What a comeback! Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has announced the electric Manta – we don’t expect the series model with the name Opel Manta-e until 2025. The Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD, which will be presented in 2021, will shorten the waiting time.
The Opel Manta celebrates in the mid-2020s his comeback. What was a rumor for a long time was confirmed by Opel boss Michael Lohscheller at a presentation by the parent company Stellantis on July 8, 2021. The declared electrification of the brand by 2028 must ultimately also include an emotional offer. A look back shows why an electric Manta should become an important image carrier: Opel employees and fans had to read, see and hear reports for about two decades that their brand was “crisis-ridden”.
Since 2017, Opel no longer belongs to General Motors, but the French PSA group. In contrast to GM’s counterparts, which are often focused on the heavy US or cheap Far East vehicles, the French platforms are all Europe-compatible. However, a clever shared parts policy calls for real car characters, that differentiate and shape the image of the brands. The long Opel history is peppered with strong car types, the emotionally charged but unquestionably the Manta. So it only seems logical to underline the brand’s new course with the Opel Manta-e (2025).
OPEL MANTA-E CONFIRMS: HOW POWERFUL WILL THE ELECTRIC MOTOR BE?
The original principle with a front-mounted internal combustion engine and the driven rear axle has of course become obsolete in the new edition of the Opel Manta. One of the four new electric car platforms that Stellantis announced in July 2021 should serve as the basis: STLA Small (up to 500 kilometers range), STLA Medium (up to 700 kilometers), STLA Large (up to 800 kilometers), and STLA Frame (up to 800 kilometers). They are to be used from 2023 and, in addition to three drive units, offer standardized battery packs for flexible combinations.
So both front, rear, and all-wheel-drive versions are possible. The technology is there, only the “hat”, as the structure in the car business is called, has to be created. What a classic-looking Opel Manta-e (2025) could look like, we illustrate with our computer retouching shown above. The official sketch from Opel (Fig. 2), on the other hand, postulates an electric crossover – analogous to Ford and his Mustang Mach-E. How strong the electric Manta will ultimately be cannot yet be foreseen – but very likely more powerful than the current 136 hp electric motor from the Corsa-e, Mokka-e, and Zafira-e.
THIS IS THE OPEL MANTA GSE ELEKTROMOD (2021)
To shorten the waiting time for the next Opel Manta (2025) for fans, the people of Rüsselsheim presented their latest project: the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD (2021). Behind the somewhat cryptic name is a first-generation Opel Manta, which the engineers have equipped with an electric drive. The electric motor with 147 hp (108 kW) and 255 Newton meters of torque draws its juice from a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 31 kWh, which has found its home between the back seat and the trunk. It allows a range of around 200 kilometers. Charging takes place via a 9 kW onboard charger for single and three-phase alternating current. A battery charge, therefore, takes up to four hours. Interesting: Although the electric motor is in the front, the E-Manta drives its rear wheels.
As with the original. But the change from free-sucking four-cylinder to cable operation is far from over: The body is one of the modified elements. The Vizor is now sitting on the radiator grille and will in the future give all Opel a face. To the right and left of it, we find the current LED light signature from Rüsselsheim. Similar changes can also be found at the rear, which enjoys a high recognition value with its circular LED. The Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD (2021) also has a fully digital cockpit that bridges the gap between the past and the future in the interior. Incidentally, a small series does not seem entirely out of the question. which should give all Opel a face in the future. To the right and left of it, we find the current LED light signature from Rüsselsheim. Similar changes can also be found at the rear, which has a high recognition value with its circular LED. The Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD (2021) also has a fully digital cockpit that bridges the gap between the past and the future in the interior. Incidentally, a small series does not seem entirely out of the question. which should give all Opel a face in the future.
To the right and left of it, we find the current LED light signature from Rüsselsheim. Similar changes can also be found at the rear, which has a high recognition value with its circular LED. The Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD (2021) also has a fully digital cockpit that bridges the gap between the past and the future in the interior. Incidentally, a small series does not seem entirely out of the question. that builds a bridge between the past and the future in the interior. Incidentally, a small series does not seem entirely out of the question. which builds a bridge between the past and the future in the interior. Incidentally, a small series does not seem entirely out of the question.
The Opel Manta GSe ElektoMOD (2021) remains true to its original genes from the 1970s, both inside and out. As soon as we open the driver’s door, the crank for the window catches our eye. Let our gaze wander along with the suede and smooth leather cladding to the seats: the sporty bucket seats with stripes in the color of the car invite you to take a seat. The adjustment of the seats works traditionally manually. So nothing here indicates modern electrical engineering under the sheet metal. That changes when you look at the dashboard.
There we find the cockpit from the Opel Mokka-e. The grip on the original three-spoke steering wheel from the seventies sends you back a good 50 years into the past. It continues below the speedometer in the same style. The new LED headlights are activated via a button to the left of the steering wheel, which has to be pulled out. The ignition key has also remained true to itself, as have the pedals. The Opel Manta GSe ElektoMOD (2021) can be controlled via a four-speed gearshift. In addition to the accelerator and brake, there is also a clutch pedal in the footwell. From a technical point of view, changing gears while driving is not necessary, but rather serves the nostalgic driving experience. The gears are comparable to different driving modes.
The ElektroMOD can be started in both fourth and first gear, but the power unfolds noticeably differently depending on the gear. There is space for up to four people in the GSe, but it is most comfortable for two – to be stylish and depending on what you have “filled up”
