Opel is preparing a new entry-level small hatchback

It is expected that the future new product will be one step below the Corsa Electric in the hierarchy of the German brand. It may appear in 2026.

Today, the Opel brand and its British counterpart Vauxhall belong to the auto giant Stellantis, which aims to increase profits and increase sales of cars from its brands. As a “formula for success”, the concern decided to use the development and production of mass models in popular segments, as well as the active development of the “green” direction, because Europe is not yet going to abandon further tightening of economic standards.

In the photo: the current Opel Corsa Electric hatchback

As the head of Opel Florian Hüttl told the British Autocar, a new product may appear in the brand’s line-up, and In the brand's hierarchy, it will likely take the place of an entry-level electric car, that is, it will be one step below the five-door Corsa Electric hatchback. He noted that this segment was chosen for the new product because compact, affordable models are now “very popular.”

It is assumed that in the British market the price tag of a “supermini” will be about 22 thousand pounds sterling (25 thousand euros), then as a current all-electric Vauxhall Corsa hatchback can now be bought for no less than £32,445. In a sense, the new Opel electric car will become the ideological successor to the “tiny” Opel Adam and Vauxhall Viva.

In the photo: interior of the Opel Corsa Electric

If the new electric car is given the green light (the company has not yet officially confirmed this ), the new city car will be able to compete for buyers with the upcoming Renault 5 and Kia EV2. According to the head of Opel, the starting point for this project will be the development of new energy-intensive traction batteries that will reduce production costs; in addition, this will help increase the internal space in the compact model and reduce its weight.

In the photo: Opel Adam, which left the assembly line in 2019 1/2 In the photo: Opel Adam, which left the assembly line in 2019 2/2

There are no details about the potential new Opel product yet. The future city car could be based on the STLA Small platform, which replaced the E-CMP platform (the current Opel Corsa Electric and Peugeot e-208 hatchbacks are based on it). Let us remind you that this cart is suitable for models of segments from A to C, equipped with batteries with a capacity of 37 to 82 kWh.

In the photo: Opel Experimental concept

Another “filling” option for the future Opel supermini is the budget Smart Car platform, which is a simplified version of the CMP (Common Modular Platform). Let us remember that it underlies the recently debuted subcompact cross-hatchback Citroen e-C3, intended for the European market.

Opel's new compact electric car is expected to be approximately 3,600 mm long and approximately 1,700 mm wide. There is no information about the exterior and interior of the city car yet, but it is possible that a number of solutions will be borrowed (in a revised form) from the Opel Experimental concept. The serial version of a potential new product could debut in 2026.