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New Opel Mokka gets a dollop of cream and a sizeable sprinkle of goodness, but does its shared DNA hinder it from rising above other alternatives on the crossover menu?

- Braam Peens

OPEL MOKKA 1.2T GS LINE ETA: NOW

Price: R469 900 Engine: 1,2-litre, 3-cyl, turbopetrol Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power: 96 kW @ 5 500 r/min Torque: 230 N.m @ 1750 r/min 0-100 km/h: 9,2 seconds* Top speed: 200 km/h* Fuel consumption: 6,1 L/100 km* CO₂ emissions: 139 g/km* Rivals: Audi Q2, Volkswagen T-Roc, Volkswagen T-Cross, Renault Koleos, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, Peugeot 2008

Undoubtedly, the biggest disservice we can do to the new Opel Mokka is to compare it to the old one, which felt tired even when new.

That car survived the then PSA Group's (today, the 16 brand-strong Stellantis, established in January 2021) buyout of Opel in 2019 before being kept on life support for another year.

Still, if it failed to reach the high-water mark, that doesn't mean it lacked purpose - to contribute to the unstoppable rise of the compact crossover and rewrite history at the cost of the C-segment hatch and sedan.

Today, tyre kickers demand elevated seating positions and sumptuous spec lists for the least outlay. As a result, one in four cars sold in South Africa is a hatch on stilts. Enter the second generation and vastly modernized Opel Mokka. Quick to cash in on its freshly made family ties, the new Mokka utilises Stellantis' Common Modular Platform and shares its underpinnings with the Citroën C4, Peugeot 208/2008, and Opel Corsa, among others.