By: IOL Motoring Staff
Russelsheim, Germany - These are the first official pictures of the Mokka X, due to make its world debut at the Geneva motor show in March.
It's the first derivative to carry the “X” segment identifier for future Opel SUVs and crossovers - so it's not a new model, but a refreshed and rebadged Mokka, with Opel's distinctive new wing-shaped grille and sharp, double-winged LED daytime running light layout.
Both ends of the car are chunkier, with fewer plastic inserts, with the tail-light clusters matching the biplane design of the front; LED tail-lights are an option.
The interior layout has been simplified, with a completely new dashboard, its styling derived from the new Astra, and a cleaner new centre stack designed around the seven or eight inch touchscreens of the new infotainment system - by using the touchscreen to access a number of functions, the number of buttons and switches is reduced for a more modern look.
Two new versions of the IntelliLink infotainment system will make their debut in the Mokka X, turning the central touchscreen into a tablet via both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
MOTORVATION
In addition to the 1.6-litre 'Whisper Diesel' - which is unlikely to be released in South Africa - the Mokka X will be launched in Europe with a new 112kw 1.4-litre turbopetrol four, borrowed from the new Astra. This drives all four wheel via six-speed automatic transmission with idle-stop function, and electro-magnetic multi-plate clutch and an adaptive all-wheel drive system with idle-stop that does almost all your thinking for you.
On dry roads all the drive is through the front wheels to save fuel - except for those vital few seconds at take-off when traction is all-important - but on wet or dirt roads it can channel as much as 50 percent of the torque to the rear wheels as required,to keep the Mokka X going in the same direction as the front wheel are pointed.
LIGHTING UP
The new Mokka X comes with LED adaptive forward lighting, which automatically adapts the beam to throw the most possible light on the road without dazzling oncoming traffic - or the driver ahead of you. It has nine different lighting patterns, such as town light, country light, tourist mode, a curve and cornering function, reversing/manoeuvring light and a stop mode light - and since it has no moving parts, it's faster to react and more reliable over time.
GMSA says it is evaluating the Mokka X for possible release in South Africa but cannot confirm anything yet. As soon as we hear more, so will you.