Ready To Roll: Opel Unveils Karl Rocks Ahead Of Paris Motor Show
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Opel has given its smallest portfolio member a rugged variant. Meet the Opel Karl Rocks.
Much like the Opel Adam Rocks, the Karl Rocks benefits from a higher ride height of 0.71-inches, which Opel states mimics a traditional SUV. That may be true for Europe, but there’s no fooling Yanks.
Regardless, the Karl Rocks’ newfound ride height is paired with rugged front and rear bumpers with integrated skid pads. New front and rear wheelhouse moldings house unique 15-inch bi-color alloy wheels and a silver roof rack complete this soft-roader’s new looks.
Inside, a new “Favo” interior upholstery is awash, channeling a honeycomb pattern. The design will be exclusive to the Karl Rocks.
Despite its newfound ruggedness, the Karl Rocks remains convenient and connected, too. Opel OnStar and the latest IntelliLink system are present and accounted for while a standard 40/60 split helps the Karl Rocks create 36 cubic-feet of cargo room.
The Opel Karl Rocks will celebrate its world debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.
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Presumably it will screw up the handling like it did with the Adam Rocks as well. I am open to any opinion but has anybody asked – what is the point?
Twelve years ago it was called the Scion Xa. The point (David1256) is to offer a roomy affordable gas sipping entry level car for a single person.
(Who may be dating. First child is okay too.)
If the Scion Xa was a sales success I would possibly agree – but it wasn’t. The point is the Viva / Karl fulfils the role you describe admirably in standard form, if the body kit alone was fitted I could understand that as well, it actually looks quite good, but there is no logical reason for raising the suspension that I can see unless there was some off-road ability which there clearly isn’t.
“If the Scion Xa was a sales success I would possibly agree”
There’s such a thing as good ideas coming too early. Before people ‘get’ it.
Woody Allen released a remarkable drama called CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS. A masterwork. The box office was okay. When Woody himself remade it as MATCH POINT 16 years later, the inferior film took in 8 times the money.
Right now the idea of selling sedans is dying. But they were dead for me when I went from a Honda Civic Hatch (low to ground, tight) to an Plymouth Colt Vista Wagon (roomy, higher, but still a small car) in the early 90s.
Every last person I know that owned this Colt vehicle kinda misses it. With it’s removable backseat I could fit a six seater dining room table in it… and yet… the car can fit in nearly any space you like. The backseat had one van door on one side.
It didn’t sell so well either. But sometimes sales have nothing to do with trends. The normal Karl lacks headroom that this version won’t.
You may be right John but Vauxhall / Opel are not in a position to follow theoretical “trends” unfortunately it IS sales that count, the Adam Rocks only accounts for a small percentage of total Adam sales for the reasons I have given. Like I said I think the Viva / Karl body kit looks good but just leave the suspension alone, I also wonder just how much extra the Rocks version is going to cost, at the moment the Viva / Karl is pretty well priced against the comp from rivals. Lets wait a year and then one of us can say to the other “I told ya so!”
“You may be right John but Vauxhall / Opel are not in a position to follow theoretical ‘trends’ ”
— except that is all car companies do. Guess what people want before they know it. And give them what they claim to want but later learn they didn’t know what they wanted. The Buick Cascada was such a guess. So was the Encore.
I think you’re stuck on my suggestion that GM would recreate a failed car. Get past that. What I am saying is that if sedans are dying (something most people readily agree with here), the REASON for this car (your asked question) is that it’s more microSUVish.
It’s as simple as that.