After the successful international media launch of the Opel Grandland in Rüsselsheim last autumn, the flagship SUV ‘made in Eisenach’ is now making its way to numerous European markets. With its many virtues and innovative solutions – from the illuminated Opel Blitz at the front and the continuously illuminated OPEL wordmark at the rear, innovative features such as the Intelli-Lux HD light with more than 50,000 LED elements and the practical Pixel Box in the interior – the newcomer is now turning heads in Ireland.

Tuesday, February 4 – The Opel Ireland team around Managing Director James Brooks and Marketing Director Emma Toner are waiting to welcome 26 Irish journalists to Gowan Auto, the Distribution Centre for Stellantis brands in Dublin. The weather could hardly be worse. The skies are gloomy, the rain lashing down relentlessly. Nonetheless, the Opel duo remains upbeat. “With its stunning design and numerous innovative solutions, the new Opel Grandland shines no matter what the conditions,” says Emma Toner.

Upon arrival, the guests representing national media, provincial media, magazines and online, including many voting members of the MMAI (Motoring Media Association of Ireland) were treated to a presentation on Opel’s long history on the Emerald Island, its long tradition in the automotive industry now spanning more than 125 years and, of course, on the many strengths of the Opel brand and the new Grandland.

Long and rich heritage

“Opel’s new flagship, the stunning Grandland SUV, deserves a first class press launch event in every country and that’s exactly what we endeavoured to deliver. Opel has a long and rich heritage in Ireland, with legions of fans. The Grandland launch was a key opportunity for us to remind the Irish motoring corps of that strength, and to build on it once again, whilst of course piquing their interest in further new product coming in 2025, including new Mokka and Frontera,” explains James Brooks, Managing Director at Opel in Ireland.

After the emotional presentations, the journalists were handed the keys and could put the Grandland Hybrid in the GS trim to the test. From Dublin the route took them to County Down in Northern Ireland. In total, the journalists covered 160 kilometres before arriving at the famous Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, County Down. “The lengthy drive, taking in motorway, urban and rural roads, ensured everyone had ample time to get to know the car’s star qualities. The Slieve Donard Hotel sits in an area of outstanding natural beauty – so it was the ideal match for our stunning Grandland,” says Emma Toner.

The description of a popular travel website provides further evidence that the location selected by the Opel Ireland team could not have been better: “This lovingly maintained Victorian hotel, just 30 miles south of Belfast and 90 miles north of Dublin, is home to one of Europe’s finest resort Spas and is perfect for a short break, residential conference or grand event.”

GRAND is also the perfect word to describe the ambitious goals of the team. “The press launch of the new Grandland SUV was a key event for the Opel calendar in Ireland, as we seek to grow our passenger car market share in Ireland by strengthening our position in the C-SUV segment, the largest segment in Ireland. Opel in Ireland consistently places a strong focus on PR and communications and we work very closely with the Irish motoring corps to ensure our brand and products are brought to life in media coverage where and when possible. Indeed, we pride ourselves in securing over 5% share of voice each year and we have seen consistent success at the annual Irish Car of the Year awards: the Opel Vivaro won the Irish Van of the Year 2021 accolade; the Opel Mokka was crowned Irish Small SUV of the Year 2022; the Opel Astra took the Irish Compact Car of the Year 2023 title. As such, we have strong hopes for another award for our new Grandland,” says Emma Toner.

Bright future

After a successful launch, the foundations for a bright future have been laid. Even more so as the event brought a new feature of the Grandland to light. Having started in the pouring rain, the top-of-the-line SUV drove the clouds away and arrived at its destination in the glorious sunshine.