Road test: Petrol or EV? We drive the new Opel Mokka

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

• OPEL MOKKA SRI PETROL / MOKKA-E EV

• Base price: $44,990 / $69,990

• Powertrain and economy: (Mokka SRI petrol) 1.2-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol, 96kW/230Nm, FWD, claimed combined economy 5.7L/100km, CO2 130g/km. (Mokka-e) Single-motor, 100kW/260Nm, 50kWh battery, FWD, 363km range.

• Vital statistics: 4151mm long, 1791mm wide, height 1531mm (XC40) and 2557mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 350L (Mokka SRI) and 310L (Mokka-e).

• Safety: 4 stars (Source: ANCAP)

• We like: Attractive styling inside and out, a solid drive, more comprehensive offering than its Corsa cousin

• We don't like: Average camera tech, firm ride, debatable pricing

The European car company landscape, with its hierarchies and cliques, can sometimes resemble a highschool lunch period. You have your jocks (Mercedes-Benz, Audi), your nerds (Skoda, Peugeot), and the kids who are a little too into dissecting frogs playing with the goo inside. Citroen, I’m looking at you.

Where German manufacturer Opel sits within this structure is up for debate. But, when the brand relaunched in New Zealand late last year, it clearly fancied itself as a bonafide challenger for Europe’s best. Maybe not the likes of the three-pointed star or four rings, but the brand is certainly keen to poach a few customers from Volkswagen.

And arguably the leading weapon in its arsenal to do just that is this handsome thing – the Mokka. And we’ve driven it in both its range-topping internal combustion engine and fully electric forms.

OUTSIDE

I’ve driven plenty of press vehicles over the last few years. Many of them have been exotic two seaters, svelte sedans, or bulging off-roaders. But I can only count on one hand the amount of cars that have prompted total strangers to come up and offer unsolicited compliments. Oddly enough, the Mokka recently joined the list.

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**

Over my back-to-back samples I had two perfect strangers praise the Mokka’s sharp Air-Jordan-on-wheels aesthetics. From certain angles it can look a little goofy (particularly angles that emphasise the short rear overhang), but otherwise it’s hard to think of any urban crossover that’s as capable of turning heads.

Don’t think it’s all just about the bits of red plastic trim, either. The Mokka has a real presence. The unique two-tone gives the illusion of a sleeker roofline. There’s no cacophony of slashes and cuts in the bodywork, just simple sculpted lines. In short, it looks like nothing else in its class.

INSIDE

The petrol-sipping and electrode-sipping Mokka look almost identical outside (save for some badging), and the same goes for the inside. Both cars share an angular, driver-focused and fairly youthful looking dashboard layout. There’s splashes of red and faux carbon fibre all over the place, underlining an intent to woo the young and young-at-heart.

Petrol Mokkas are available in two trims, the base grade ‘Edition’ and range-topping SRi. The fully electric Mokka, meanwhile, comes in just the one SRi flavour. The ICE Mokkas (there’s a coffee joke in there somewhere) are priced from $38,990 and $44,990 respectively, whilst the EV is priced from $69,990 (or just over $60k after discount).

Both models we tested were of the SRi persuasion, and were keenly equipped – coming with a 10-inch touchscreen, 12-inch digital cluster, a surprisingly capable sound system, and a lengthy list of active safety tech. There are some fairly impressive features more commonly associated with premium cars, too, like the adaptive LED Matrix headlights, heated steering wheel and front seats, and proximity keyless entry and exit.

Room in the back seat and boot is a little better than one might assume looking at the Mokka’s proportions. Knee space is a struggle for adults in the second row, but that’s typical in this segment. The boot, meanwhile, can host up to 350L of storage in the petrol Mokka and 310L in the EV Mokka, thanks to the added electric hardware.

Admittedly, there’s a few little nitpicky things to note. The lack of wireless phone charging is perplexing, and in our petrol Mokka the proximity unlock only seemed to work half the time. The reverse cameras – a locked-off rear view with guide lines and a rudimentary early 360-degree unit – aren’t really up to snuff either, being quite grainy relative to the competition.

UNDER THE BONNET

Petrol Mokkas get a 1.2-litre turbocharged triple making 96kW/230Nm, while the plug-in gets a front-mounted electric motor making 100kW/260Nm, paired to a 50kWh battery. Both are front-wheel drive.

If any of that sounds familiar to you, it might be because you’ve read one too many compact crossover road tests (curable via a good uninterrupted lie down) or possibly because those figures are the same as what features in Peugeot’s similarly sized 2008. That’s because the 2008 and Mokka are cousins under the skin, sharing the same architecture and plenty of the same hardware as both come under the Stellantis ownership umbrella.

ON THE ROAD

The 1.2 and its 8-speed auto are surprisingly potent – ‘zippy’, as my parents would probably say. Like most contemporary three pots, it’s more smooth and innocuous than the less refined threes of yesteryear.

Opel boasts that it’s capable of a combined economy of 5.7L/100km, although we could only manage 7.4L/100km. Handily, like all other ICE Opels, its light emissions mean it’s eligible for a Clean Car rebate. In this case, $1923.23.

The Mokka-e’s electric motor carries many of the characteristics that regular readers will have seen echoed over and over. Its power and torque hits instantly as soon as you hit the throttle, it operates in near silence, all that jazz. That, and the reduced running costs, make it the superior powertrain.

But the performance gap between the pair is smaller than one might expect. The EV makes only 4kW/10Nm more than the petrol which might have something to do with it (and it’s only two tenths quicker to 100kph). Whichever option customers choose, they’re likely to be satisfied.

The general positivity also covers the capability of the Mokka-e’s 50kWh battery (45kWh usable). Opel claims a range of up to 363km on the WLTP cycle. We achieved an economy of 16.4kWh/100km, or approximately enough to do around 275km to a full charge.

The Opel’s secret weapon is how it drives.

Petrol or electric, it doesn’t matter. Both models love a twisty bit of road. Take a corner at speed and the Opel responds by managing body roll with aplomb. The steering, a dab on the heavy side, is precise and fills whoever’s in the driver seat with heaps of confidence.

There are trade-offs for this driveability. For one, the Opel rides very firmly compared to its peers. Its regenerative braking is also very mild, regardless of setting. There are some that struggle with getting used to regen, and I understand that. But it’s nice to have the option to ramp things all the way up if you want to make your battery go further.

VERDICT

The Mokka is a sturdy option for anyone wanting a head-turning crossover that stands out from the crossover pack.

At almost 40 grand at its cheapest point it’s not especially affordable, but with prices of most new cars rising quickly, it’s not alone. Opel says it’s priced its models to be competitive against Volkswagen’s line-up – and they are. The Mokka is cheaper, more versatile in its powertrain options, and (much) prettier than the Veedub T-Cross. It matches the bottom line of Skoda’s Kamiq, too.

Proof of Opel’s upmarket methods will be just how many of these things, petrol and EV, pop up on Kiwi roads. I wish them all the best.