Opel Reintroduces the GSe Badge for Electrified Sports Models

Like Peugeot, Opel will launch a new range of sporty hybrid or electric vehicles. They will be branded GSe, a name already used in the past on the Commodore and the Monza.

Originally, GSE stood for Grand Sport Einspritzung, meaning Grand Sport Injection. It was therefore necessary to change the meaning of the abbreviation. Opel chose the most obvious option, assigning the -e final (in lowercase, not uppercase) the meaning of Electric. The future GSe models will thus be Opel Grand Sport Electric.

Opel has already used the GSe badge on the 2021 Manta Elektromod. This retrofitted vehicle concept was not intended for commercialization.

Apparently, the Opel GSe will be special versions of existing models. They will look more aggressive and will receive new chassis tuning to provide a more dynamic on-road behavior. Opel also indicates that this new family of vehicles “will be perfectly suited for use on German highways”, without explaining what lies behind this very vague promise.

Located primarily at the top of the lineup, Opel GSe will be well-equipped vehicles. It’s still unclear whether they will have a few extra horsepower. Given their belonging to the Stellantis group, they are unlikely to go overboard anyway.

An Astra GSe to start with?

In its announcement, the Russelsheim firm talks about electrified sporty models, not solely electric. This means there will also be plug-in hybrid GSe models. The first of them could be the Astra, which might even be the very first Opel GSe overall. However, this is yet to be confirmed, as Opel has not yet unveiled its plans.

This announcement comes as Opel has already announced that internal combustion engines will gradually disappear from its catalog. The switch will happen in 2028, from which year the brand will only sell fully electric cars.

Read also: Test Opel Astra Hybrid 2022: the 308’s cousin goes wild