Photo: X-Tomi Design
As cities are getting more and more crowded and fuel bills are stacking, more and more European buyers are turning towards the A segment in search of no-frills everyday drivers. The segment is positively packed with fresh models, like the Citroen C1, the Toyota Aygo and Hyundai i10. So to differentiate themselves, some models have begun offering a crossover look.
Fiat is technically the first with its rugged mountain goat, the Panda 4x4, which was followed by the Panda Cross in 2014. Opel quickly followed with the somewhat expensive Adam Rocks. Citroen revealed a concept called the C1 Urban Ride, which they showed earlier this year and is headed for mass production.
All three cars feature a similar design concept, which proves a system exists and can be applied to any small hatchback. In order to competitively fight the cheap Dacia Sandero Stepway, Opel could launch a model like the Karl Rocks in coming years, offering German tech to compensate for the lack of technology.
This rendering created by X-Tomi Design shows what the Rocks could look like. Raised ground clearance and black plastic armor cladding would help it deal with slightly more punish terrain. This would obviously have an impact on handling, since a higher body is prone to lean, but nobody buys a cheap A segment car expecting to go fast in it.
The regular version of the Opel Karl and its sister model, the Vauxhall Viva, will debut early next year at the Geneva Motor Show. As GM themselves put it, "customers will be able to purchase a 3.68-meter (12.07 feet) long, attractive five-door car with space for up to five people for less than €10,000."
We expect both cars to make use of a non-turbocharged 1-liter engine with 3 cylinders, producing somewhere around 70 horsepower. Standard equipment should include ABS, ESP, traction control, electronic brake-force distribution and Hill Start Assist.
All three cars feature a similar design concept, which proves a system exists and can be applied to any small hatchback. In order to competitively fight the cheap Dacia Sandero Stepway, Opel could launch a model like the Karl Rocks in coming years, offering German tech to compensate for the lack of technology.
This rendering created by X-Tomi Design shows what the Rocks could look like. Raised ground clearance and black plastic armor cladding would help it deal with slightly more punish terrain. This would obviously have an impact on handling, since a higher body is prone to lean, but nobody buys a cheap A segment car expecting to go fast in it.
The regular version of the Opel Karl and its sister model, the Vauxhall Viva, will debut early next year at the Geneva Motor Show. As GM themselves put it, "customers will be able to purchase a 3.68-meter (12.07 feet) long, attractive five-door car with space for up to five people for less than €10,000."
We expect both cars to make use of a non-turbocharged 1-liter engine with 3 cylinders, producing somewhere around 70 horsepower. Standard equipment should include ABS, ESP, traction control, electronic brake-force distribution and Hill Start Assist.
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