Vauxhall Astra Crowned ‘Best Family Car’ at 2024 Business Car Awards

• Vauxhall wins two awards at the 2024 Business Car Awards
• Vauxhall Astra named ‘Best Family Car’ for the third year running
• Vauxhall also wins the ‘Best Fleet Website’ award for the second time
• Judges praised the Astra’s eye-catching design, low running costs and high equipment levels
• Available as the fully electric Astra Electric with a range of up to 258 miles (WLTP)
• By the end of 2024, all Vauxhall cars and vans will be available with a fully electric version

Vauxhall Astra has been named ‘Best Family Car’ at the 2024 Business Car Awards, for the third year in a row. Vauxhall was also awarded with the ‘Best Fleet Website’ prize at the ceremony held in London last night.

The annual Business Car Awards recognise and reward excellence in the automotive fleet sector, highlighting innovation and expertise amongst suppliers and fleet operators. The Vauxhall Astra was once again praised by judges for its low running costs and eye-catching design.

Available as a hatch or Sports Tourer estate, with petrol, plug-in hybrid and fully electric options, the Astra caters for a wide variety of needs. With zero-emissions-in-use, the Astra Electric qualifies for a Benefit-in-Kind rate of just 2% (2024/25), making it particularly well suited to both fleet and business users. The Astra Sports Tourer Electric is one of the few all-electric estate cars available on the market, providing greater choice and practicality to customers and fleet operators.

Martyn Collins, Editor, Business Car, said: “For the third year in a row, Vauxhall’s Astra is again our favourite family car. Not many rivals can offer the version and body style options of the Astra. Its design remains eye-catching and attractive, with low running costs, and all are well-equipped.”

Vauxhall’s website was praised for its vibrant design and clarity for potential fleet customers, making it simple and accessible for decision makers wanting to find out more about how the brand can meet their needs.

Martyn Collins commented: “Vauxhall’s bright website design was praised by our editorial team. In our opinion, it’s the best all-round website, as we felt it had an exceptional fleet focus. As such, it wins our Best Fleet Website accolade again for 2024.”

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “Vauxhall’s continued success at the Business Car Awards, with the Astra being named Best Family Car for the third year in a row, demonstrates that our model line-up is as appealing as ever. It’s also rewarding to see the quality of our website recognised by the judges once again. Whether it’s fleet or private buyers, Vauxhall is committed to driving Britain towards an electric future and supporting those who want to make the switch.”

By the end of this year, Vauxhall will offer a fully electric version of every car and van in its line-up. Vauxhall was the UK’s best-selling electric van manufacturer in 2023 and is the leading electric car brand year-to-date across retail and Motability channels combined.

Hydrogen newcomer: Opel Movano HYDROGEN celebrates world premiere at IAA Transportation

• Efficient and fast: Refill with hydrogen for over 500 kilometres range (WLTP 1) in less than five minutes
• All electric: Opel Combo Electric and Opel Rocks Electric with KARGO kit also on display
• Strong portfolio: Xavier Peugeot and Opel Chief Executive Officer Florian Huettl present innovative Pro One and Opel solutions

“Globally, we sold over 125,000 light commercial vehicles last year and we were able to substantially grow our battery-electric LCV sales by 41 percent. We want to continue this success in our LCV business. To do so, we are presenting new, trend-setting products for our customers here in Hanover,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl at the IAA Transportation today while teasing the imminent world premiere of the Opel Movano HYDROGEN. At the joint Stellantis Pro One booth C70 in Hall 13, Xavier Peugeot, Senior Vice President Stellantis Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, and Florian Huettl presented the strong commercial vehicle portfolio of Stellantis and the innovative newcomers of the Opel brand.

Clever, efficient, timesaving: New Opel Movano HYDROGEN

The highlight of the Opel line-up was the Opel Movano HYDROGEN. “For the first time, we will offer the largest member of the Opel LCV family as a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle,” said Huettl. “Back in 2021, we launched the Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN, the first hydrogen transporter from a vehicle manufacturer. Today, with the introduction of the Movano HYDROGEN, we are now taking the next step and creating an even stronger offer.”

With its combination of hydrogen fuel cell drive and plug-in battery, the new Opel Movano HYDROGEN can travel over 500 kilometres (WLTP 1) and can be refuelled with hydrogen in under 5 minutes. This is an ideal solution for customers who need to drive long distances with zero local emissions and not lose time refuelling. The electric motor offers 110 kW (150 hp) of power and a maximum torque of 410 Newton meters. The 11 kWh lithium-ion battery provides support when starting or accelerating. Another major advantage of the system: braking energy can be recuperated and fed into the battery as electricity via the electric motor working as a generator.

“Obviously, our newcomer inherits all the virtues of its battery-electric and diesel siblings.” This includes a wide range of electronic “helpers” that put the Opel Movano at the forefront of its segment. It is also one of the first vehicles in its class to achieve level 2 assisted driving and impresses with a loading volume of up to 17 cubic metres – and thus makes no comprises in terms of everyday functionality regardless of the drivetrain. “The new Movano has everything it needs to meet the demands of our customers – even if they need to transport a Rocks Electric,” said Huettl while simultaneously revealing the next member of Opel’s IAA Transportation line-up.

Battery-electric light motor vehicle as a micro-LCV: Opel Rocks Electric

Opel Rocks Electric had a very special appearance in Hanover. The smallest vehicle in the Opel portfolio, which young people aged 15 and over can drive in Germany, was in the hold of the new Movano HYDROGEN – equipped with the practical KARGO kit. The battery-electric light motor vehicle with ultra-compact dimensions of 2.41 x 1.39 x 1.52 metres (length x width x height) and the KARGO kit has additional modularly divisible loading volume available. This turns the two-seater into a practical delivery vehicle in no time.

Transporter with passenger car design and technologies: Opel Combo Electric

The third member of Opel’s IAA Transportation also proposes a convincing offer. The new Opel Combo Electric impressively demonstrates how Opel brings passenger car innovations onto the LCV market. The new edition of the compact Opel LCV is instantly recognisable and unmistakable, with a newly designed front and the characteristic Opel Vizor brand face. In addition to all the proven qualities of the previous version, the new Combo can illuminate the road ahead for the first time with the glare-free IntelliLux Matrix Light. This makes the compact van the first to bring state-of-the-art adaptive lighting technology to this market segment. The battery-electric vehicle, which can be ordered from €31,250 excl. VAT in Germany, now offers a locally emissions-free range of up to 354 kilometres (WLTP 2), around 80 kilometres more than its predecessor. Together with the Vivaro Electric, the fourth member of the Opel LCV family, the brand can offer a strong all-electric solution for almost any user profile.

The IAA Transportation 2024 in Hannover runs until Sunday, September 22 and is open to visitors daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

[1] Provisional range values determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning. Vehicle not yet available.

[2] Range values determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.

All-New Opel Grandland: Greenovation Made by Opel

• Electric top SUV: Travel up to around 700 kilometres (WLTP 1) without charging, locally emissions-free, with Opel Grandland Electric, batteries as part of circular economy
• Sustainable, practical, comfortable: Fabrics for seats, door panels and instrument panel made from recycled materials
• Design meets resource conservation: model name embossed in tailgate, body without chrome elements

All-new Opel Grandland shows what the brand means by “German Energy”. The top SUV features an inspiring design and innovative solutions, focusses on the essentials in terms of operation, and is electrified in every variant. All-new Opel Grandland combines a stylish appearance with practical details and many features that reduce the carbon footprint. These include locally emissions-free driving along with recyclable, repairable batteries, as well as the use of recycled materials in the interior and the absence of chrome elements on the body. The newcomer therefore exemplifies “Greenovation made by Opel”.

Stylish, sustainable design: Clear appearance, no chrome elements

The exterior of the all-new Opel Grandland sets precedents. All-new Opel Grandland is the first production model to feature the illuminated Opel “Blitz” emblem and integrates this and the innovative “Edge Light” technology into the new 3D Vizor. The lighting uses only energy-saving LED headlights up to and including the industry-leading adaptive IntelliLux Pixel HD Light.

The rear view of the all-new Grandland also combines style with resource conservation. For the first time, customers see an illuminated OPEL lettering, while the model name GRANDLAND no longer appears in chrome letters but is embossed in the middle of the tailgate – just one example of how Opel has dispensed with chrome applications in the Grandland's body design.

Practical, comfortable, sustainable: recycled materials in the interior

During development, the designers and engineers paid attention to every detail to find resource-saving solutions to reduce the carbon footprint and at the same time bring a future-oriented, attractive and comfortable SUV onto the road. The cockpit and cabin of the all-new Opel Grandland were designed to be just as resource-saving as the body. The standard IntelliSeats, with their recess running down the middle of the seat cushion to relieve pressure on the coccyx, offer relaxed driving pleasure. 

Not only are they designed to be extremely comfortable, they are also produced sustainably. True to Opel's “Greenovation” approach, 100% of the fabrics are made of materials with a recycled content. This applies to the seats as well as to the door panels, instrument panel and centre console. Three trims will also be vegan, and even the Alcantara trim will be based on 50 % recycled materials.

However, the developers of the all-new Opel Grandland were not satisfied with that. They placed great importance on not only making the visible parts and components from recycled or recyclable materials, but also the parts that are initially hidden from the eye. For example, all-new Opel Grandland is made of recycled aluminium as well as steel with recycled content. In addition, all-new Opel Grandland contains more than 40 polymer parts that consist of up to 80 % “green” materials. In total, more than 500 kilogrammes of the Grandland's weight is made up of recycled and renewable raw materials.

Reducing CO2 emissions: All-New Opel Grandland electrified in every variant

Of course, Opel also takes the “Greenovation” approach into account when it comes to drivetrains; every Grandland is electrified – as a hybrid with 48-volt technology, fully electric or as a plug-in hybrid – and thus reduces CO2 emissions. This is made possible by the STLA medium platform, which was specially designed for battery-electric vehicles and is being used for the first time in an Opel with the all-new Grandland. The architecture can integrate a particularly flat battery pack with a battery capacity of up to 98 kWh. In this way, all-new Opel Grandland Electric will in future drive up to around 700 kilometres locally emissions-free without stopping to charge (WLTP 1). And the highly efficient heat pump which comes as standard has a positive effect on the range when temperatures drop.

Another factor in minimising the carbon footprint is the batteries themselves. They are part of the resource-saving circular economy promoted by Opel, which is based on the so-called four “Rs”: repair, remanufacture, reuse and recycle. To make this possible, a “Battery Shop” was set up specifically at the production site of the all-new Opel Grandland in Eisenach.

[1] Range determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning. Preliminary values; vehicle not available yet.

ADAC Opel Rally Electric Cup: Luca Pröglhöf Still Title Favourite

• Guest victory: Guest driver Jérôme Chavanne wins Rally Mont-Blanc Morzine
• Fifth in France: Luca Pröglhöf is still favourite to take title with a lead of 41 points
• Pure excitement: Two races of the current Cup season still outstanding

Luca Pröglhöf remains the favourite to win the title in this year's ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup "powered by GSe" despite on finishing fifth over the weekend. Due to technical problems, Pröglhöf and his co-driver Christina Ettel were unable to challenge for the podium at the Mont-Blanc Morzine Rally. But with a 41-point lead in the overall standings over his direct Cup competitors Anthony and Adrien 

Rott, 25-year-old Austrian Pröglhöf is still in a commanding position. Theoretically, he can win the 2024 title at the next race with his 100 kW (136 hp) Opel Corsa Rally Electric. The French Rott brothers came third at the foot of Mont Blanc.

The victory at the weekend was celebrated by guest drivers Jérôme Chavanne and Emilie Galleano, who made full use of their knowledge of the route and, after a hard fight, beat Christian Lemke and Jan-Eric Bemmann by just 0.6 seconds in the last special stage. However, since Chavanne/Galleano were neither entitled to points nor prize money, the duo Lemke/Bemmann scored the full 30 points for their second triumph of the season. “It was a fantastic rally, great stages, a wonderful backdrop,” said 24-year-old Lemke. “We had a really great flow at times, which was incredibly fun. Unfortunately, a puncture in the last stage cost us victory, which was obviously frustrating. On the other hand, we took full points for the cup standings, so everything is on track.”

From the start there was an exciting battle at the top. The Spaniards Alex Español Jove/Daniel Rivera De La Red initially took the lead until they damaged their car and lost around two minutes. After Pröglhöf also lost time one stage later, Christian Lemke took the lead at the end of the first stage. After two best times in a row, guest driver Chavanne moved to the front of the back on Saturday morning and never looked back. The Rott brothers received the points for second place, Español those for third place. “It was a great rally against this wonderful backdrop. But I’m not entirely satisfied with my performance,” the Iberian admitted. “The mistake when we were in the lead robbed us of any chance of a top result. More would have been possible here.”

Due to his comfortable lead this year's ADAC Opel Electric Cup, Pröglhöf, who placed fifth in Morzine, was not too disappointed: “It was a mixed rally. After a good start, we unfortunately lost a lot of time twice. With the best time and maximum points in the Power Stage, we limited the damage and are still on course for the championship.” Anthony Rott knows what a difficult task lies ahead of him if he wants to intercept Pröglhöf. “We're not giving up, but it will be hard. At first, we had a bit of a hard time here, but we got better and better. It was a fantastic rally,” said Rott.

Dr. Gerd Ennser also had an exciting guest appearance. ADAC Sport President confidently drove the VIP Corsa Rally Electric alongside his son Fabian through the difficult mountain stretches and clearly enjoyed his rally debut: “Opel and ADAC are doing a brilliant job together. That's exactly what I wanted to experience firsthand in the Opel Corsa Rally Electric – and I have to say: I'm thrilled! Being able to drive in a rally as great as this one at Mont Blanc is a lot of fun. I congratulate everyone involved and believe the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup has a great future.”

The seventh and penultimate round of this year's ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” will take place at the Rallye Coeur de France around Vendôme in central France on 28/29. September.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” after 6 of 8 rounds:

1. Pröglhöf                  189 points.

2. Rott                          148 pts.

3. Español                    122 pts.

4. Lemke                      103 pts.

5. Chalvin                     80 pts.

6. Wittenbeck              70 pts.

7. Hangodi                   64 pts.

8. Baudet                     63 pts.

9. Pottier                      48 pts.

10. Melse                     37 pts.

11. Kamermans          33 pts.

12. Bayer                     20 pts.

Opel increases passenger car market share in Germany to 6.2 % in August

• Combined market share of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles at 6.3%
• Opel Astra registrations more than doubled compared to the same month last year
• Significant increase of 14.2% in registrations so far this year

Strong August for Opel in Germany: According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the Rüsselsheim-based manufacturer achieved a passenger car market share of 6.2 percent in a declining overall market. In the same month last year, this figure was 5.4 percent.

According to preliminary internal figures, the total market share for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles was as high as 6.3 percent in August (2023: 5.7 percent). The best-seller in the Opel portfolio was the Opel Astra with over 4,300 new registrations. This more than doubles the result from the same month last year.

Overall, Opel has recorded significant growth in the important German home market so far this year. According to preliminary internal figures, more than 120,000 vehicles were registered in the first eight months of the year - an increase of around 14.2 percent with a market share of 5.7 percent (2023: 5.1 percent). Another driver of growth is light commercial vehicles, where Opel increased by more than 67 percent.

"In August, we continued the positive trend for the year on our German home market. The Opel Astra in particular made a significant contribution to this. Our state-of-the-art product portfolio, which we will continue to expand in the second half of the year, is giving us further momentum for the remainder of the year," says Opel Germany brand boss Patrick Dinger.

Start of professional life for 170 apprentices at Opel

• High-quality and contemporary training in ten apprenticeships and six degree courses
• Training offer aligned with Opel’s electric strategy
• Close integration of theory and practice during training

Welcome to Opel: A total of 170 young people starting their vocational training today at Opel's German locations, 120 of them at the headquarters in Rüsselsheim alone. 28 newcomers began their vocational training at the Kaiserslautern plant, 15 at the Eisenach location and seven at the Bochum logistics center.

Opel offers its new employees attractive future prospects and career opportunities in the company in ten apprenticeships and six courses of study. The training offered is geared to the specific future needs of the respective location. Practice and theory are always closely intertwined. During their training, the young people work on specific projects for various departments of the company. This means that they are directly involved in day-to-day business and learn about important procedures and processes at an early stage.

"Our young skilled workers start a solid training course at Opel under the most modern conditions, supervised by a committed and experienced training team. We have continuously and consistently aligned our training program with Opel's electric strategy and the changes in the automotive industry. That is why topics such as electrification and automation as well as networking and artificial intelligence are playing an increasingly important role," explains Ralph Wangemann, Managing Director of Human Resources and Director of Labor at Opel, who welcomed the trainees at the Rüsselsheim site.

The dual degree programs with a focus on computer science, IT and electromobility also address the important future topics that accompany the transformation in the automotive industry. This year, the degree programs "Applied Computer Science" and "Computer Science - Technical Computer Science" have also been added.

Training at the German brand Opel has traditionally stood for high quality. 162 years ago, the first trainee began his apprenticeship with company founder Adam Opel. Since then, around 27,000 young people have completed their training at one of the company's German locations.

And Opel is already writing the next chapter of this success story, as the application process for the 2025 training year has already started. Here  you can find all the important information about vocational training at Opel.