No more X as Opel reveals Mokka-inspired facelift Crossland

Opel, together with UK sister brand Vauxhall, has followed the debut of the all-new Mokka up with the unveiling of the heavily revised Crossland.

Sporting the Blitz’s new Bold and Pure front facia complete with the Opel Compass and Vizor, the Crossland has also taken leave of the ‘X’ suffix like its sibling, in addition to receiving the same piano key black faux grille that sits between the new LED headlights.

Also derived from the Mokka are the new vents on the flanks of the redesigned front bumper, a satin silver front skidplate, newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels and a gloss black roof on the GS Line model, subtly revised LED taillights, a satin silver skidplate integrated into the bumper and Crossland lettering spaced across the bootlid.

Still riding on the PF1 platform with its dimensions remaining unchanged, the Crossland’s interior changes are more subtle with the inclusion of a new eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system on higher-end models and, on the safety front, a 180 degree camera system, Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Emergency Braking as well as Pedestrian Detection, Driver Attention Alert and an optional Heads-Up Display.

Underneath its updated skin, Opel has fitted the Crossland with new dampers and springs, sharper steering and on some models, the adaptive IntelliGrip traction control system with five modes; normal, snow, mud, sand and ESP Off.

Up front, three engines are offered; the three-cylinder 1.2 PureTech rated at 60kW/118Nm and the same albeit turbocharged three-pot with outputs of 81kW/205Nm and 96kW/230Nm. For now, and unlike the Mokka, no electric powerunit is offered with the petrol alternative being the 1.5 Blue CDTI that delivers 81kW/250Nm or 88kW/300Nm.

On the normally aspirated petrol, lesser diesel and turbocharged petrol, a five-speed manual gearbox is standard fare with a six-speed manual being the sole option on the high-powered PureTech. Optional with this engine but standard on the range-topping diesel is a six-speed automatic with drive on all models going to the front wheels.

In Europe, pricing is expected to kick-off from €20 000 (R389 726) with sales commencing early next year. Although still to be confirmed, expect the updated Crossland to arrive on South Africa shores sometime in 2021 with the current pre-facelift model’s drivetrain line-up.

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