Focus Active and Kia XCeed rival from this automaker. Another scenario is that this is not a prototype, but a mule using the underpinnings of a brand-new compact crossover and the body of the current Astra. Such a model would inevitably slot between the Crossland and the Grandland, and would use the EMP2 platform, perhaps sharing some (or maybe all) powertrains with its low-riding sibling, the Astra. If this is indeed the vehicle that we are looking at, then it might launch with front-wheel drive, with the all-wheel drive system likely reserved for the upper specs expected to feature plug-in hybrid power.
Last but not least, our spy photographers believe this to be the next-gen Crossland, albeit in test mule form. The model has been around since 2017, and it comes to life at the Zaragoza facility, in Spain, using the old PSA PF1 platform. The logical move would be to make it a bit bigger and shift it to the eCMP construction, otherwise shared with the battery-electric versions of the DS 3 Crossback, Peugeot 2008, Citroen C4 X, and Opel Mokka. An updated version of this architecture is used on the Jeep Avenger, which is the brand’s new entry-level product in Europe, sitting below the Renegade. The Avenger is a versatile subcompact crossover that features ICE and electric power.
Whatever we are looking at here, one thing is certain: Opel and its British arm Vauxhall will enhance/renew its crossover family with an entirely new product. Judging by the fact that it is still in the early stages of testing, it shouldn’t be due until next year. Mind you, that’s our two cents on the matter, based on intuition alone, and you should take it as a rumor, because only those who are directly involved in its development know what it is and when it might debut.
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