Top 3 things you need to know about the Opel Mokka X
As one of the last GM-era holdovers in Opel’s model range, the current-generation Mokka is being phased out in preparation for its move onto a PSA (Peugeot Group) platform. That doesn’t mean that the car itself is unappealing, though – it has enough merit to justify its consideration by any compact crossover buyer. Let’s look at three things you might not know about this still-attractive veteran.
The Underdog's Last Stand
Its last facelift, at the end 2016, gave the Opel Mokka a new front-end and appended an “X” to its nameplate. It was unusual to see a refresh applied to a car that had, at that stage, been only on the market for a year-and-a-half, but the truth is that the Mokka was already quite mature when it first arrived on local shores in mid-2015 – it was first released internationally in 2013, but it took Opel a while to bring it over here.
The restyling exercise was a success, nonetheless, and gave the stylish crossover enough ammo to fight in an increasingly congested marketplace. It never really had a chance to succeed, though, because it was overtaken by the events surrounding its parent company within a few months of arrival. General Motors announced their total withdrawal from the South African (and many other international) markets in 2017, along with the sale of Opel (and Opel's British sibling, Vauxhall) to French conglomerate Groupe PSA. This obviously put the long-term survival of Opel’s GM-derived models in question, and led to the phasing-in of the overlapping of Peugeot-based SUVs instead, bringing us the Crossland X and Grandland X to fill that area in the Opel range.
Related: Reviewing the Opel Crossland X revealed mostly positive attributes.
What will the future hold for the Mokka X? Current rumours suggest that it will be replaced by a PSA-derived car at the end of 2020, but, given a rapidly-changing motoring landscape, it’s hard to imagine a market slot wide enough to justify a direct Mokka replacement. But, while it’s sad to see any car fade away after such a promising début, it does make for good car shopping: many new Mokkas (especially manual-gearbox examples) still on sale are old stock vehicles, and dealerships will likely be willing to strike good deals to move them. Let’s highlight the top 3 things you should know about the Opel Mokka X, when shopping for a compact crossover.
1. Citizen of the World
If you hear the name “Mokka”, you may find your mind swaying towards a fresh coffee instead of a well-appointed mode of transport. The thing is, you technically wouldn’t be wrong if coffee was your first thought. We’re not 100% sure why, but Opel actually chose to name the compact SUV after the beans from the Coffea Arabica family. (If there’s not a “CHINO GP” personal registration plate on a Mokka X in SA, it’s a missed opportunity.)
It wears a number of different badges around the world, but in Europe, the U.K (under the Vauxhall brand), and here in SA, it’s called the Mokka X. It’s a big sales success in China, where it wears a Buick badge, and dons a new suit to become a Chevrolet Trax in the USA. That’s not bad going for a car based on the humble Chevy Sonic, let alone one that got embroiled in the internal politics of its parent companies.
Related: Is the Opel Mokka X good for families?
2. Same engine for the entire range
There was originally a total of five variants to the local Opel Mokka X range, but this has since been whittled down to only two. The base “Enjoy” variant lists at R 389 000, and the range topping “Cosmo” retails for R 439 000. Even the basic Enjoy is well-equipped, but the Cosmo adds a host of premium-car features, in line with Opel’s ertswhile philosophy of democratising technology.
Their trim levels may differ, but both Mokkas feature the same 1.4T powerplant, known as the 1.4 Turbo EcoTEC, and it’s exclusively mated to a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic nowadays. (The 6-speed manual-equipped Mokka Enjoy was recently dropped from the range, but there may still be some examples available at a lower price.) The small-displacement powerplant is rated at 103 kW with 200 Nm of torque, giving it competitive punch and decent oomph for its size class.
Related: A whole lotta Mokka – our review of the Opel Mokka X Enjoy.
3. Some of the best lighting in the business
The Opel Mokka X not only looks good and drives very nicely, but it was also the model to introduce some amazing lighting innovations for the brand. The Opel Mokka X introduced LED Adaptive Forward Lighting as an option extra on the Cosmo trim level, which is 30% brighter than conventional halogen systems.
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) combines a host of intelligent features, and is a must if you’re able to tick that option box. There’s a Stop Mode to conserve energy when the Start/Stop function is enabled and the car is at a standstill, front cornering lights make parking easier whether reversing or manoeuvring, while Dynamic Curve activates additional LED lights when you turn a corner to help light the way.
The High-Beam Assist (standard on the Cosmo variant) automatically switches to the low-beam setting when it detects lights approaching from the front, so you’ll never blind anyone again. Lastly, the AFL system includes three selectable lighting modes, named Country, Town and Tourist modes. The first allows a longer and wider spread of light from the low-beam and above 55 km/h. Town mode offers up an even wider spread of the beam at low speeds to aid in pedestrian visibility, and the last one, Tourist Mode, adapts the lighting to driving on the other (right-hand) side of the road. That last one will probably be useful if you’re planning to take your Mokka touring through Europe...
The current Mokka X range:
Opel Mokka X Enjoy 1.4T A/T : R 389 000
Opel Mokka X Cosmo 1.4T A/T : R 439 000
* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.