Opel has no models among the top 60 cars sold in Ireland last year, writes Brian Byrne. Though that's against the backdrop of more than 320 models on offer from more than 50 carmakers operating on this island, and the Stellantis Group's German brand is comfortably within the top 20 marques in overall Irish car sales.
It's notable that Opel's top three models are all within very close numbers of each other, and that the C-segment Grandland SUV looks on track to move from third to first in Opel sales, passing the current Mokka and Corsa leaders. There's also a new Frontera B-segment SUV that was recently launched, and a new Astra hatchback is coming in the summer. So, with arguably the freshest lineup of crossover SUVs — the Mokka also got an upgrade in 2025, along with the arrival of the new generation Grandland — Opel looks well set to drive forward through this coming year.
If you need to travel long distances and require family-size seating, the Grandland is worth considering for several reasons. For starters, it is well styled, with clean lines, edgy profile elements, and a flat bonnet with a central ridge, which brings back memories of the Opel Rekords I owned in the 1960s. It is longer, wider, and taller than the first-generation Grandland it replaced last year and offers more rear-seat room. In line with Opel's latest theme, the brand name is permanently lit at the rear, and the Blitz is lit at the front.
There's a distinctly upmarket interior, continuing the edgy theme of the outside. A wide central screen features large touchscreen controls, while physical buttons and switches remain for key climate and audio management. The driver instrumentation is precise, practical, and non-distracting — there's even a 'Pure' option that eliminates all but essential information.
The Grandland offers ample storage, and a refrigerated box is included under the armrest. A 550L boot cargo volume is standard across all powertrain versions. The extra width and height of this Grandland make a difference to the interior experience. A rethinking of seat design has, the carmaker claims, made them more comfortable for long-distance driving — I can attest to that being true, as one 400km round trip I did, while I had the car, was done with just a 10-minute turnaround in the middle, and I arrived home without a trace of back tiredness after some six hours of driving.
The Grandland is available with a choice of battery-electric, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains. In this instance, I was driving the MH one, powered by a 1.2 3-cylinder petrol engine and a small battery, which nevertheless can have the car operating in EV mode up to 50 per cent of the time. It's a system used across the Stellantis brands, and I've been very impressed with it. The transmission is a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, which, again, I've found is well matched to the engine. Long-distance driving proved effortless, thanks in large measure to the powertrain, the orthopaedically designed seats, and easy handling.
Although I sorted out how to switch off the most annoying of the driver 'assistance' bits, there were some oddball warning sounds that I couldn't get to the bottom of, but I will be discussing them with Opel's technical people the next time I meet them.
My regular readers will remember that the Grandland was my personal choice for the Large Car category in the recent Irish Car of the Year 2026 awards in association with Continental Tyres. My subsequent time with the model hasn't changed my view, and I'd vote that way again if necessary.
PRICE: From €41,395. WHAT I LIKED: That my first good impressions proved right on the long haul.
