Moving on to Solids

Autocar are starting to get coy with their articles.  Business-related ones at least - like this one.

Last week, they were telling me I had to sign up to see them but this one seems to be one of my two free ones now.

Alternatively, I could just see what Auto Express have on the subject.

Back in the day, people told Skoda jokes - 

Why do Skodas have heated rear windows? 

To keep your hands warm when you are pushing them.

How many Skodas does it take to change a lightbulb?

Two - in part-exchange.

But then Skoda became good.

Looks like this is a new image change, or, using management-speak, a new design language.

It is called Modern Solid - and if you look that up on Google, you get a Taiwanese company that makes various bits of office furniture specialising in arms for monitors.

Anyway, the new language comes with a picture:

A deliberately blurry picture.

They don't want to give anything away before their big launch in September.

Apart from maybe a Vizor front grille.  Although, can you call it a grille if it is solid?

According to Auto Express, outgoing Skoda CEO Thomas Schäfer claims “You will soon see a wow moment for our competitors and our customers”

It doesn't say whether he is outgoing as in extrovert or he is outgoing as in leaving.

Hopefully the latter if he is associating the word "wow" with an electric SUV.

Urban Grim

No - I don't mean Grime.

Here's Citroen's fairly recently launched Urban EV - the Ami:

It sort of makes the old Ami look acceptable:

And now it has competition.

According to Autocar today, "New ACM City One is battery-swapping urban EV" and "New Opel Rocks-e is Citroen Ami-based urban EV for Germany"

Here's the ACM City One:

Those aren't the batteries on the roof.  I suppose it isn't horrendous on the outside.

But it is on the inside:

Very grim.  Although I do miss a good old-fashioned rocker switch.  And it seems to have heated seats.

It is German - like of course Opel are.  Their new product though is very French:

Obviously taking advantage of one of their Stellantis stablemates.

I don't know if Rocks-e has some significance in German - would a Vauxhall version be called a Roxy?

The story states, "The 2.41m-long, 471kg EV is almost visually unaltered, too, save for the addition of a new 'Vizor'-style front end panel, which brings the Rocks-e into line with Opel-Vauxhall's more mainstream cars."

"The Vizor style front end panel?"  They've just swapped the Citroen badge for an Opel badge!  Mind you, the Opel badge is well suited for an EV.

Top speed is 28mph so probably not one for the Autobahns.

Opel has confirmed its model will head for other markets in 2022, following a German market launch this autumn - this Stellantis-brand badge would fit on the front:

Running Amok, Ah!

You'd never catch me running a Mokka.

Lot's of people do - these are people who have given up on any thoughts of enjoying driving.

I may have just mentioned once or thrice how I hate SUVs - but I accept that they are here to stay.

And Vauxhall are trying to make the new version of the Mokka more exciting.  This is called the Vauxhall Vizor:

Note the exciting spelling - which I initially misread as Vauxhall Victor.  It was Ford Ecosport/Ford Escort all over again.  Anyway, the new Mokka is getting that "Vizor" front which is claimed to be inspired by the Vauxhall Firenza: 

Hopefully not one about to be crashed in to by a Mini Rally Car.  Autocar have the story.

They don't say what will be happening with the Opel Mokka - presumably they will need a pretentious corruption of a German word for the front end of that.

This is supposedly going to feature on all Vauxhalls throughout the 2020s - it may actually look good on an Astra or Insignia - and feel truer to the Firenza philosophy but in the meantime, don't Mokka the afflicted.