New Opel Mokka off to an electric start

Opel has been teasing and drip-feeding us images and details of its new Mokka crossover for months now but at last, here is the real thing. Worth the wait?

Well, yes actually - it might be. For a kick-off, this new Mokka comes with some surprisingly dramatic styling (surprising because the old Mokka X was bland to be point of invisibility) which features a distinctive new 'Vizor' front end. That styling trick will spread, in time, to the rest of the Opel range. "Bold and pure, this is what the Opel design of the future will look like. The new Mokka shows athletic proportions combined with precisely structured, flowing surfaces. We have developed this philosophy aligned to characteristic German design, combining progressive bold design with purity", explained Opel Design vice president, Mark Adams.

Around the back, Opel has stuck with the slightly odd c-pillar design that we’ve seen on the likes of the Crossland X, and which reminds us of a 1970s Cadillac coupe, but not in a good way. Maybe better to concentrate on the Vizor instead, which also incorporates high-tech active LED headlights.

Inside, there’s an even bigger change. While the new Corsa, which shares a chassis and structure with this Mokka, could be accused of having a too-plain, too-conservative cabin, the Mokka has gone fully digital, with the new Opel Pure Panel layout.

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For top-spec Mokkas that will mean a ten-inch central touchscreen, with a 12-inch digital instrument panel. Lower spec versions will have to make do with a measly seven-inch touchscreen. Opel says that, unlike its cousins at Peugeot, it will retain physical buttons for some key functions, and that the screen's layout has been designed to avoid: "Hazardous exploration into sub-menus."

Being based on the same CMP platform as the Corsa, the Peugeot 2008 and the Citroen C3 Aircross means that the Mokka has shed some 120kg compared to the old model. It’s also 125mm shorter, albeit with a wheelbase that’s just a hair longer. Boot space is the same as in the old one, at 350-litres.

Opel has decided to first show us the all-electric Mokka-e, which (quel surprise) uses the same 50kWh battery and 136hp electric motor that you’ll find in the Peugeot e-2008 and e-208. On a fully charge, according to the WLTP emissions and economy test, it should be good for a range of 322km. Opel says that it can be rapid-charged at speeds of up to 100kW, and there’s an optional 11kW charging system built in so that it can be more quickly topped up from home chargers. The battery is warrantied for eight years.

"The new Mokka is a headturner and will change the perception of our brand! With the Mokka, we are reinventing Opel and introducing our design of the next decade. It shows everything the brand stands for today and in the future: the Mokka is fun, efficient and innovative in all respects. In addition, it perfectly embodies the Opel brand values - exciting, approachable, German - in the most progressive way. It is the first Opel that is electric right from its market start; a real proof that Opel goes electric", said Opel boss Michael Lohscheller.

The new Mokka will go on sale in the second half of this year, but won’t physically make it into dealers until early 2021.