Dezeen promotion: German carmaker Opel has unveiled Mokka-e, which is the first in a new generation of electric cars that aims to redefine the brand by drawing from the bold, sporty designs of its past.
Mokka-e is a fully electric car, which Opel says demonstrates its new design philosophy. It is the first car to feature a redesigned front fascia called Opel Vizor and a fully-digital cockpit called Opel Pure Panel.
“The new Mokka is a head turner and will change the perception of our brand,” said Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller. “With the Mokka, we are reinventing Opel and introducing our design of the next decade”
The car was designed to showcase a new design language that will be rolled out across future Opel cars and innovations.
“It shows everything the brand stands for today and in the future: the Mokka is fun, efficient and innovative in all respects,” said Lohscheller.
“In addition, it perfectly embodies the Opel brand values – exciting, approachable, German – in the most progressive way.”
The Mokka-e is a compact, five-passenger car, which has been designed to demonstrate Opel’s commitment to electric cars as part of a strategic move towards the more sustainable vehicles.
By early 2021, the brand, which is based in Rüsselsheim, Germany, will offer a total of eight electrified vehicles aimed at different customer markets.
“It is the first Opel that is electric right from its market start; a real proof that Opel goes electric,” said Lohscheller.
“We will electrify our entire product portfolio by 2024.”
The Mokka-e is the first model to feature the Opel Vizor and the Opel Pure Panel, which will be included on all of the brand’s models throughout the 2020s.
“The Opel Vizor and Pure Panel embody the concept of Bold and Pure, which describes the approach to the car design and is inspired by the principles of visual organization and digital detox,” said Opel’s design vice president Mark Adams.
“Both are inspired by iconic Opel models, such as the 1970 Opel Manta, which stood out of the crowd by offering sporty coupé lines to a wide audience,” Adams continued.
“Moreover, the new Opel Vizor is also the entry ticket into the world of electric and autonomous driving and makes all Opel models future-ready by cleanly integrating headlights, sensors and cameras required by modern vehicles, proudly centred around the silver Opel Blitz (Flash) logo.”
The two-toned car has a rounded roof and curved body that measures 4.15 metres. It is available with a black roof and engine bonnet, while the four doors, front bumper and rear are painted in contrasting colours such as bright green.
Inside, the vehicle has been “digitally detoxed” by removing all extraneous elements and information.
The new Opel Pure Panel is a double screen that extends from the driver’s side to the central console. The digital display uses a simplified design with minimal buttons and menu options.
Only essential information such as speed, GPS mapping and miles left on the battery charge are shown across the screen, which is tilted towards the driver.
The electric motor in the vehicle offers drivers 100 kilowatts (136 horsepowers) and 260 Newton metres of torque, or turning power. Drivers can select one of three modes to drive the car in – Normal, Eco and Sport – depending on acceleration and balance preferences.
The 100 kilowatt DC battery charges the car up to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes with either single-phase or three-phase power circuits. On a full charge, the Mokka-e can travel up to 322 kilometres.
Other technological features of the Mokka-e include the Advanced Cruise Control system, which automatically adjusts the car’s speed to match that of the vehicle ahead of it, Active Lane Positioning to keep the car in the centre of the lane, and glare-free IntelliLux LED lights built for all driving conditions.
The car also has a parking assistant, a 180-degree rear backup camera, automatic braking and a mat for passengers to wirelessly charge mobile devices.
Opel has also equipped it with OpelConnect, a service that reports traffic conditions and will automatically call emergency responders if airbags deploy.
In addition to the electric car, Opel is manufacturing the vehicle with efficient diesel and petrol engines. Mokka can be ordered online since 20 September 2020 and will be available for purchase at dealerships in early 2021.
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