Vauxhall to expand GSE range and tune future hot models for UK roads

Vauxhall will expand its hot GSE sub-brand with a renewed focus on tuning cars specifically for UK roads. The development work is likely to centre on ride and refinement, and will begin almost immediately.

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Vauxhall and Opel’s vice-president of current products, Marc Fetzer, said: “We have a plan to test the cars on UK roads. We have had some engineers here the last few weeks; we are bringing all the development cars we have in the future [to the UK].”

He also reiterated Vauxhall’s position as the only mainstream maker within the Stellantis group with more than one ‘hot’ model on its books: the Mokka GSE and the Corsa that’s due soon. As it stands, Peugeot has only one confirmed GTi product (the forthcoming 208 GTi), while Alfa Romeo has pinned its hopes on the Junior Veloce – a car currently available to lease through Auto Express Buy A Car from as little as £349 per month.

“We have the beauty of two cars with the same powertrain; the only ones in the Stellantis environment,” Fetzer told us. “We decided to give two different directions to the product. The hatch is more sporty, more extreme, and the Mokka more comfortable. They are different vehicles.”

Yet there’s more to come. Fetzer admitted that GSE isn’t likely to permeate quite as far as the old VXR brand did, but confirmed more sporty models were in the works.

“We had the VXR sub-brand in the past. We had a version for all the cars, but we were probably too extreme,” he told us. “We had the Meriva, also the Zafira [VXR]. We will certainly not go that direction, but we want to have cars for different kinds of customers – the Corsa customer is not the Mokka customer.”

He referred to the aforementioned Mokka as “the beginning of the GSE story”, but wouldn’t budge on exactly what might come next. “We want GSE not to be a single element; we promised when we launched the Mokka that it would not be the only [GSE].”

He did admit that “280 horsepower, for this small car, is already at the limit” – suggesting harder, faster versions of the Mokka or Corsa were not on the cards. “Let’s see what’s coming,” he said. “I cannot give you a clear answer; we are pushing in terms of rally, in terms of Formula E, and we are planning to do more stuff in the future. We do not want to stop with the GSE environment.”

Given GSE stands for ‘Grand Sport Electric’, Fetzer said it “makes sense” for all models to have some kind of electrical assistance, but refused to write off hybrid or plug-in hybrid models – possibly pointing towards GSE-branded versions of the Astra hatchback or Grandland PHEVs at a later date. “I’m not closing the door,” he said. “Who knows what will happen in the future?”

What is certain, however, is that Vauxhall won’t populate the GSE sub-brand with simple spoilers, racing stripes or chintzy trim. “One of the key points is we have developed and spent many, many hours on chassis tuning,” Fetzer said. “Everyone can have 400 horsepower, but the chassis tuning – this is where we are very proud.”

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