Opel has released its latest compact car, called the Karl. Named after the company’s founder, the Karl will be offered overseas for less than Euro 10 000.
The Karl is only 3,68 metres long and will come with Opel’s latest 1,0-litre Ecotec, three-cylinder petrol engine developing 55 kW. Torque will be send to the front wheels using a five-speed manual gearbox.
Opel Group CEO, Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann had the following to say about this new compact hatch: “The Opel Karl offers typical Opel virtues starting with the high-tech, quiet one-litre, three-cylinder engine and by no means ending with our award-winning IntelliLink infotainment system. The Opel Karl is the ideal car for price-conscious customers looking to combine everyday suitability with comfort and modern technologies”.
For such a small car, the Karl offers an impressive list of standard safety features. It starts with ESP and traction control, ABS with brake force distribution as well as hill start assist. Optional equipment will include a lane departure warning system. The car will also be available with park assist, while cruise control will offer the driver a higher level of comfort on the open road. A further convenience feature will be cornering lights.
The interior will feature Opel’s IntelliLink infotainment system, which allows connection with Apple iOS and Android devices.
No further information has been made available at this stage. The Opel Karl will be released overseas from the middle of 2015. We expect that GMSA would strongly consider launching the Karl in South Africa in the third or fourth quarter of 2015.
