The new Opel KARL ROCKS has arrived at dealers and is ready to dazzle showroom visitors with its trendy outdoor look and feel. The KARL ROCKS bears a strong resemblance to a true offroader and shares many virtues connected with this vehicle class such as an elevated seating position that enables better visibility and easier access to the cabin. Furthermore, the youngest member of the Opel ROCKS family maintains the unquestionable practicality of the Opel KARL with five doors, five seats, compact dimensions and a maximum trunk space of more than 1,000 liters making it the ideal vehicle for a broad audience of city dwellers. Like its slightly less extrovert sibling, the Opel KARL, the newcomer is thus big on everything – except size and price with the entry-level KARL ROCKS available for €12,600 (RRP including VAT in Germany).
Clever design tweaks set the KARL ROCKS apart from most of its A-segment rivals. The functional silver roof rails, rugged front and rear bumpers with integrated skid pads, front and rear wheelhouse moldings and unique 15-inch bi-color-look alloy wheels blend in perfectly with typical Opel design cues such as the Opel blade that sweeps dynamically up towards the rear. Combined with the sloping roofline this creates a dynamic, sporty appearance that links the KARL ROCKS to the KARL while simultaneously giving it a distinct rugged look.
The car’s outgoing personality is further emphasized by an 18-mm increase in ride height enabling enhanced visibility and a better ground clearance. Therefore, KARL ROCKS can also venture off asphalt roads and negotiate uneven surfaces. Furthermore, the 18-mm increase facilitates ingress and egress.
The outdoor character created by the exterior design continues on the inside of the car with front door sill plates and the high gloss frame for the infotainment system The optional Radio R 4.0 IntelliLink system brings the world of smartphones to the KARL ROCKS via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. As of this summer, buyers in search of an integrated navigation system can order the urban rocker with the Navi 4.0 IntelliLink system. The connectivity offering of the KARL ROCKS is rounded off by the availability of the Opel OnStar personal connectivity and service assistant including the new Personal Assistant service. It allows OnStar subscribers to book hotel rooms and search for suitable parking spots via an OnStar Advisor.
However, KARL ROCKS has much more to offer than its enticing looks and stylish interior – it is also just as practical as the Opel KARL. Four doors guarantee easy access to the front and rear seats while the five seats ensure that even families can enjoy Opel’s SUV-inspired mini car. And when needed, the rear seats, with a 40/60 split as standard, can be folded down completely giving the KARL ROCKS an impressive total trunk space of exactly 1,013 liters.
Under the hood, the ROCKS shares the 1.0-liter, three cylinder gasoline engine (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 5.6-5.2 l/100 km, extra-urban 4.2-4.0 l/100 km, combined 4.7-4.4 l/100 km; 106-101 g/km CO2) of its KARL sibling The unit delivers 55 kW/75 hp and is paired to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. Alternatively, KARL ROCKS buyers can choose the optional Easytronic 3.0 gearbox. The five-speed automated transmission combines the comfort advantages of an automatic transmission with the efficiency of a manual gearbox. It automatically selects the appropriate gear for best possible fuel consumption, but is based on a manual transmission optimized for smaller engines which enables ultra-economical driving. The driver can take manual control of Easytronic 3.0 at any time by pulling or pushing the gear selector lever.
Furthermore, the KARL ROCKS also caters for customers looking for an alternative fuel offering and is available with the 1.0 LPG ecoFLEX ex works (NEDC LPG consumption: urban 7.1 l/100 km, extra-urban 5.2 l/100 km, combined 5.9 l/100 km; 95 g/km CO2; NEDC fuel consumption: urban 5.8 l/100 km, extra-urban 4.1 l/100 km, combined 4.7 l/100 km; 108 g/km CO2). When ordered in this combination, owners can cover a total distance of 1,019 kilometers (in accordance with NEDC) between visits to the filling station thanks to the 32-liter gasoline and the 20-liter LPG tanks.
Elsewhere, Opel’s wild child comes with all of the safety and comfort features available in the regular KARL. City mode reduces steering effort at the push of a button, greatly facilitating maneuvering in heavy city traffic. Park Assist is also available and assists the driver during parking by giving an acoustic warning as the car approaches obstacles when reversing. Cruise control with speed limiter regulates driving speeds, which is extremely helpful in busy urban traffic and in residential areas.
