Between 1978 and 1986, the Monza was one of Opel’s flagships. Conceived as the coupe version of the Senator executive sedan, this luxury sports car stood one notch above the famous Manta in the Lightning brand lineup. Everything seems to indicate that the German firm wants to bring it back to life with a fully electric powertrain.
According to the German media, the new Monza would be one notch above the current Insignia. Michael Lohscheller, Opel’s press officer, has indicated that sports cars will once again play an essential role for the brand. “We also want to move the issue of sportsmanship into the future. […] One thing is exact: mobility has to be fun; it has to appeal to the heart and not just the brain. This is especially true for electromobility.”
Already in 2013, Opel presented a concept car that took up the name Monza. This sort of shooting brake advanced the second generation of the Insignia; it ultimately did not reach production. However, in its new incarnation, the Monza will be neither a coupe-like the original model nor a shooting brake like the prototype seven years ago, but a crossover.
Sitting on PSA’s eVMP platform, the model will measure around 4.90 meters long and will be offered with batteries of between 60 kWh and 100 kWh capacity. Its most potent variants (GSi and OPC, it is not yet clear) will have an all-wheel-drive thanks to the use of two electric motors, the combination of which will yield a power greater than 400 hp.
The arrival of this vehicle will occur in 2024. Interestingly, Lohscheller has confirmed that Opel will not launch any SUV bigger than the current Grandland X (segment C), so the new Monza is probably a kind of “missing link” between a sports saloon and an SUV to use, as is already the case with models like the Jaguar I-Pace.
On the other hand, the manager also seems to point to developing an urban segment A below the Corsa. In his opinion, in the future metropolitan areas will have a great need for this type of vehicle. Although he has not confirmed it, it is highly probable that this vehicle starts from the base of the recently introduced electric FIAT 500.