A spy shot of the 2021 Opel Mocca.

Opel engineers are out testing the next model change after General Motors sold it to the French PSA Group in 2017. That model is the new Mokka, the current version of which (badged Mokka X) was sold in the U.S. as the earlier Buick Encore.

The Mokka is one of the most popular models in the European subcompact crossover SUV segment; it was introduced in 2012 and Opel is now keen on its successor. The new model is confirmed to arrive in early 2021.

Why the rush to replace the best-selling current model? In Opel's previously announced restructuring strategy, PSA Group stated that it planned to transfer its entire portfolio of Opel vehicles to PSA Group platforms by 2024 at the latest.

The rapid restructuring is due to the Opel divestiture agreement between GM and PSA Group, which prohibits Opel from selling GM platform-based vehicles in markets where the GM brand operates; PSA Group is also required to pay GM a royalty for the use of its platform and powertrain, which it will to GM for the use of its platforms and powertrains.

The platform for the new Mokka is PSA Group's CMP (also known as EMP1) design for subcompact and compact cars. This platform, which incorporates electrification technology, debuted with the DS 3 Crossback and may be used for the Alfa Romeo Tonale now that PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are merging. The platform is also used in Opel's latest subcompact hatch, the Corsa.

Judging from spy shots and official teasers, the new Mokka will feature radically different styling from its predecessor. It will likely mimic the design of Opel's GT X Experimental concept, which was unveiled in 2018 as a preview of Opel's new styling theme.

A battery-electric powertrain is planned, but we can also expect to see a turbocharged inline-4, both gasoline and diesel, in the lineup.

For now, Opel is focused on the European market, and will gradually expand to other regions as the last cars of the GM era run out. Sadly, we won't see Opel in the U.S. anytime soon, as the PSA Group has set a goal of expanding the Peugeot brand into the U.S.