2015 Opel Mokka: A Well-Brewed Cup of Suv

Opel's newly-launched compact crossover-SUV Mokka shines light on value and affordability

The conversation of buying and owning the best car often dives straight into the spectrum of the three German auto-manufacturers, namely: Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. But isn't the reasonable answer always something of unreasonable price? Isn't there a car that can champion the masses and take on daily duties while separating itself from the taxicab-common Toyota Camrys and Honda Civics of the world?

So this week, we picked out one from the sub-100,000 price bracket. Yes, it is German, but a crossover SUV on a compact scale -the 2015 Opel Mokka. The 'Mokka' name itself is derived from the small, round coffee beans of the coffea arabica variety, so this time we were expecting a different brew from Opel.
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
The 2015 Opel Mokka - the first under this name for Opel - is based on the raised platform of the Opel Corsa. As with recent Opels, this one's a pudgy looking thing with snug dimensions overall. But fear not, the oddly proportioned bodies usually associated with mini SUVs and MPVs have graduated to a more sophisticated and sporty styling here - without getting the mutant-makeover session that the Nissan Juke got, and without adopting the drab-looks of, say, the Qashqai.

The Mokka is about 4,280mm long, which makes it 50mm shorter than a Qashqai and 100mm shorter than a Peugeot 3008. For drivers, it means an easy fit in a parking spot; and at a height of 1,626mm, the Mokka is also taller than both the Nissan and the Peugeot, lending it more above shoulder room. Yet, it is rather cleverly designed to not look like a chubby SUV. Overall, it's a pragmatic size that fits your family of four, or even five, but is still easy to handle.

The grille has a subtle pointy motif, consisting of a bar and a slat finished in chrome, while the remainder of the slats are finished in black. The bi-xenon headlamps and the adaptive forward lighting - offered on the 'Cosmo' model - are welcome features for this price bracket. They come enclosed in a tastefully styled pullback casing. The lower bumper is flanked by faux air intakes with chrome-encircled fog lamps. You also get a skid plate at the bottom, but we highly doubt the Mokka will be taken dune bashing to test it out.
There is plenty of body sculpting on the hood that continues on to the body panels on the door sides, improving the dynamic visual appeal. The wheel arches, finished in black plastic, gives it a visual measure of off-road ruggedness; while the blacked out pillars and the tapered glazed elements add some fluidity to the overall design. Filling the wheel wells are chunky 5-spoke alloy wheels that are 17" in the base car and 18" in the Cosmo trim. The rear design is defined by the vertically oriented rail lamps that ride into Murano-like haunches and is finished off by the Opel bolt badge, underlined by a chrome bar over the licence plate and black bumpers with a skid plate similar to that in the front.
The Mokka is a refreshing take on the compact crossover and offers a more sophisticated style as opposed to the current crop, like the Mitsubishi ASX, the Nissan Qashqai and the Renault Duster. We think it's best suited for college-goers and young families.
Getting in and out is easy and there's plenty of room, even for child seats. The enhanced height gives it an airy feel and the seats are fairly accommodating up front. The transmission tunnel is visible in the rear cabin, but it's not too obtrusive. Our Cosmo test car had dual-tone upholstery in leather, finished in a brown hue called Cocoa Saddle. The other option is the Galvanised Grey. Even as a 6-footer, it's comfortable in the driver's seat, thanks to the manually adjustable steering column and height adjustable seats. The only gripe being the short thigh support - taller drivers may have their knees hitting the lower centre console.
Those who are familiar with Opel cars will find familiarity in the moderately-styled dash and stacked layer of buttons and knobs on the centre console. In the Cosmo, however, the dual-tone panelling along with high-quality satin finish trim gives it extra oomph. The push-button layout is clear and ergonomic; some may complain of it having too many buttons, but that's subjective.
The stand-out feature - literally - is the infotainment screen, which sticks out of the top of the dashboard. The instrument gauges get some shine in the form of chrome bezels and have legible calibration. Even though the orange-on-red mini screen and its pixelated, Pac-Man-reminiscent graphics may seem like a throwback to the 80s, it is still a useful piece of equipment.
As for storage, there is ample space to throw your phone and house keys. You get two storage bays in each door, two cubbies in the centre console, a lidded compartment next to the steering wheel and two glove boxes, like in some SUVs. And for vanity's sake, you have illuminated mirrors. The tapering rear window reduces some visibility out the rear cabin, but the sunroof offers some consolation, disclosing more of the outside view.
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Forced-induction is the way forward these days, even for economy cars, and that turbocharger does more than boost your ego. In the Mokka, Opel has employed a turbocharged 1.4L inline 4-cylinder engine and it is connected to a contemporary 6-speed automatic that is suited for both the city and the highway.
On the go, the Mokka feels a whole lot faster than the 10-plus seconds it actually takes to get to a 100km/h. The 138 horses it harnesses at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 175Nm available at 4,900rpm gives plenty of poke for squeezing between cars in traffic and also gets the car moving when the freeway opens up. However, if you push the engine too hard, its enthusiasm dies out, especially above 120km/h.
Another reason people would get this car is fuel economy. At about 7L/100km I wouldn't say it's the most frugal car out there, but it's not too far off. But the small displacement engine can suffer, if you load up the passenger compartment and cargo bay. It is best to travel light, in this respect.
My corner carving mentality wasn't deterred in the Mokka. Sure it's not the Mokka rally car they are trumpeting about, but neither was it a cone killer. Steering is decently precise, with enough feedback from the wheels and the tight overall proportions with short overhangs also improve agility. The all-wheel drive option is an intelligent 4x4 system that maintains 100 per cent drive at the front wheels until the system detects a slip - during fast starts or tight cornering - in which case it can send up to 50 per cent of torque to the rear wheels. This also maintains the balance between fuel-economy and provides the traction required for when you're in a bit of sand.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
For some, 138bhp won't get you fast enough to use your brakes, but it is reassuring to know that even in this segment, you have ABS disc brakes for the front and rear wheel and Electronic Stability Control. There is hill start assist for those who have difficulty making their way up a crowded basement ramp and half a dozen airbags. There's also a rear view camera to help you park, and while you are on the road there's cruise control to give your feet a break over long drives.
The open tailgate exposes 362L of space, which isn't spectacular, considering the Skoda Yeti has almost 450L, but it is sufficient for a compact and that number climbs to 1,372L once you fold the 60:40 split folding rear seats. Do note that the rear seat bottoms have to be folded manually and tumbled over. This allows items up to 1.5m long to be placed inside. The flat load lip means you can just slide items in and out easily.
The A/C stuck through the many hours of driving, even during mid-day commutes, without issues. And as for entertainment, there is an onboard stereo system which comes with an FM/AM radio and a CD player that plays mp3, or you can run your playlists on the go using AUX-in or USB. We like the musical reproduction overall.
The available true spare tyre is a much better option than a space-saver tyre available on most cars; it is also better than the hours' wait before rescue turns up. Other features include rain-sensing wipers that actually only work at car washes in Dubai and electro chromatic rear view mirrors that make night driving easy.
VERDICT
Sure, everybody would like to own the 'best car', ie, a German car, someday. But life is not a highlight reel, and while you wait to strike gold, it's important to improve your average lifestyle and that is exactly what the 2015 Opel Mokka does. It provides the perfect compromise between a family-conscious interior with hints of power and style to go with the bounty of conveniences to give your cloud that silver lining. The best part is you don't need to beg, borrow or steal to purchase this car - prices start at a reasonable Dh68,000. And with taxable products in the pipeline for this region, getting a car like this makes more sense.

• On The Road