Amsterdam -  Opel Karl for the first time on the road .  We tried the nice little Opel Karl asphalt Dutch: the German manufacturer has chosen the streets of Amsterdam and surroundings for the first evaluation given to the press. 

{2015} Gallery / car / OPEL / karl {/ gallery}

So Opel Agila sends retired the entrusting Karl to the role of "entry-model" of the German mark. The Adam and the race then have a new "sister" that completes the ranks of the city car of the German mark: A-segment five-door and the Karl Adam, in the B-segment Corsa. The  Opel Karl is a five-door compact (3.68 meters long), it looks modern and lively, inside it offers enough room for five people (with the seats completely lowered load capacity of just over 1,000 liters). Road is smooth and easy to handle thanks to the Numerous driver assistance systems and the new three-cylinder 75 hp mated to a five-speed manual.

 Opel Karl is available with three trim levels: Karl, N-Joy and Cosmo. The starting price is really interesting (9,900 euro) even if for launching the German manufacturer has DECIDED to offer the small city car to a price even blackberries challenging: 8,500 euro in case of destruction. 

OFF AND ON

The body lines make it Appear blackberries slender and robust than it really is. The Measures are clear: 3,68 meters long; 1:48 meters high. On the front the German designers have printed a nice "smile": observing the trapezoidal grille notice the chrome bar extended to the light clusters That give the idea of the eyes of an eagle. On the side there is a touch of dynamism thanks to the ribs of the doors That rise to the top. 

The rear of Opel Karl conveys a sense of spaciousness with the headlights That Seem integrated into the tailgate. Inside there is enough room for five people, the rear passenger seats, also available in adjustment mode 40:60 completely lowered offer a load capacity of 1,013 liters for the trunk. 

Then there are the details to be superior: you can choose the optional steering wheel and heated front seats. On the center console is Clearly visible screen 7-inch touch screen That Integrates the IntelliLink infotainment system (available from 2016) That interacts with smartphones Apple and Android for phone calls, messages, music and navigation. Since the autumn will be available Opel OnStar, the connectivity service and assistance of Opel: among the many services you can take advantage of roadside assistance or the remote control with your smartphone.

ON WAY

In Amsterdam, the Opel did not make us miss anything by providing a number of paths to test seriously the "small" Karl. During the road test, we found That to be a city car Opel Karl is well equipped in terms of driver assistance systems . In town we found convenient and useful system City-mode Which lightens the steering wheel making it easier maneuvering overall, especially parking. Then there are the Hill start assist That helped us During hill starts (pressing the brake pedal automatically Opel Karl remains motionless uphill for 2 seconds), the TCPlus traction control, cruise control with speed limiter ,  the Lane Departure Warning That using the information from the camera located at the top of the windshield beeps and a yellow icon blinking on the dashboard if you leave your lane unintentionally. As for safety Opel Karl it comes as standard on all versions with 6 airbags: front, side, curtain and rear.

 Opel Karl is available with only one engine: the three-cylinder Opel House revisited specially for the new city car. Walking through the streets Dutch we have verified That the 1.0 ECOTEC gasoline is really quiet: the German engineers are committed to the maximum from this point of view, using a variety of tools to reduce engine vibration. It must be said anche That the new three-cylinder Opel House is aluminum, so very light. Here performance: output of 75 hp, maximum torque of 95 Nm at 4,400 rpm . Opel Karl with the 1.0 ECOTEC has a top speed of 170 km / h. As for consumption enough 4.3 liters of petrol to travel one hundred kilometers in the combined cycle. CO2 emissions are equal to 99 g / km.