Prices for two of Vauxhall’s new petrol-electric sub-brand performance cars have been released, with the first examples set to arrive at local dealerships before the start of the summer.
‘Grand Sport Electric’ (GSe) versions of the five-door Astra hatchback will start at £40,550 and £43,700 for the Sports Utility Vehicle-inspired Grandland, the British automaker has confirmed.
Promising “electric performance credentials with sharp handling and styling”, both cars get a raft of design up-dates on top of a meatier powertrain, suspension modifications and steering tweaks.
The Astra GSe rides 10mm closer to the road and sits on 18-inch ‘Commodore’ wheels with this complemented by a gloss black roof and smoked Griffin badges.
Inside, Alcantara- trimmed front performance seats can be found along with a GSe leather steering wheel and silver trim pieces.
Performance-wise, the Astra ‘GSe’ mates a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine to an e-motor that gets its power from a 12.4kWh battery for a total output of 222bhp and a claimed 145mph top speed.
As for the Grandland ‘GSe’ – the most potent in Vauxhall’s current line-up – it has all-wheel-drive and boasts 296bhp when its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and rear-mounted electric motor join forces. Fully charged, the onboard 14.2kWh battery has a quoted real-world range of 41-miles.
In terms of styling, 19-inch ‘Monza’ alloys and a black-coloured bonnet help mark it out, while the cabin features AGR-certified seating.
To handle the extra shove, engineers have replaced the existing springs and dampers on the Grandland with KONI ‘Frequency Selective Damping’ ones, just like with its smaller Astra brother. Doing this, says Vauxhall, “offers more precise and consistent responses while retaining superior stability under braking”.
Following the introduction of the Astra and Grandland ‘GSe’ this summer, order books for a longer, more practical Sports Tourer version of the Astra are set to open.
Regardless of which of the three customers end up choosing, Forward Collision Alert, Active Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Drowsiness Detection, Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Assistant are just some of the many safety aids that come as standard.
