Opel Mokka

This one is already popular in Europe. Unfortunately it’s also widely known that Opel’s current financial situation isn’t good, but they are following the right path. Instead of watching their cars become older and only reduce the prices to keep the good sales, Opel is investing at new products. Entering at new categories and showing whole new projects, with very nice style and high quality. They could really increase their sales by expanding the offering to more countries, but until that happens it’s worth to show their youngest child.

Mokka is nothing more than a Buick Encore with minor design changes, but this is the opposite of a bad thing. This is a global GM project which also turned out into Trax, the Chevrolet and Holden’s version. Its importance comes from being the group’s very first attempt of debuting among the compact crossovers, since the late Chevrolet Tracker was only a rebadged Suzuki Grand Vitara from that time’s generation. It doesn’t take too much attention at city traffic to see how popular this kind of car has become, with a huge variety of sizes, prices and brands. GM has always offered several options of SUVs and most recently also crossovers, but never a small one, capable of competing with cars like Fiat Sedici. Now they did as their rivals: took an urban platform and drew a smaller and lighter crossover, with lots of resemblance with the street cars both inside and outside. Although sharing a lot of pieces, Trax (which will go to Brazil as Tracker) features some design differences in order to suit better its public, which will be the emergent markets. This blog explains with more details at its own article, but the focus was making it resemble bigger models at the same time it brings some urban luxuries, to result a city car with the visual “toughness” of a SUV.

However, Mokka (and therefore Encore, too) has a different proposal. While Trax’s lines try to make it seem longer, the German brother’s want to make it compact and nimble. The idea is to attract both the customers who want more than a hatchback and the ones who don’t need the bigger size of an SUV with a formula that can attract many kinds of people, since middle-aged women to groups of early-twenties friends. The interior seems to follow the latest trends such as several color options to console and seats coating, but the central big touchscreen is missed: the entertainment system is controlled by a big button panel beneath the air outlets. But this car has plenty of space for four occupants (a fifth one is welcome since doesn’t ask for much space) and a high level of security and comfort items. And when it comes to engines, this coffee-named crossover will offer three options: the intermediate option is an 1.7 diesel with 130 hp, while with gasoline the entry one is the 1.6 16v with 115 hp and the top one the 1.4 turbo with 140 hp. Mokka is being exposed at the Paris Motor Show, but its sales have already started at some European markets already with excellent results: Opel has already received more than 25,000 requests of their first small crossover.