Opel Karl

Opel Karl at a glance

The name honours Carl (Karl) Opel, the eldest son of the company founder Adam Opel. The Karl is part of our Opel catalogue.

Versions and model history

The Karl had a single generation with no facelift, so the table lists its main versions.

The Karl replaced the Agila as Opel's smallest car and sat below the Corsa. In the UK, Vauxhall revived the Viva name, last used from 1963 to 1979, and sold the car in SE, SE A/C and SL trims. ADAC dates the German series from June 2015 to June 2019. In October 2018 Opel announced that production would end by the close of 2019, following the sale of Opel to the PSA Group.

The Karl Rocks was shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2016 and went on sale in Germany in spring 2017, priced from EUR 12,600 (2017). It has 18 mm more ground clearance, black plastic protection on the wheel arches and sills, and silver roof rails. With the Easytronic 3.0 gearbox it cost EUR 13,350.

The Karl's engineering lived on outside Europe: VinFast in Vietnam built the Fadil on the same basis, selling 18,316 in 2020 and 24,128 in 2021.

Engine, gearboxes and performance

The engine is GM's B10XE, a 999 cc three-cylinder. Apart from the fuel system of the LPG model, there was nothing else under the bonnet. The automated manual was called Easytronic 3.0; on the Karl Rocks it added EUR 750 to the price (2017). Opel never offered a diesel, turbo or electric Karl.

Dimensions, space and boot

Figures are ADAC data for the 1.0 Selection. At 3,675 mm the Karl was 75 mm longer than a Volkswagen up! and about the same length as a Hyundai i10, but its boot was smaller than both. Our size comparison tool puts it next to other city cars.

Fuel economy and running costs

ADAC lists the 1.0 Selection at 4.5 l/100 km combined on the NEDC cycle (about 52 mpg US), with 5.6 l/100 km in town and 3.9 l/100 km out of town, and 104 g/km of CO2. Wikipedia quotes 4.3 l/100 km for the most economical version. The LPG model could run on cheaper autogas in markets where it is widely sold.

German list prices ran from EUR 9,560 for the Selection (2015) to EUR 15,605 for the LPG Innovation with the ECO pack. The Easytronic started at EUR 11,650. Opel gave a two-year warranty and 12 years against rust perforation.

Trims and equipment

German trims included Selection, Edition, Active, Excite and Innovation, plus ECO packs that improved economy. In the UK, air conditioning was standard only from the SE A/C trim upwards. The Rocks used the R 300 radio with Aux-In, and Apple CarPlay was available with the optional Opel OnStar system.

Safety

Euro NCAP tested the Karl and the Vauxhall Viva in 2015 and announced four stars on 7 October 2015. Autonomous emergency braking was not available on the Karl. Ratings of other city cars are on our safety page.

Reliability and known issues

The Karl uses a simple naturally aspirated engine and either a conventional manual or a single-clutch automated manual. The sources used for this article contain no breakdown statistics or defect pattern for the Karl, so we do not list any. As with any used city car, check for completed recall work and a full service history.

Sales

Opel and Vauxhall sold 28,638 Karl and Viva models in Europe in 2015, 57,458 in 2016, 49,516 in 2017, 48,292 in 2018 and 47,504 in 2019, its final year.

Rivals

All four cost about EUR 10,000 in base form, and the Karl was the cheapest by a small margin. The Kia and Hyundai offered stronger engines, the up! a turbocharged option, and all three rivals had bigger boots.

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