To some Opel will be relatively unknown, but overseas this chic German brand has been around for over 120 years, is part of the huge and expansive Stellantis network, has a historical car park full of mouthwatering and ultra desirable models, and its lightning bolt 'blitz' logo is a perfect statement for its new focus - electrified and low emission vehicles.
We attended the New Zealand launch of the Mokka and Corsa to find out more.
According to Opel, when it comes to the environment and air pollution, we Kiwis are incredibly conscious of what's expected of us; around a whopping 75 percent are keen to do the right thing when it comes to lowering CO2s.
However, we're apparently not sure about how to do it - it would appear we still love our modern and sporty vehicles, but have a keen eye on finance too. And that's where Opel sees the gap.
Opel is a detox brand, offering low or no emission vehicles that are bold and pure in design, eye-catching and yet affordable. It's a proudly 'modern German' brand that oozes greenovation (green-plus-innovation) and now boasts the title of Germany's lowest emission car brand, with a range of vehicles that emits half New Zealand's average CO2 current footprint - all while being the nation's fastest growing brand too. Have I got your attention?
As noted before, for the initial New Zealand launch Opel have unveiled two models; the Corsa (and Corsa-e), a compact four-door hatch that's big on style but small in emissions, and the Mokka (and Mokka-e) a funky and chic, city-dwelling small SUV.
Both models come with petrol or electric (or Elektrisch if you're looking for some Euro flair) and with some form of clean car rebate.
The Corsa is both Germany and the UK's best-selling small vehicle, which should be testament to its overall appeal right off the bat. The petrol-powered (1.2L Turbo 96kW/8-speed automatic)
Corsa SRi showcases Opel's bold and pure design, with plenty of flowing lines and curves to keep the creatives very happy. For instance, the headlights are IntelliLux LED Matrix, the wheels are 17-inch black diamond cut alloys and the roof is black.
But step inside and you get a spacious hatch that's visually uncluttered and yet loaded with technology, including a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, a seven-inch central touchscreen with Navigation and a list of driver and safety aids that makes you wonder how they squeezed them all in.
The Corsa-e SRi comes with all the above plus Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Positioning Assist (semi-autonomous). The alloys are now two-tone and the steering wheel is heated, and it also introduces electrification. Yes, the new Opel Corsa-e is fully electric, creates 100kW of power and offers 383 km of range - Elektrisch go-karts, eat your bratwurst out.
This brings me on to the new Opel Mokka and Mokka-e. The 'less normal, more Mokka' Mokka has been inspired by their GTX concept vehicle and is a real head-turner. It boasts the brand's pure and bold design philosophy and showcases their 'Visor' face, a sleek panel that hides the myriad of camera and radar technology.
Again the exterior lines are clean and flowing but like I said before, hard not to demand a second glance. The interior comes with (among other things) AGR-certified seats for extra comfort and support, modern and upmarket finishes and (should you go SRi), a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch central touchscreen with Navigation.
There are three models in the Opel Mokka and Mokka-e line up: an Edition offering a petrol-power 1.2L Turbo Petrol 96kW/eight-speed automatic and a few less toys; an SRi, with the same ICE engine and all the bells and whistles; and a Mokka-e SRi with added Elektrisch - fully electric 100kW and 363 km of range.
Time for test drives was kept at a minimum so unfortunately I didn't get a chance to get behind the wheel of the Corsa (more my issue than Opel's), but my quick trip in the Mokka-e had me flicking through the driving modes to Sport and using the more regenerative braking B-mode on the 'transmission'.
Despite the Mokka-e's obvious funkiness, the first thing you notice when getting into the small SUV is just how comfortable the seats are. Yes they've been certified to be great, but they're the perfect blend of support and softness. From there on in, it's a modern, electric driving experience that's both agile and zippy.
As expected there's a lot of technology available at your fingertips, but it's also easy to visually bypass this and simply drive. Visibility itself is good, with a big windscreen and reasonably slim A-pillars, reversing cameras offer all-round views and there are numerous beeps and alerts to ensure you don't scrape this chic Euro model.
Suspension is soft enough to absorb any speed bumps and elevated enough so as not to rub its lip on them either. Steering around the town (which is all I did) is light and the turning circle is tight, especially for an SUV (albeit compact). Being electric, the feeling of acceleration is more acute, but it's by no means a sports car, and in terms of range, my brief encounter barely made any of the range forecast numbers move.
Admittedly, the time behind the wheel of the Opel Mokka-e was but a mere taste, but I can say that it left me wanting more, which is obviously a good thing (I'm booked in for more next month). With two Opel nameplates available now (of which 85 percent of the first boatload is already sold), two more to follow next year and another eight up their sleeve, maybe more from this gem of a brand is what we're going to see.
Why you should: A low or no emissions brand that combines great looks and Euro style with award-winning overseas popularity/
Why you shouldn't: Opel is a new-to-NZ brand, so the cautious may want to wait until the footprint increases.
What else to consider: From the BYD ATTO 3 and MG ZS EV to the Kia EV6 and beyond the EV range offerings are on the rise, but if you're looking German, then Mercedes EQB or BMW iX3 should be a good place to start.
Tarmac Life
