Opel’s diesel Mokka X crossover doesn’t bring anything fancy to the table, but it is good value

Singapore –  Everyone should know by now that just as,  crossovers are the new sedan. One out of every three cars sold here in 2016 was upset, sorry, cross, so it’s natural for every car brand to have at least one SUV in the lineup, if not five.

Take a look at the CarBuyer website now: In January 2017 we tested one sedan (the Subaru Impreza), one hatchback (Nissan Pulsar), but three crossovers (Kia Niro, Mini Countryman and this).

Opel’s whipped up the Mokka X as its compact crossover offering and we’re here to tell you why it’s more Robusta than Arabica.

Curiously the Mokka isn’t based on the impressive underpinnings that the new Astra hatchback debuted to the world, and in fact it’s almost archaic sharing the same basis as the Aveo hatchback.

That, and the fact that it’s a diesel, might imply that the Mokka is somewhat uncouth, but that’s only because the Aveo hasn’t been sold here for quite some time. The latest generation model, is actually still sold here in sedan form as the Chevrolet Sonic and still sold elsewhere, like in Australia as the Holden Barina, with the current platform being  just five years old. So it’s not exactly ancient, it just seems to be. To put this into context, some popular Japanese platforms are easily six years old or more.

But this is a crossover, so it’s all about the look, and the Mokka X does look like what buyers are all crossed-up about nowadays: Take a hatchback, feed it steroids or give it the mumps, and ta-dah, instant crossover.

Tall stance, faux bash plate, contrast coloured fenders, bright colour options and more are all part of a modern crossover’s repertoire, and the Mokka is clearly in line with that sort of thinking. In fact, it has a visual volume that almost totally belies its size and that, we suspect, is entirely the whole point. It’s smaller than a Mercedes-Benz GLA, but looks more like a Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe – DRL signatures, bold grille and swoopy front-end curves.

Another crossover trait that buyers crave is height, and the Mokka X would surely count as a ‘Tall’ in ridiculous Starbucks drink-size terminology. Of course, ‘Tall’ is actually the second smallest size in the line-up (Grande, Venti and Trenta are above it), but that’s exactly what the Mokka is: One step above a compact hatch/sedan in size, yet ridiculously tall. It’s 142mm taller than the Aveo/Sonic it’s based on (1,517mm vs 1,658mm), and that means you step up into the cabin, perch on the very vertically-inclined seat seeing eye-to-eye with lorry drivers. You have no choice, really, since it doesn’t go very low at all.

The Opel’s unique in the small crossover segment for being diesel-powered – the 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine makes a decent 136bhp with 320Nm of torque. It’s not the most refined unit around, as you won’t forget you’re driving an oil-burner with the far-off clatter and roar. The six-speed automatic is good enough, though not the smoothest, as it does chuck the occasional jerk into the proceedings, but the drivetrain offers plentiful, immediate torque to satisfy anyone getting into a race with a taxi.

To put this into context, while it’s about as fast (or as slow?) as a Toyota Prius in the 0-100km/h dash, the initial diesel punch means it doesn’t feel anything like the hybrid. As a diesel it’ll do well for long-distance drivers although the lack of start-stop and other newer fuel-saving features means it’s not as frugal as upper-crust offerings are.

While many crossovers actually ride worse than their sedan or hatchback counterparts, the Mokka does a great job of taming Singapore’s terrible tarmac. If you were say, cradling a cup of hot mocha in the Mokka, you probably wouldn’t spill any of the brew on yourself unless you straightline a speed hump at 50km/h. It’s no Lexus obviously, with the torsion beam rear suspension showing its budget roots once in awhile, but it’s better than you’d expect.

The interior looks very modern, and it’s clear that the upgrades seen in the new Astra family are also present here: There’s very little cheap-feeling hard plastics here, instead it all seems well put together and easily on par with the rest of the affordable Continental gang, if not better in one or two instances. Opel’s new CarPlay-capable Intellilink infotainment system is also present here, and it’s a nice touch as it’s a full-featured, easy to use system.

As a crossover, all around headroom is good, with rear legroom being on par with regular hatchbacks – it’s not as cramped as some compact crossers/hatches are, although three adults in the rear row will surely rub shoulders. The boot space is decent, it goes from 356-litres to 1,372-litres with the seats down.

Overall, the Mokaa X is a decent offering from Opel which arrives in a very timely manner for the German brand. A car brand without a crossover to sell here in 2017 is a bit like a chocolate merchant landing at a port full of caffeine-crazed zombies – it’ll do, but it won’t hit the spot.

To go with our inevitable coffee jokes again, the Mokka has, largely, the look and feel of Starbucks or Spinelli product but with the big surprise of paying regular kopitiam prices for the brew. And yes, that takes into account the fact that in 2017, a kopi no longer costs less than a dollar.

Opel Mokka X
Engine 1,598cc, 16V, inline 4, turbodiesel
Power 136bhp at 3500-4000rpm
Torque 320Nm at 2000-2250rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic
Top Speed 188km/h
0-100km/h 10.9 seconds
Fuel efficiency 5.0L/100km
CO2 132g/km
Price $108,888 with COE
Availability Now