Let's be honest. Nobody dreams of buying an Opel Karl FlexFuel (FlexFuel because it runs on both LPG and gasoline). Nobody. But no one wanted Fernando Santos to summon Éder either and he summoned him…
So why the hell does someone buy a Karl and Fernando Santos summoned Éder? Because feelings aside, the truth is that what really matters – and when it really matters! – both the Opel Karl FlexFuel and the Éder fulfill their functions exemplarily. Is it enough? In the case of Éder, I don't know why I don't understand anything about football, but in the case of Opel Karl FlexFuel it's enough.
The Karl is a great car for little money and he lacks nothing but a more inspired design (for whom design is a critical factor, there is Adam). Air conditioning, it has. Radio with MP3 has. Cruise-control, there is too. Nothing is missing today's essentials (Karl's equipment list is extensive). It is comfortable and well soundproofed. The Karl is a real option for those who need a car to hit roads (urban and extra-urban) daily, in the most economical way possible without neglecting comfort. Even assisted steering has city mode (which increases assistance in low speed maneuvers).
jack of all tradesAs I said earlier, whoever values the image buys an Adam. Anyone who values the quality/price ratio buys an Opel Karl FlexFuel. A model that is aimed exactly at drivers looking for a cheap and economical car, capable of coping without problems with many kilometers every month.
Taking that into account, I drove more than 600 km behind the wheel of Karl and I confess that in the first kilometers I got scared with the consumptions. The averages to LPG insisted on not going down from 8l/100km. However, the average went down as the Opel Karl FlexFuel added kilometers on the road (it was delivered to me with only 100km on it). In the end, I recorded weighted averages of 7.4 l/100 km on LPG and 6.1 l/100 km on gasoline – this at speeds between 90 and 120 km/h on a route comprising 60% road, 20% highway and 20 % in city. The engine's resourcefulness also improved substantially from the first contact until the Karl's delivery at the Opel Portugal facilities. Values that make you think if we take into account that the liter of LPG is below 0.57€ while gasoline does not go down from 1.4€ per liter.
Regarding the alternation between LPG and petrol, the system could not be simpler. Press a button that says LPG et voilá!, we're running on “gas”. And since the system is factory-assembled, it works integrated with the on-board computer.
Despite being an A-segment (city-city) model, the Karl offers an interior space practically equivalent to some B-segment (utility) models. What's more, it's well soundproofed and the seats and suspensions are comfortable – even after a few longer runs the body doesn't feel bad.
Does it fulfill the function?Yes, and with distinction. Naturally, don't expect from the nice 1.0 three-cylinder engine of 75 hp (less 2 hp when powered by LPG) an overwhelming power (far from it). But it's easy and even allows you to drive effortlessly at speeds above the legal limit on the highway. In short: It is a city dweller who is not limited to the city. All these kilometers later, I still don't dream of purchasing an Opel Karl. I don't dream because Karl is not a dream car, he is a reality car, and in real life he feels like a fish in water. Éder is also not a dream player and he was the one who turned the Portuguese dream into reality, so…
The LPG Karl's recommended retail price is 13,290 euros, but Opel has a promotion in place that provides for the offer of the corresponding value for LPG equipment (1300 euros), bringing the FlexFuel version to the same price as the Karl normal: 11,990 euros.