Vauxhall’s hot GSe brand to be boosted by full EVs next summer

Vauxhall’s electrified performance brand will enjoy a resurgence next year with the arrival of the first fully electric GSe-branded car. 

The Grandland GSe is expected to boast around 320bhp from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive set-up which will also make use of the larger 97kWh battery that is already confirmed for sister firm Peugeot’s e-3008 and e-5008 models next year.

The Grandland GSe is likely to be followed by electric performance versions of the Astra and, when the next-generation car comes through in late 2026, the Corsa. However, the new Frontera is not expected to get a GSe variant, due to its positioning as a practical family car. 

There could be a faster version of the Mokka Electric, though, potentially even before the car is replaced by an all-new model in 2027. The Mokka is around 12 months behind the Corsa in terms of a new generation of car, with the facelift having been recently unveiled, ahead of going on sale early next year. 

There’s no indication yet on which motors the various GSe models beyond the Grandland could use, or the level of performance that might be offered. It will be ‘warm hatch’ territory, though, rather than the area of the market occupied by full-on performance models such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N or Alpine A290.

The GSe brand was launched in 2022 as an electrified successor to the GSi logo that adorned Vauxhall cars from the 1987 Carlton through the Cavalier, Nova, Astra, Corsa, Vectra, Zafira and Insignia, and was last used on the 230bhp all-wheel-drive Insignia Grand Sport in 2022.  

The first GSe models were plug-in hybrid versions of the Grandland and Astra in late 2022. The four-wheel-drive Grandland boasted a combined 300bhp from its petrol-electric powertrain, while the front-drive Astra hatch and Sports Tourer offered 226bhp.

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