Opel wants us to meet Karl, its new compact city car

Model will compete with likes of Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Up

The Opel Karl: interior follows the stylistic lead of the just-updated Corsa

Wed Dec 03 2014 - 17:09

Opel has released the first photos and details of the new Karl, its second model named eponymously for one of the company's founders (although with alphabetical oddness, he was actually Carl Opel) and a car which will compete with the likes of the Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Up.

The Karl is a compact city car, 3.6m long with five doors and, says Opel, space for five people. The interior follows the stylistic lead of the just-updated Corsa and uses many of the same components. Indeed, from this first intro, it looks as if the Karl might be among the upper echelons of this class when it comes in interior quality.

So far the only engine that has been announced for the Karl is the new 75hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit, a naturally-aspirated version of the turbo three-pot found in the Corsa. That could mean that the Karl may sit at the upper end of the price range for city cars, closer to the €13,000 price of the Renault Twingo than the €11,000 price of the Hyundai i10. Why? Because that new three-cylinder engine is expensive to build, part of the reason why Opel has kept on the old 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol engines for use in the Corsa to keep its purchase costs down.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard, as is ESC, hill-start assist and brake-force assist. The Karl can also be optional fitted with such high-end options as lane departure warning. There will be the option of cruise control with a speed limiter, parking sensors, cornering lights and even heated seats and steering wheel. Owners will also be able to spec it with the Intelli-Link touchscreen infotainment system, which features full smartphone integration.