Opel has had an on-again, off-again presence in New Zealand with cars sold under its own badge and as Holdens.
The Commodores currently being phased out by the NZ Police are re-badged Opels (the brand was the German division of General Motors before its acquisition by Peugeot).
In fact, the Commodore name came from Opel when Holden sought a smaller car to replace the Kingswood as its family sedan during the fuel shocks of the 1980s.
It rebadged Opel’s mid-sized Commodore saloon and managed to shoe-horn inline six-cylinder and V8 motors into it to create the car that became an Australian icon.
An Opel hallmark was always its handling, and the German-designed General Motors’ products were excellent road cars that delighted keen drivers.
That attribute lives on in the new-generation Opels – like the test Mokka e SRi. Opel is now part of the Stellantis group that includes Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, Ram.
Priced at $69,990 and attracting a Clean Car Discount rebate of $8625, the all-electric Mokka e is a smartly styled, well-equipped crossover SUV that emanates contemporary chic. The EV is $25,000 dearer than the petrol SRi equivalent which attracts a CCS rebate of $1923.28.
The Mokka is based on the same platform as the Peugeot 208, but Opel’s engineers have given it a very different character.
Where the French car is sports-oriented with a firm, sometimes choppy ride, the Opel has very supple suspension and feels skewed more to comfort.
You can change that by dialling up Sport mode which stiffens everything up and increases punch.
The Mokka debuts Opel’s face of the future with a blunt, high front end dominated by a “grille” enclosed by a chrome trim “visor” that also encapsulates the headlights; at the centre is Opel’s traditional blitz (lightning) badge.
The heart of the Mokka e is a 50kWh lithium-ion battery developing 100kW and 260Nm of peak torque and driving the front wheels. It will charge fully in 28 hours using a home socket, seven hours with a 7.4kW wallbox, or will reach 80% charge in 30 minutes on a fast charger.
Performance is brisk rather than neck-snapping – 0-100km/h takes nine seconds and top speed is limited to 150km/h. But there’s good punch and the Mokka maintains excellent momentum in open-road driving, with plenty of mid-range acceleration for overtaking
Kerb weight is 1523kg (compared with 1220 for the petrol Mokka). Luggage capacity is 310 litres with the rear seats in use and 1050 with them folded.
Standard wheels are 18-inch two-tone alloys (which include red accents on launch models), shod with 215/55 R18 tyres which provide outstanding grip.
Opel quotes a driving range of 363km which should be enough to avoid range anxiety if you’re open road running.
Be warned, though, that if you make plenty of use of the throttle, the available range can drop relatively quickly.
Using light throttle, the Mokka e consumes power at a trickle rather than a torrent.
And its regenerative braking system is very effective; using it on hilly terrain in suburban running kept remaining distance-to-recharge reassuringly stable.
The reversing camera displays on the dashboard to the left of the driver, and though it’s small by current standards, the displayed image is very clear, precise, and easy to use.
Safety equipment includes six airbags; two rear IsoFIX child seat mountings with top tethers; tyre pressure monitors; adaptive cruise control; lane keeping assist, and speed limit sign recognition.
There is also active emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection; driver attention alert; forward collision warning, and automatic headlight and windscreen wiper activation.
It has Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Standard paint is Match Green metallic. For an extra $550 buyers can choose among five other hues, four of them metallic.
The warranty is for five years or 100,000km whichever is reached first, and the traction battery has an eight year/160,000km warranty.
Opel offers two added cost service plans – three year/45,000km for $999 or five year/75,000km for $1699.
On the road
Our main drive of the Mokka e came during the unseasonal downpours that plagued Auckland during the first half of December.
The torrential rain put the windscreen wipers under severe pressure, but they cleared the glass admirably.
And the car was sure-footed as we drove through low cloud on a streaming wet, narrow, and twisting mountain road lined by native bush.
Steering is nicely weighted and precise, but if you plan to press on, it’s advisable to dial up Sport mode.
The standard settings favour a supple ride for comfort and there’s a bit of body roll and sloppiness if you start to push hard.
The driving position is very good, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel is pleasant to use with a nicely chunky rim.
The seating position is moderately high making the Mokka easy to get into and out of for older drivers and passengers.
The front seats are height-adjustable and are comfortable for extended periods, though rear seat legroom is a little tight compared with some rivals.
One of the key things about the Mokka is its quietness. European cars tend to kick up a fair bit of road noise on chip-sealed surfaces, but the Mokka is an exception.
The dashboard is well designed, and all controls are within easy reach – a nice touch is the distance-to-empty read-out which displays in the far right of the cluster, placed just right to be read at-a-glance.
The seats are well-shaped and comfortable and offer good lateral support – just as well as there’s no grab handle for the front seat passenger.
One ergonomic glitch is the distance that the driver and front passenger need to reach to close the doors – we found it easiest to grab hold of the spacious door pocket’s rim to pull the door closed.
Our verdict
The Mokka e is a distinctive car with cutting edge looks that turn heads; and its individualistic and well-proportioned styling sets it apart from the pack.
It offers high specification and its excellent driving dynamics, and ease of use reinforce its thoughtful design.
It’s exceptionally quiet with well-muted road noise and is very refined.
It offers good value for money and feels well-built; at $70,000 before the CCS rebate it’s right on the money in the BEV pack.
People allocated it as a company car will feel they’re driving something special and out of the ordinary with looks that are more purposeful than cutesy. It lives up to the promise of its name – Mokka is German for strong dark coffee – and is a compelling brew served with style.
Specs panel
Opel Mokka e
Price: $69,990 – deduct $8625 Clean Car rebate
Engine: electric with 50kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission front-wheel drive
Power: 100kW
Torque: 260Nm
Range: 363km
