Opel / Vauxhall Mocha almost revealed as Buick Encore

Three quarters of the Bucik Encore - the American Mocha

The European Opel / Vauxhall Mocha – a Corsa based SUV – has been almost revealed in the US with a tease for the Buick Encore.

Just before Christmas we reported on a new Corsa-based SUV on the way from Vauxhall and Opel which looks like it’s going to be the Opel Mocha (and, we assume, the Vauxhall Mocha too).

But in this new ‘One World’ for cars, where North America actually gets the sort of cars they would once have derided as too small to consider, the Mocha is also going on sale in the US. But it won’t be the Mocha on the other side of the Pond, or even a Vauxhall or Opel. Instead, it will be the Buick Encore.

GM has been teasing the Buick Encore for a few weeks now – one quarter at a time – but now they’ve got to three quarters of the Encore on view we thought it was time to report it. And the Encore is, as far as we c an see, simply the Mocha with a Buick badge and grill.

How American car buyers will take to the very compact SUV – certainly by US standards – is a hard one to call. They’ve taken to cars like the MINI very well, but the Fiat 500 is struggling to make any sales of note. But making the Mocha a Buick will help.

As far as engines for the Encore go, we really have no idea yet. In Europe we’d expect the Mocha to get the same sort of options as the Corsa, which will mean petrol Ecoflex engines in a variety of size and power options, and a big take-up on the 1.3CDTi and  1.7CDTi. But in the US we would be surprised if the Encore even gets a diesel option.

But all should be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show this month, when GM reveals the Buick Encore to a bemused American public.

By Cars UK