SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


Save

Fresh ground: 2017 Opel MOKKA X 1.4T Cosmo m/t

Could become addictive

Posted 30 September 2017

Opel's future in South Africa It is in good hands. Future imports of Opel vehicles will be taken over by Williams Hunt, a multi-branch dealership that has handled GM products in South Africa since 1913. Williams Hunt belongs to Unitrans the Transportation, Logistics and motor dealership organisation. Unitrans is, in turn, a subsidiary of Steinhoff International, a large and diversified retail conglomerate. Sales and servicing will continue, for the most part, via existing Opel and Isuzu dealers. These will continue honouring warranties and parts responsibilities for Chevrolet. 

The numbers
Price: R357 400
Engine: 1364 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder, turbopetrol
Power: 103 kW between 4900 and 6000 rpm
Torque: 200 Nm between 1850 and 4900 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.8 seconds
Maximum: 196 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.5 l/100 km
Tank: 52 litres
Load space: 356 – 785 litres
Towing capacity (unbraked / braked): 500 / 1200 kg
Warranty: 5 years/120 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 5 years/90 000 km; at annual or 15 000 km intervals


What you already know: Opel gave its four-model South African range a mild facelift this past November and changed its name slightly. It is now MOKKA, in all-caps, and the marketers added an X to identify it as an SUV-Crossover.
 
There is only one engine, a 1400 cc turbocharged petrol unit that puts out a very useful 103 kilowatts of power over a band extending from 4900 to 6000 rpm. Two hundred Newton-metres of torque kicks in at 1850 rpm and keeps on delivering all the way up to 4900; meaning that right foot wedged in corner provides endless happy face from just above idle to slightly before the limiter engages and it’s time to shift up. It could become addictive.

The nip ‘n tuck added new headlamp clusters, new headlining and seat material, revised dashboard and instruments, a central armrest with storage tray, new front and rear skid plates and a major upgrade to the infotainment system. We reviewed the entry-level Enjoy manual a few months ago, so now we’ll tell you what extras a R40 000 upgrade to Cosmo specification brings.

Wheels grow from 215/60 R17 to 225/45 R19, the steering wheel gains leather covering and warming and the rear windows are tinted. Milano black cloth upholstery makes way for Jasmin black leather, both front seats are heated, height-adjustable and AGR-certified ergonomic with under-thigh extensions and you gain some electrical toys – a 12-Volt power supply for rear seat passengers, rain sensing wipers, active highbeam assist, an automatically dipping rear view mirror, foldaway wing mirrors, a reversing camera and parking assistance alarms at both ends.

All models offer six airbags, ISOFix mountings, ESP, hill start, automatic pedal release after a collision, electronic climate management, automatic headlamps, onboard computer, drive-away locking, disc brakes and fog lamps front and rear, and cruise control with speed limiter. While Enjoy models provide only a six-speaker radio / CD with Bluetooth, USB, auxiliary and MP3 playback, Cosmo level provides R4.0 Intellilink as standard with Navi 900 Intellilink an option.

R4.0 IntelliLink seamlessly and easily integrates smartphone functionalities via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. It is compatible with devices from Android 5.0 Lollipop and Apple iOS 7.1 (iPhone 5). It comes with a 7-inch color touch-screen, USB and a Bluetooth interface - for audio streaming, viewing photographs, videos and films or for making a hands-free telephone call. It brings each occupant’s personal smartphone applications into the car. Opel infotainment technology recognises when a compatible device is connected via USB, then displays clearly and begins charging.

Navi 900 IntelliLink, a R10 700 option, provides dynamic navigation with 2-D or 3-D high-resolution mapping while pairing your smartphone with the car. Simply connect via USB, Bluetooth or Aux-In, then use steering wheel controls or voice commands to access your important functions and the radio, while safely keeping your hands on the wheel. The 8” colour display enables safe navigation, personalisation of your home screen and saving of up to 60 favourite radio stations, songs or navigation destinations.

The car’s supplementary instrument display provides information and can be operated via steering wheel controls. Either system integrates your favourite functions and apps both seamlessly and easily. Official Opel familiarisation videos can be found here: R4.0 and Navi900

Need cornering headlamps, LED lights front and rear and directional high beam control? The Premium Light and Sight pack adds these features for R25 000. A sunroof, for Cosmo only, is available at R6 500.

The hatch door opens down to upper thigh level to reveal a flat loading surface with four lashing rings, a light and storage for delicate items on each side. A spacesaver spare is in the usual under-floor spot and release catches for the split seatbacks are easily accessible. Lifting and flipping the rear squabs reveals spaces for the backrests to fold down into.

When not in cargo mode the seating area provides sufficient head-, knee and foot space for two, or possibly three, adults because the central tunnel isn’t unduly high. An armrest with additional cup holders, a 12-volt socket, two seatback pockets and narrow door bins make things suitably comfortable.

The front seats mentioned earlier feature manual reach, extension and height adjustments, while the driver’s unit adds electrical tilt and lumbar functions. The right-hand drive parking brake operates smoothly and positively while the slick-shifting manual stick is easy to reach. A small inconvenience is that access to both is compromised when the armrest is in its “down” position, so it’s probably useful only for passenger use in the automatic version. You, as a responsible driver, would never use it would you? Both hands on wheel at all times, remember?

Adding to comfort are two more cup holders, USB and aux-in sockets, a pair of illuminated visor mirrors and a 12-volt recharging point. Storage consists of a medium-sized cubby and slender door bins.

The Opel press machine insists that MOKKA X is aimed primarily at hip young folk, because of the Intellilink options, but we reckon it would suit anybody needing average luggage space, room for four or five adults, very decent performance and good solid German engineering. But you already knew that.

Test unit from GMSA press fleet

We drove the new 1200 turbo in 2022

Save

Save

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.

Save