Photo: Opel
Introduced in September 2016 as a crossover-inspired alternative to the Opel Karl, the Rocks variant now has a price in its domestic market. As it happens, the PSA-owned automaker wants at least 12,600 euros for what is, essentially, a jacked-up city car.
Already available at dealers in select markets across Europe, the salesmen and women will have a very hard time to explain a very worrying aspect about the Rocks: it’s €3,100 more expensive than the model on which it’s based. And in the A-segment, that amount is a lot of dough in the eyes and minds of prospective city car buyers.
There’s some genius to the madness, though, chiefly because I’m not sure if there’s any other vehicle in this class that’s able to pull off the crossover treatment like the Karl Rocks does. Oh wait, the Volkswagen cross up! does exactly the same thing! And if I think about it even further, there’s also the cutesy little Fiat Panda 4x4.
Bearing in mind the competitors have higher starting prices, the Karl Rocks starts to make sense from a financial standpoint. So what do you get for the money? Black plastic cladding, 15-inch two-tone wheels, and an 18-millimeter increase in ride height. AWD, however, is not available, not even as an optional extra.
The outdoor character of the exterior carries on inside, where you’ll find sill plates only for the front doors and a high gloss frame for the infotainment system. About that, the Radio R 4.0 IntelliLink is a €600 option that’s worth considering for a simple reason: phone mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There’s only one engine available in the guise of a naturally aspirated 1.0-liter three-cylinder, which puts out only 75 PS. Customers who want Start/Stop will have to pay for it (€450), whereas the fuel economy-minded folk will be interested in an LPG-capable version of the mill.
There’s some genius to the madness, though, chiefly because I’m not sure if there’s any other vehicle in this class that’s able to pull off the crossover treatment like the Karl Rocks does. Oh wait, the Volkswagen cross up! does exactly the same thing! And if I think about it even further, there’s also the cutesy little Fiat Panda 4x4.
Bearing in mind the competitors have higher starting prices, the Karl Rocks starts to make sense from a financial standpoint. So what do you get for the money? Black plastic cladding, 15-inch two-tone wheels, and an 18-millimeter increase in ride height. AWD, however, is not available, not even as an optional extra.
The outdoor character of the exterior carries on inside, where you’ll find sill plates only for the front doors and a high gloss frame for the infotainment system. About that, the Radio R 4.0 IntelliLink is a €600 option that’s worth considering for a simple reason: phone mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There’s only one engine available in the guise of a naturally aspirated 1.0-liter three-cylinder, which puts out only 75 PS. Customers who want Start/Stop will have to pay for it (€450), whereas the fuel economy-minded folk will be interested in an LPG-capable version of the mill.
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