Back from his test drive, Tobias Gärtner walks around the body and runs his fingers along the embossed GRANDLAND lettering on the tailgate: “Absolutely impressive – a beautiful car!” is his verdict. “And so dynamic and agile!” adds his daughter Zoe from the driver’s seat. Younger sister Lea and mother Nicole, who are sitting in the back, rave about the “great seats and an incredible amount of space.”
The Gärtner family are not the only ones who are enthusiastic about the new Grandland – the professional opinion makers are also full of praise: “It will be a hit” is the headline in Auto Bild, while the editor of auto, motor, sport is Impressed by “a lot of comfort and well thought-out details.” 400 journalists from 25 countries attended the dynamic media launch at the Opel headquarters in October. And in true Opel style, the employees also get to enjoy the original setup of the media event at the end – true to the motto “By employees for employees”.
“No less than 220 components of the new Grandland are from Kaiserslautern.”
– Anja Buhles, colleagues from Kaiserslautern –
MADE IN GERMANY The body parts come from the Rüsselsheim press shop, the Grandland is manufactured exclusively in Eisenach.
SUPPORT FROM KAISERSLAUTERN The Rhineland-Palatinate plant also contributes many components: “The reinforcement of the roof frame, for example, but also many invisible components, come from Kaiserslautern,” explains Anja Buhles.
TRAVELING IN STYLE Tim Buhles, a colleague from Kaiserslautern, enjoys the interior. A highlight: “The pixel box in the center console, in which the smartphone is safely stowed during inductive charging.”
READY FOR THE TEST DRIVES The Grandland Electric comes with a 157 kW (213 hp) electric motor and 345 Newton meters of torque. Those who prefer a smooth transition to e-mobility can choose the hybrid version.
“I love these events,” says Eva Garcia Sanz. The sales director has brought her friend Janka Patrovicova with her, and they take a seat in front of the stage in the N50. The briefing provides plenty of information. They learn that the newcomer is 17 centimeters longer than its predecessor and that the interior contains more than 500 kilograms of recycled and regenerative raw materials. The lighting engineers present the ingenuity of the 51,200 individual elements “Intelli-Lux HD” light in the darkened workshop room. Night turns into day. Spontaneous applause breaks out.
“Wow – it’s powerful!” During the test drive that followed, Janka opted for the fully electric version. The immediate torque of 345 Newton meters only briefly unsettles her. After a few meters, the confident dentist drives the Grandland along the country road and concludes: “I would like one – a lot!”
“The new Grandland brings our three aspirations – Detox, Modern German and Greenovation – to life.”
– Opel designer Richard Shaw –
GO GRAND Opel designer Richard Shaw has translated the design philosophy into an SUV: “The Grandland impresses with its bold and pure styling.”
FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY The Opel Experimental is also on stage at the media briefing. Some of the design study’s features are now going into series production in the Grandland.
SHARK ALERT! There are several sharks hiding in the interior of the Grandland – one is lurking on the rear view camera.
READY FOR MORE The new top SUV “Made in Germany” can now be ordered – customers can choose between three electrified drivetrains.
“FILLS ME WITH PRIDE” As senior interior designer, Victor Uribe Chacon helped design the interior.
And as always, when Opel employees come across a new model with the Blitz, no detail is left undiscovered. The fleet in front of the N50 is thoroughly inspected, the golden retriever is put in the trunk, the back seat is folded down to explore the maximum loading volume of 1,641 liters. “A washing machine easily fits in there,” says Oliver Aurich, while his son Jannik behind the wheel can’t get enough of the massage function of the Intelli-Seat. Carolin Bochen, meanwhile, has fallen in love with the head-up display, and Andreas Mirbach is longing for a solar eclipse or, alternatively, the sunset: “I really need to experience the new lighting technology in the dark – the presentation by the lighting colleagues was more than impressive.”
Hidden passengers
Colleagues Anja Buhles and her son Tim have traveled especially from Kaiserslautern. “After all, the Grandland contains 220 components from us,” says Anja Buhles, “the reinforcement of the roof frame, for example, comes from the Kaiserslautern plant.” And then of course there are the sharks, which traditionally have to be found in the interior of Opel models. A group of colleagues spontaneously got together to track down the animal passengers. “Here – I’ve got one,” comes a voice from the rear. And indeed: a shark is frolicking around the rear-view camera. Five more fish are hidden in the interior, reveals PR manager Carina Elsinger. Her tip for all shark fans: “Look around the center console.” But no more is revealed.
Tip for all shark fans: “Look around the center console.”
– PR manager Carina Elsinger–
“WOW – IT’S POWERFUL!” The 345 Nm of instant torque is impressive. For Janka Patrovicova, it is the first time behind the wheel of a battery-electric car.
HAPPY FACES Colleague Eva Garcia Sanz (left) loves the employee event. “Getting to know the new Grandland up close and exclusive – that’s something special.”
GREAT OPPORTUNITY IT specialist Oliver Aurich came with his son Jannik. Both appreciate the opportunity to test new products exclusively.
FROM EMPLOYEES FOR EMPLOYEES Carolin Bochen and Andreas Bochen also took the opportunity to test drive the new Grandland before anyone else.
“ABSOLUTELY IMPRESSIVE” Tobias Gärtner from the Software X team brought his wife and two daughters to the employee day.
As senior interior designer, Victor Uribe Chacon helped design the interior of the new Grandland. “Seeing the finished vehicle now fills me with pride.” He shows his family the many storage options in the interior, points out the center console, which can be cooled if desired, and explains the consistent alignment with the Opel compass with horizontal and vertical lines. “Every arrangement, the materials, the proportions – it is a meticulously balanced work of art,” he explains. The goal: “To offer customers an incomparable experience in the interior – with plenty of comfort.” His family thinks: mission accomplished.
Pleasant level of assistance
Lucienne Sachs, Selin Keunig and Kristin Müller have just returned from a test drive in the Grandland Electric, Impakt Copper Metallic. They have beaming faces. The three of them came to the headquarters today at the invitation of the “Women of Stellantis”, where they are currently completing their technical internship. The joint project of all technical universities in Hesse enables young women to experience everyday working life in various technical professions. For three months, the interns at Opel immerse themselves in the world of automobile manufacturing. And they do just that extensively and conscientiously at the employee event.
“The Grandland contains a lot of high-tech – and it’s all packaged in a pleasant way.”
– Lucienne Sachs –
LOTS OF LIGHT, NO CHROME For the first time, a production model bears the illuminated Opel wordmark. This means that Opel has one of the hippest brand wordmarks, says TV station n-tv.
MORE SAFETY IN THE DARK Carsten Neitzke from the Rüsselsheim lighting team is pleased with the positive feedback from journalists and colleagues.
“LOTS OF HIGH-TECH” Lucienne Sachs and Kristin Müller give their statements about the new Grandland.
NEW ARCHITECTURE The STLA Medium platform enables locally emissions-free range of up to around 700 kilometers.
GREENOVATION The fabrics of the seats, door panels and dashboard are made from recycled materials.
“There’s so much high-tech in the car,” says Lucienne Sachs, “and it’s all nicely packaged.” She likes the central display, the intuitive operation and the control buttons: “It has everything I need.” Not too much, not too little, just right. “You feel supported by the assistance systems and not constrained,” adds Kristin Müller, adding her impressions of the test drive, while Selin Kunig takes a long, hard look at the light signature of the illuminated Opel Blitz in the 3D Vizor and the red Opel lettering on the rear. “That’s definitely my highlight!” The interns already know that this is the innovative “Edge Light” technology from their time with the Rüsselsheim lighting engineering team. The Grandland’s first appearance – it leaves a strong impression. Or as n-tv puts it: “With the striking red illuminated letters, the Opel Grandland is likely to have one of the hippest brand wordmarks currently.”
October 2024
Photos: Opel/Dani Heyne