Opel has launched hybrid versions of its Corsa and Mokka models and will introduce the technology across its range in the coming months.
Hybrid sales have been very strong so far this year as more and more buyers opt for hybrids at the expense of electric cars, which have fallen by a quarter.
Toyota, whose production bias is heavily weighted towards hybrid technology rather than electric, has done particularly well in Ireland this year, and Opel will be hoping to achieve conquest sales with hybrid versions of its Astra, Grandland and Frontera coming on to the market.
The Corsa Hybrid 1.2 has a 100hp output with a stop start feature and comes in three levels of trim. The entry level car costs €29,695 and Opel claims fuel savings of up to 18% are achievable compared to an equivalent non-electrified model, with combined fuel consumption of 4.7 l/100 km.'s
The Mokka Hybrid 1.2 has a 136hp output, with strip start. Again there are three levels of trim and the entry version starts at €34,995. Opel is claiming fuel savings of up to 20% over standard petrol or diesel cars and a combined fuel consumption of 4.9 l/100 km’s.
Both cars have a turbocharged petrol engine, an electric motor and automatic transmission, with the car moving from petrol to electricity as required. The 48 V battery is recharged automatically and there are three driving modes - Eco, Normal and Sport.
Opel says that at low speeds, "the electric motor enables fully electric travel for up to one kilometre or up to 50 percent of the time used in the city, for example when manoeuvring. The vehicle automatically switches to electric drive when the battery charge, outside temperature and catalytic converter temperature are appropriate."
Hybrid information is arranged in the driver information display and there will be a trip summary when the car is switched off showing the distance travelled, the duration of the journey, the average consumption, the remaining range and the percentage of the route driven purely electrically.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
