Opel’s new KARL may be the German carmakers smallest car in size but its now offering plenty of bang for your buck. With room for five people, six airbags and technologies such as Hill Start Assist as standard, KARL is priced to satisfy the head and heart at just €11,995. With KARL, ADAM and Corsa, each with their own personalities, Opel is offering the youngest and most attractive mini and small car portfolio on the market. Available to order now and arriving in Ireland in August, the 3.68-metre long, 1.48-metre high KARL comes with its own new 1.0 ECOTEC petrol engine with 75hp and a host of safety features that are unrivaled in its segment.
Under the bonnet the all-new Opel KARL boasts boast the latest generation in Opel powertrain technology. This new small petrol engine was developed especially of the KARL. All components and mounting parts were constructed under the premise of making the three-cylinder engine as quiet and vibration free as possible. The result is that KARL has the quietest engine in its segment despite the 1.0 ECOTEC in the KARL delivering 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 95 Nm at 4,500 rpm. This three-cylinder engine can reduce consumption to 4.3litres per 100Km in the combined cycle and CO2 emissions to 104gm p/km. 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 and two ISOFIX child seats fitted in the rear. The asymmetrical (40:60) split foldable rear seat back 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. Additional ride-improving measures have been implemented in the suspension. The tailored steering also adds to the impressive ride and handling no matter whether in standard or City mode.
KARL is fitted with numerous safety and comfort features that would not typically feature in this price category. Apart from standard ABS, traction control TCPlus, stability control ESPPlus and the Hill Start Assist, which prevents the car from rolling back or forth when starting on a slope, meanwhile a cornering light function integrated in the fog lights ensures that turning manoeuvres are safer for the driver and other road users. The standard safety equipment also comprises no less than six airbags and a pedal release system. KARL can be equipped with a further safety feature highlight in the Lane Departure Warning which is standard on SC and SE models. On the comfort side, KARL has good manners as well. Taking care of its driver in cold days, it features an optional heated leather steering wheel along with heated front seats that ensure cozy warmth in the winter. The City mode (standard on SC & SE) of the standard speed-dependent power steering reduces steering effort and facilitates tight manoeuvres at the push of a button as already implemented for the ADAM and Corsa. Elsewhere, Park Assist prevents unwanted bumps when parking by issuing an acoustic warning from approaching obstacles when reversing. Cruise control with speed limiter ensures driving at legal speeds, which is extremely helpful in complicated urban traffic or in residential areas with a 30 km/h speed limit. In addition, summer days are made even more enjoyable by the optional electric sunroof.
KARL’s design makes it a mature and characterful mini car. Its fascia displays a playful friendly but witty attitude. It features a wide and low proportioned single trapezoid grill with the brand bar that has been designed to cradle the Opel logo. The brand bar is lean and includes ‘winglets’ that link the eye to the intriguing eagle-eye shaped headlamps embracing the front grill. The signature ‘blade’ body side, dynamically sweeping upwards, is indicated on the doors and reflects Opel’s sculptured, precise design philosophy. The two sharp lines running through the door handles emphasise the dynamic high-quality character. Large headlights and taillights add to the cool appearance, creating an overall design that shows exceptional attention to detail for a vehicle in this class. KARL is available in ten different colors ranging from ‘Mystic Violet’ to ‘Fresh Green Lime’. Furthermore, various designs are available for rims of 14 to 16 inches. On the inside, KARL offers a roomy interior and driver-focused cockpit providing the driver and passenger with a feeling of space, quality and love for detail previously only known from cars from higher segments. Clever storage possibilities such as the additional storage are above the regular glove box or the enlarged front door pockets that can hold a standard one-liter bottle showing the efficient utilisation of interior space. KARL all offers full rear windows that can be rolled down which can also be rare in this price category.
