Opel
Karl
Small
but spacious, a dazzling appearance and above all entirely sensible - this is
what buyers can expect from Opel's all-new entry-level model. Its name: simply
Karl. The mini car, available from euro 9,500 (RRP including VAT in Germany),
was designed from a white sheet of paper and celebrated its debut on the big
stage at the Geneva Motor Show. For this attractive price, customers can expect
a 3.68-meter long, 1.48-meter high appealing five-door car with space for up to
five people and numerous safety and comfort technologies that are unrivalled in
its segment. Karl will also be available with the latest in automotive
connectivity soon.
From fall 2015, it will be possible to order it with both
the new generation IntelliLink infotainment system and Opel OnStar - the
personal connectivity and service assistant - which together make Karl the best
connected and the most caring car in the segment. Under its hood, Opel's new
entry-level model has a tailor-made, completely new, one-liter,
naturally-aspirated three-cylinder gasoline engine with fuel consumption and
CO2 emission levels that can be as low as 4.3 liters per 100 kilometer and 99
grams per kilometer in the combined cycle respectively. From the summer of
2015, Opel Karl, the sensible entry-level model, Adam, the individualization
champion and Corsa, the well-known all-rounder, will give Opel its strongest
mini and small car portfolio ever - and the youngest on the market. They leave
nothing to be desired.
Opel
Karl was also developed with functionality and versatility in mind. Sitting on
a 2.385 mm-long wheelbase and tipping the scales at 939 kg, its five-door body
offers plenty of room for up to five people. The driver seat and the steering
column are height-adjustable (both as from Enjoy) and two ISOFIX child seats
fitted in the rear. The asymmetrical (40:60) split foldable rear seat back
(optional with Enjoy, standard with Cosmo) enables amply flexible loading
space: With the rear seat backs folded down, Karl offers 1,013 liters of
stowage up to its roof. The lightweight Karl also features Opel-engineered,
best in class ride and handling. The front suspension has side-load
compensation springs, double bonded ride bushings and a high structural
stiffness to improve handling performance and minimize NVH (noise, vibration
and harshness). Additional ride-improving measures have been implemented for
the rear suspension. The V-section tubular type torsion beam is mounted in
front of the rear wheels allowing the roll-rate and roll-steer characteristics
to be perfectly aligned with engine power and vehicle weight. Furthermore, rear
shocks are vertically mounted behind the rear wheels to provide a good shock
leverage ratio and efficient damping performance and the vertical dual-path
mount provides better ride and NVH performance. The tailored steering also adds
to the impressive ride and handling - no matter whether in standard or City
mode.
This
comfortable and nifty package is propelled by the latest generation in Opel
powertrain technology. The new 1.0 ECOTEC with 55 kW/75 hp, an ultra-modern
one-liter, all-aluminum, three-cylinder gasoline engine from the same family as
the highly praised 1.0 liter turbocharged engine available for Corsa and Adam
impresses with outstanding running smoothness and efficiency. The engineers
paid close attention to reducing vibrations during the development phase with a
low-resonance construction for the block, a split oil pan, the noise protected
integration of the exhaust manifold in the cylinder head and a sound absorbing
cam cover all contributing to the engines excellent manners. Karl is therefore
exceptionally quiet and refined for a car of this segment and price category.
When
equipped with the optional ecoFlex package, consisting of an aerodynamically
optimized front spoiler lip and roof spoiler as well as low-rolling resistance
tires, Karl only consumes 4.3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers and emits
just 99 g/km CO2. Drivers can regulate the power perfectly via the modern, soft
five-speed transmission, ensuring that Opel's new entry-level model ticks all
of the relevant boxes in the extremely competitive mini-car segment.
With
its typical Opel design, lively and well-tempered engine, almost countless
safety features and technologies along with the standard-setting connectivity
and infotainment technology Karl shows that it is a fully-fledged member of the
Opel family and that it offers a sensible and convincing package for a price of
euro 9,500.