Opel Unleashes Its First All-Wheel-Drive EV, and It’s a Shock to the System

Opel has finally mustered the nerve and rolled out its first all-wheel-drive electric vehicle. The new Grandland, particularly in its top-spec version, offers more than just a battery on wheels. It’s quicker, sharper, slicker, and grips the road like nothing else ever to emerge from Rüsselsheim.

The headline? A second motor has been added to the rear axle. This 112-horsepower boost doesn’t hum idly—it kicks in only when truly summoned. Floor the pedal in sport mode or engage AWD for slick roads, and it roars to life. But in eco mode, it simply dozes, conserving energy for when it truly matters. The result is power only when needed, and not a moment sooner.

In total, the system dishes out 325 horsepower and 509 Nm of torque. These aren’t just numbers—they act. Grandland rockets from zero to one hundred in 6.1 seconds, quick even by sports coupe standards. Power comes from a 73 kWh, 400-volt battery. It may not be the most formidable unit on the market, but with clever energy management, it still promises up to 501 kilometers of WLTP range.

If that doesn’t convince you, Opel’s signature German thoroughness just might. Upgraded suspension, fine-tuned dampers, stiffer stabilizer bars, and a sharper ESP calibration all ensure that this machine responds not just to the road, but to the driver’s very intent.

On top of it all, the Grandland has been visually refreshed: redesigned bumpers, distinctive wheels, and streamlined aerodynamics pushing drag down to a slippery 0.278. Even the wind has to hurry to keep up.

In Germany, the electric Grandland starts at €47,000. Combustion-engine front-wheel-drive versions begin at €36,400—but let’s be honest: once you’ve tasted 325 electric horses with all-wheel-drive, there’s no going back.

Opel plans to put the car on sale this fall.