New Mokka has crossover appeal for young buyers

OPEL’s new Mokka compact crossover arrives in April and will have petrol, diesel and electric versions.

It will cost from around €23,500 for the entry-level 1.2-litre 100bhp petrol, with the electric version in SRI trim starting from around €33,000.

This is an all-new model, as opposed to the revised Crossland reported on last week. Both cars operate in the same areas of the market, but target different buyers.

The Crossland’s customers are likely to be looking for a practical, roomy motor powered by traditional engines. The Mokka is slightly more expensive and aims to attract a younger audience and those who like full tech on board.

Compact crossovers are in huge demand; they made up 17pc of all cars bought here last year.

Like the Crossland, the Mokka has the new Vizor front face which will adorn all Opels from now on.

It also has the new interior Pure Panel cockpit which blends two widescreen displays (up to 10-inch and 12-inch respectively), but more conventional buttons still control key functions such as aircon and radio volume.

They have knocked 120kg off this 4.15-metre long new car compared with the previous five-seater (luggage 350 litres to 1,200 litres).

There will be a lot of focus on the electric Mokka-e version. The 50kWh battery (100kW, 136hp) can cover a claimed 324km on one charge. A 100kW DC fast-charger replenishes 80pc of the battery (eight year/160km warranty) in half an hour.

The petrol engines start with the 1.2-litre 100bhp turbo 6spd manual. There is more pep in the 1.2 130bhp turbo (6spd manual or 8spd auto) and there is a 1.5-litre diesel 110bhp 6spd manual.

Standard equipment includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, LED lamps, electric parking brake and traffic sign recognition.

Depending on trim, equipment includes advanced cruise control, active lane positioning, wireless smartphone charging, six-way ergonomic seats, 180-degree rear-view camera, heated leather seats, navigation, and glare-free, IntelliLux LED matrix lights.

Elsewhere, former Citroen offshoot DS Automobiles is really busy as a standalone brand and has released some of the most hyperbolic phraseology I’ve heard about the wonderful looking DS4.

This upmarket motor is expected to go on sale here by the first quarter of next year. It looks premium – which is how they are describing it.

The latest DS7 and DS3 models will be on sale here shortly, followed by a DS9 later in the year.

That makes the DS4 the fourth model in the range. With its new ‘silhouette’ they say they are ‘reinventing’ the small-family car sector.

It will have three trim/versions: DS4, DS4 Cross (more SUV like) and DS4 Performance. Importantly, there will be a plug-in hybrid version.

Audi, meanwhile, has finally revealed the production, look and shape of its electric e-tron GT, which is due here in the summer.

They regard it as the flagship of its electric future, in that the supercar’s technologies will filter into its mainstream EVs.

As such, they reckon it could be “the most important Audi ever”.

The battery lies under the floor and the car’s 800v system can take a charge of up to 270Kw. Two motors, one per axle, make it all-wheel-drive.