The new, and I mean all new, Opel Mokka is a compact five-seater luxury crossover which can take on the very best in this size class. Dare I say Continental design and German engineering at its best, bearing in mind it is the sister of the oh so svelte French Peugeot 2008.
You know that pleasant, warm early morning coffee shop aroma leading to a satisfying cuppa (mocha) java and a feeling of self-satisfaction? Well Opel has got that buzz going with its new Mokka.
The Rüsselsheim engineering and design team has packed the Mokka, especially in GS Line guise, with the latest entertainment, comfort, safety and near-autonomous technology and features. These include fully automated Full-LED Matrix headlamps, which dip for oncoming traffic and switch on automatically in poor light or visibility, Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection, adaptive cruise control, driver awareness alert, lane control, road sign recognition, rain sensitive wipers, courtesy door lights (very handy at night), 360° camera view and cable-free phone charging.
The Mokka is equipped with the latest generation LED lights, ranging from daytime running lights bearing the Opel signature to front fog lights complementing the Opel Vizor design element or look on the face. The rear-view mirrors are heated, fold in when the car is switched off and tilt down when in reverse. Very courteous, I thought.
The new dash or as Opel calls it the Pure Panel incorporates two large screens to leave room only for the essential buttons but, hallelujah, buttons still control the most important functions without having to navigate through menus of the everyday controls like the air conditioning and radio.
The driver’s seat is adjustable on six axes as standard in the GS, and it has a massage function. Both very comfortable and good looking front seats have warmers. The displays and controls are all ideally positioned in relation to the driver. The base or Elegance model is equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen IntelliLink infotainment system, the multimedia radio connectivity allows music playback via USB, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The steering wheel controls also allow the driver to access the multimedia system.
The GS Line offers a bigger 10-inch high-definition IntelliLink colour touchscreen with the addition of built-in navigation and a highly customisable 12” instrument cluster. The 310L boot is very average but practically shaped. Leg room at the back is also very average and the sills are quite high so it is a minor mission for an adult to get in and out of the back. The two front seats and cabin have a really pleasant layout and styling. All very smart.
The very willing three-pot 1,2 L turbo-petrol engine delivers 96 kW and 230 Nm and enjoys an eight-speed automatic gearbox with particularly smooth shifts offering an impressive claimed fuel consumption of 5,3 and 6,1 l/100 km. I think you will normally get just above 6L/100 km in general driving but high 5 on the open road. Ground clearance is 160 mm, so it has some pretence to being a real crossover. The speed-sensitive power steering is a joy to use, as is the leather-clad steering wheel with particularly good function controls. I particularly liked the ride quality achieved, partly due to the Michelin Primacy 215/60 R17 tyres fitted to the test car.
The Mokka is by no means a high-performance driver’s car, but it is a pleasant, luxurious way of getting from A to B and is particularly agile in the city.
This little crossover from Opel really packs quite a punch with its standard equipment list and price.
The Mokka has a 3-year or 120 k warranty and 4-year/60 000 km service plan.
The base model 1,2T Elegance costs R469 900, while the one to get, the GS Line, is R519 900.
The GS Line Mokka needs to be compared to well-equipped luxury small crossovers like the Peugeot 2008 GT (R588 900), Audi Q2 35 (R553 500), Mini Countryman (R611 424), less equipped Mitsubishi ASX LS (R439 995), less equipped Volkswagen T-Roc 1,4 (R518 600), Mazda CX3 Individual (R482 100), simpler Citroen C3 Aircross (R424 900) and slightly bigger Mercedes-Benz GLA200 (R772 796).
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Wallace du Plessis is motoring journalist for Boland Media.
