The Opel Monza Concept Pairs Cutting Edge Styling with a 1.0 CNG Hybrid Engine

OpelOpelGermany, 1863 > present85 models
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is fully revealing its MonzaOpel Monza ConceptGermany, 2013 > 2013 concept for this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show that imagines a future four-seat hatchback with ultramodern styling and cutting edge technology. Opel calls the Monza its “role model” for the next generation of cars.

The Monza is supposed to harken back to the original MonzaOpel Monza 2.5EGermany, 1977 > present that debuted in Frankfurt in 1977. At the time, the car was meant as a personal luxury coupe with a big, six-cylinder engine. When it went on sale, it proved a modest success and stayed in production until 1986.

The new Monza is supposed to follow this concept in the modern age. It is supposed to be an affordable personal luxury car with adequate power and good efficiency.

“The Monza Concept represents the Opel car of tomorrow. On one hand, it embodies everything that already characterizes Opel – German precision combined with innovative technologies wrapped in captivating design. In addition, it addresses the themes that will be the development-focus of the next generation of Opel cars: maximum connectivity and optimum efficiency,” said Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

The Monza’s powertrain is a series hybrid with a compressed natural gas engine. The 1.0 SIDI turbo CNG three-cylinder engine only runs to charge the car’s battery. Opel has not announced how much power the system has or what its theoretical range would be.

The look of the car is made up of two arcs – one for the hood and a second much longer one for the passenger area. The bottom of the car of the car is much sharper with a chrome line that points forward and terminates at the rear wheel well. Over the passenger arc, there is a chrome arch that draws the line from the front all the way to the taillights. It is an attractive look, but the rear appears slightly bulbous for such a pointed front.

Inside, the Monza seats four people behind massive gullwing doors. It makes it easy for all of the passengers to enter, but there is no way that the doors will make it to a production version.

For the rest of the interior there are LED displays for instrument and infotainment systems. The display is not actually separated, though. The LED display goes from door-to-door in the passenger compartment.

The system also shows Opel’s concept for next generation automotive human-machine interface. The driver can select from three modes – ME, US and All. ME mode disconnects the infotainment system and simply shows information about driving the car. US allows passengers to use the infotainment system to talk to friends. All allows the driver to share route information and their current location.

We have a clear vision of how Opel cars will be in the future, and we have a clear strategy of how we will achieve this goal. The Monza Concept gives this strategy an unmistakable identity,” said Neumann.