Opel Mokka

src: images.opel.customers.sevenval.com

The Opel Mokka is a Crossover SUV engineered and built by Opel since 2012. Sales began with model year 2013 in late 2012. The Mokka is now built in Bupyeong, South Korea and Zaragoza, Spain. It is also marketed as the Vauxhall Mokka in the United Kingdom, and as the Buick Encore in North America and in China. A variant of the Mokka/Encore vehicle having significantly different sheet metal and trim is marketed in North America as the Chevrolet Trax.

Video Opel Mokka

Opel and Vauxhall Mokka

In September 2007, What Car? produced computer generated images, which showed a Corsa C based SUV. However that model never made it into production.

The Mokka is positioned below the Antara and the Zafira Tourer in the Opel lineup, and is available in both front wheel and four wheel drive versions. The Mokka name derives from the small, round coffee beans of the Coffea Arabica variety.

The Mokka is based on GM's Gamma II platform. As introduced for model year 2013 the Mokka was offered with a choice of three engines: a 115 PS (85 kW; 113 bhp) 1.6 liter petrol, a 140 PS (103 kW; 138 bhp) 1.4 liter turbo petrol, and a 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) 1.7 liter diesel. Other petrol and diesel engines were offered later, including a 152 PS (112 kW; 150 bhp) 1.4 liter direct injection turbo petrol engine with a controversial start/stop feature introduced for model year 2016.

The four wheel drive option is an intelligent AWD system that maintains 100% drive at the front wheels until the system detects slip, fast starts or tight cornering, in which case it can send up to 50% of torque to the rear wheels.

Production and sales started in autumn of 2012. By February 2013, Opel had over 80,000 Mokka orders, and after two months 100,000 orders. By October 2014, over 300,000 Mokkas were ordered in Europe. In January 2016, Opel announced 500,000 firm orders for Mokka overall.

Engines

Most engines are paired standard with the five speed (1.6 liter MPI petrol engine only) or six speed manual transmission, with Stop/Start technology beginning as early as model year 2014. A six speed automatic transmission having active select mode is optionally available for select petrol and diesel engines including the 1.4 liter MPI Turbo petrol and 1.7 liter CDTI diesel engines for both FWD and AWD models. Start/Stop technology on vehicles with automatic transmissions first appeared with the introduction of the new, more powerful (112 kW; 150 hp), B14XFT 1.4 liter direct injection (DI) VVT Turbo petrol engine for model year 2016 and was incorporated on other select petrol and diesel engines paired with automatic transmissions by model year 2018.

In the Russian market, a version with a 1.8 liter A18XER (Korean designation F18DA) petrol engine is available. The cars for the Russian market were assembled by Avtotor (Kaliningrad, Russia) and later by Unison (Minsk, Belarus) in 2015.

In October 2014 for model year 2015 Opel introduced its all new "whisper diesel" 1.6 liter CDTI engine which replaced the 1.7 liter CDTI diesel.

The engine specifications in the following tables is from the 2013, 2015, and 2018 Opel Owner's Manuals.

Engine code prefix B indicates Start/Stop technology. B14NET is also available for LPG.

Mokka X Facelift

In April 2016, Opel and Vauxhall unveiled an updated version of the Mokka for model year 2017, designated as the Mokka X, which went on sale in late 2016. The new Mokka X sports a facelift with sleeker headlights, restyled bumpers, new LED tail lights, and a revised interior with an all new dash, instrument cluster, and center stack. The more powerful optional 150 hp petrol engine was also introduced with the Mokka X.

2017 Mokka X

Maps Opel Mokka

Buick Encore

The North American version of the Opel Mokka debuted as the 2013 Buick Encore at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 10, 2012 and went on sale in early 2013. The Encore, Buick's first small crossover SUV, its fourth SUV overall after the 2002 Rendezvous, 2004 Rainier, and 2008 Enclave, is available in front wheel drive (FWD) and all wheel drive (AWD) versions.

The 2013 through 2015 Buick Encore was offered in Base, Convenience, Leather, and Premium level models with the A14NET 1.4 litre inline four cylinder multi port fuel injected (MFI) VVT turbo gasoline engine rated at 138 hp @ 4900 rpm coupled to a six speed automatic transmission. For 2016 a new Sport Touring second tier model was added which included unique 18" aluminium alloy wheels with midnight silver finish, rear spoiler, body color door handles, remote start, fog lamps, and a new more powerful GM B14XFT Ecotec inline four cylinder direct fuel injection (DI) VVT engine rated at 153 hp @ 5600 rpm in the Buick Encore literature. However, Opel rates the engine at 112 kW (150 hp) @ 4900-6000 rpm.

The Ecotec direct injection engine package includes Stop/Start technology to improve fuel economy and was made available as an option on all but the base model for 2017 and 2018. In 2017 the model levels became Base, Preferred, Sport Touring, Preferred II, Essence, and Premium.

For 2017, the Buick Encore received revised headlights and bumpers, LED tail lights, and the interior received a revised dash and gauge cluster with a 4.2 inch information screen, a revised center stack, and infotainment system with an 8 inch frameless screen. The feaux fender ports, marketed as VentiPorts on 2013-2016 models, were deleted.

Before and after facelift

All Buick Encore models have tinted glass with deep dark tint privacy glass in the rear door and tailgate windows. In contrast to that, for those who have difficulty seeing out through deep dark tint privacy glass, regular tinted glass is standard in all windows, including the rear door and tailgate windows, on the base models of the Opel, Vauxhall, and Chevrolet variants, the Mokka SC and Mokka X SC, and Trax LS, where the deep dark tint privacy glass is offered as an option rather than being forced on the buyer.

2013 through 2018 owner's manuals for the Buick Encore state that the vehicle is not designed for trailer towing. However, the 2013 through 2018 owner's manuals for the Opel counterpart of the Buick Encore, the Opel Mokka, do provide information for trailer towing. And, the 2018 Opel Mokka X brochure includes a data table indicating allowable trailer weights for Mokka X vehicles having various FWD and AWD powertrain configurations including the 1.4 liter engines coupled with automatic transmission. An aftermarket class II 1-1/4" receiver style hitch rated for 3500 lbs. maximum gross trailer weight is available for the Buick Encore.

The Buick Encore is assembled at the GM Korea plant in Bupyeong, South Korea and marketed in North America and China. The "Encore" name was previously used by AMC/Renault on its 1984-86 subcompact hatchback.

Safety

Sales in the U.S.

src: upload.wikimedia.org

Mokka by Bitter

Bitter has been producing a luxury version of the Mokka since 2016. Facelifted in late 2016 along with the Opel and Vauxhall models, the name was also changed to Mokka X. The differences between the Bitter and Opel versions are mainly cosmetic.