Though its future remains in doubt as General Motors negotiates with two potential buyers for the brand, Opel is still making headway in the European market by launching five dual-fuel liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) models.
The models will be the Corsa (two different engines), Meriva, Astra station wagon and Zafira with each boasting a wide performance range and expanding the company’s ecoFLEX range with alternative propulsion. They can run on both petrol and LPG, with a switch taking place automatically or by pressing a button.
The vehicles will feature an LPG tank that will be located either in the spare wheel well (Corsa, Meriva, Astra station wagon) or under the vehicle floor (Zafira). Opel believes that these models offer a number of advantages compared to retrofit solutions as the powertrain is designed for operation with LPG and special valves and valve-seat inserts have been used to ensure durability. The vehicles have also been through extensive endurance tests, with the LPG tank subjected to crash tests to meet safety standards. The vehicles also cost just an extra €2,200 - that’s lower than that of most retrofit solutions.
The operating range has also been boosted significantly. For example, the LPG Astra station wagon can travel 808 miles without needing to refuel while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been slashed by 10-13 per cent.
Here is a preliminary look at the power and CO2 figures of each of the LPG models:
- Corsa 1.2 LPG ecoFLEX: 57kW; 127g/km.
- Corsa 1.4 LPG ecoFLEX: 64kW; 129g/km.
- Meriva 1.4 LPG ecoFLEX: 64kW; 129g/km.
- Astra Station Wagon 1.6 LPG ecoFLEX: 82kW; 142g/km.
- Zafira 1.8 LPG ecoFLEX: 100kW; 159g/km.
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