There's so much room in the compact crossover-segment, Opel has dared to introduce two cars into it.
Of course, there's a clear difference in positioning, according to Opel. The Crossland is the more practical car of the two,
whilst the Mokka is the funky alternative. Especially this very Mokka. And since it's available with a fully-electric drivetrain,
it's a alternative to the Mazda MX-30.
Having said that, these cars just have to look very nice, and surprisingly enough, that means there are a lot of similarities.
Both cars have a relatively long and straight bonnet and both cars have a windshield that's placed pretty far backwards and straight up.
We already know the MX-30, and it's still a remarkable design. Just look at the suicide doors. I really like them.
The Opel however, looks very good as well. And that's mostly because of this front, because it's Opel's new Opel Visor.
There has been a lot we've said about it already, because it's Opel's new family face. So this part here, which should remind you of a...
Manta, according to Opel, will be on the new Astra as well. Also, I have to mention the color. This bright green color comes as standard.
You don't have to pay anything extra. However, if you don't want to be confronted by that every day, you should order the black bonnet.
That way, you won't see anything of it as a driver.
If a manufacturer says that their own car isn't aimed at practicality, you already know it won't be a spacious car.
And that's the case with this Mokka as well. With my 1.84 m. self, I'm barely able to squeeze into the back seat. However, my head touches...
the ceiling and the legroom isn't great. Also, the headrest can't be raised high enough. That used to be a Peugeot-exclusive problem,
but Opel clearly suffers from it as well. In Opel's defense however, the Mazda isn't doing any better to be honest.
Also, it has those half-suicide doors, which do look very cute, but they aren't very practical. And neither do they offer a big entry.
Except for the Opel Visor at the front, the Mokka has another first for Opel. I'm talking about this part here, the PurePanel.
It sounds very fancy, but it actually isn't. It's actually a piece of piano-lacquered plastic in which they've hidden two screens.
That way, the screens seem to be attached to each other. Something like the Golf 8 has as well.
Anyway, it looks a tad better than we were used to from Opel. Especially in this particular version, which has quite a luxurious trim.
There's 12-inch screen over here and a 10-inch screen over there. Again, that's because this is an expensive version. If you take a...
cheaper version, you'll get two 7-inch screens. They also have a small frame around them, which doesn't look as fancy.
Other than that, this interior is more than alright. No shocks or anything. The quality and finishing look very decent but it's...
not groundbreaking in any way. The same goes for the practicality.
You can find most of the functions without any effort and the screen behind the steering wheel works very smoothly. It even shows you all...
of the things you want to see. The battery percentage, the range, the power consumption, you name it. We already know the system...
on the central screen from Peugeot's and Citroëns. They are working on a new system, but that won't be released until the new Astra.
It's not incredibly quick or logical, so I still don't really like it. However, the difference with Peugeot and Citroën is that Opel has the climate...
control in a separate cluster. That means you're less dependant on the system, so you won't be as annoyed either.
When it comes to storage space, the Mazda is a tad more spacious. The difference with the seats up is pretty minimal,
but if you fold them down, the difference grows to 120 litres. Something you'd notice. Unfortunately, neither have space for...
stuff in a frunk. That's a shame, because it's the ideal place for your charging cables.
The Opel can be fitted with a double floor, although the one I'm driving today hasn't got it.
But the front would always be a better option. And especially in the Mazda, it's a missed opportunity. Just look at the space.
There's going to be a version with a rotary engine and in Japan, Mazda is supplying this MX-30 with a regular petrol engine as well.
So there are some explanations, but for now, I still think it's too bad they didn't utilize all of this space.
This is going to be the final Opel with this steering wheel as well. That's because this is a General Motors-steering wheel, which is odd,
because this car has nothing to do with General Motors anymore. Anyway, after this car, Opel will use a new steering wheel and new buttons.
What I do like is the seating position. You're pretty low in the car, which fits very well with the playful personality of this car.
Also, the dashboard is positioned pretty far backwards from the knees down, so if you're taller than average, you can easily fit your legs in there.
And that's very nice.
We already know the drivetrain from the Corsa-e. It's an electric motor producing 136 horsepower which is connected to a...
50 kWh-battery pack. However, the car which is much more comparable is the DS 3 Crossback E-tense. The exterior measurements are...
similar, as is the drivetrain, as even the storage space. They even share the same WLTP-range of 320 kilometres.
Also, both are eligible to quickcharge up to 100 kW, which is all very decent. However, in an earlier test with the DS 3,
it became apparent that the range is reduced by quite a bit in the winter.
That's logical, since it's quite a tall car. However, in the summer, you won't suffer from any of that.
You can easily cruise around without getting into trouble with range or anything. So that's a good thing.
And the same goes for the power output. It's not an incredibly fast car, but it's rapid enough.
And that's something you'll see with most electric cars, because they tend to produce power effortlessly.
So with 136 horsepower and a 0-100-time of around 9 seconds, you'll be fine.
An important difference with the DS 3 Crossback is the way they've tuned the chassis.
The DS had to be comfortable first and foremost, and Opel clearly wanted a sturdier chassis.
I have to admit, this electric Mokka is a few hundred kg's heavier than the regular Mokka, so there has already been some compensation,
but I don't think they did a good job. The springs and dampers don't really feel balanced, so it sometimes feels way too bumpy.
Some imperfections in the road surface will rattle you around. That's not very comfortable.
At the same time, it's not a disastrously uncomfortable car or anything. It's not like you'll be miserable. Also, the drive is pretty nice.
The steering is nice and light and offers just enough feedback, and in corners, it will always remain stable.
Everything put together, it's a very good car, but it's not the most comfortable I've ever driven.
A Mazda MX-30 looks pretty nice from the outside, but the absolute party piece is found in the interior.
Mazda knows very well how to design an interior that looks very creative and premium, but doesn't feel forced in any way.
That goes even more for this car, because they were very creative with it. This had to become the hip and electric crossover, so they...
took a less serious approach than with the CX-30. You can see that in these very special fabrics they used.
Or the cork panels in the interior. But at the same time, it's a very contemporary and stylish design.
Of course, it's always a matter of taste, but this interior looks much more premium than the average in this segment. Having said that,
it looks much better than in the Mokka. And don't get me wrong, the Mokka has a very nice interior, but this is clearly one step ahead.
Also, it's incredibly ergonomic. They've thought it through very well. Mazda's philosophy is to bother you as little as possible with...
information that you don't need and that the car isn't distracting you in any way. That's why the instrument cluster seems to...
look very traditional, but it still shows everything you need to know. The range, the battery percentage, it's all on screen for you.
And if you look at the infotainment system, it seems to look a little quiet and boring. Especially compared to a lot of colorful screens...
you often see. However, the turning knob works so much better than a slow touchscreen or anything. It's not as distracting either,
so they've thought it through very well.
Just like in the Opel, the seating position is very good. I'd call them comparable. You can sit very close behind the steering wheel and...
you're able to sink away. That way, you have a very active steering position. That's very nice. Also, and it's starting to become a praise now,
the drive is better in this car. That's mostly because of the chassis, because the Mazda is more comfortable and more communicative.
So it's more comfortable and more fun to drive. The differences aren't that big, but big enough to mention.
When it comes to power and speed, the differences are even smaller. The Mazda is rapid enough without being incredibly fast.
I do have to say it's quieter than the Opel when it's at speed. That really fits the premium picture, and I'm talking about...
tire and wind noises right now. In the drivetrain is an artificial buzz that's always audible.
It's not annoying, but you can clearly hear the motor working. Or rather, the sound they connected to it. Again, it's a matter of taste.
As a whole, I'm pretty enthusiastic about the MX-30. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm doesn't last that long, because the range is absolutely...
horrendous. It's the big drawback of this car, which is too bad, because it does all of the other things very well.
Mazda has installed a 35 kWh-battery pack in it, which is good for a range of 200 kilometres. That's already pretty shallow in the summer,
but when it's winter, you'll always lose a quarter of your range. Maybe even more if you're on the motorway.
So you might get back from work, but if you need to run an errand in the evening or if you need to go somewhere else,
you'll notice you'll be at the end of your range. So you'll have to charge it up, which it can only do at half the speed of the Opel.
It can only quickcharge up to 50 kW, as opposed to 100. And when you're at home, you can only single-phase charge it.
That's a lot slower than in the Opel as well, so you'll encounter these limitations pretty quickly.
And you often hear people saying that smaller battery packs mean cars will be lighter and cheaper.
Well, this isn't lighter. It weighs more than 1.600 kg, which makes it a lot heavier than the Mokka, which has a bigger battery pack.
I do have to say that it's cheaper than the Opel though. And we're talking about a few grand. But it's not enough to compensate the lack of...
range, and it's not enough to win the comparison either. I mean, the Mazda does a lot of things better, but the Opel isn't a bad car at all.
And because of the bigger battery and faster charging capacity, it's much more usable and practical, so it has to win today.
A DS 3 Crossback, only cheaper.