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Opel's new Mokka SUV is undoubtedly an attractive car. It competes with the Nissan Juke and Renault Duster, but where the Duster takes aim at the budget market and the Juke seeking out young buyers, Opel’s Mokka has its sights set on the young female professional.
Its conservative in terms of design but remains attractive and stylish.
The Opel SUV gets the job done without too much fuss and does exactly what it says on the box - a compact SUV with adequate space for a family. If you like the idea of a small SUV and consider the Juke to be too much like a cartoon character, the Opel Mokka could be for you.
POWER
The Duster costs considerably less but isn't near as up-market as its Opel rival.
The Mokka boasts a modern 1.4-litre turbo petrol capable of 103kW/200Nm. The engine is willing and economically and feels like a much larger unit. The six-speed manual gearbox is pleasant to use and buyers have the option of a six-speed auto. The 0-100km/h sprint takes about 10secs and the Mokka uses less than 7 litres/100km.
The SUV is available in front-wheel guise and it might be better that way since most of its buyers probably would never leave the tarmac. Opel seems to have spent the majority of its considerable budget towards the comfort features.
The interior is about the size of an Opel Corsa though with added headroom. Sadly the boot isn't that much larger than its Corsa Sibling.
INSIDE
The cabin gives you a great sense of quality and solidity. The facia boasts a vast bunch of buttons that appear too small. The new Intellilink infotainment system allows you to connect your smartphone and uses your phone's apps and data for the radio, music, GPS and other features that would normally cost thousands on most Volkswagen products.
Behind the wheel you have a commanding view of the road and the suspension is very comfortable for such a short vehicle.
I mentioned its design is conservative but the fact is the South African market appears to favour conservative looking vehicles, in my opinion. Driving the Mokka I received many compliments in traffic and quite a few people questioned me about the SUV with interest. Women in particular were impressed with the new SUV.
The price varies from R288 000 to R336 000. The Juke starts at R255 000 for the entry level version. The Duster is much cheaper at R213 900 but I don't believe Opel is pursuing the same market. The Opel Mokka is my first choice between the three and by the looks of things it could do very well in South Africa.
