The Opel Karl LPG city car is the latest example of a successful conversion to liquefied petroleum gas. Admittedly, market conditions are not at their best: sales data for the first five months show that in Italy registrations of LPG-powered cars have fallen by 19.5 per cent. Market share has thus dropped to 5.5 per cent, down from 8.2 per cent over the same period in 2015. And yet, just last year in Italy no fewer than 180,000 gas-powered vehicles were registered, accounting for 83.5 per cent of CNG and LPG vehicles sold across Europe.

What changes

The Opel Karl LPG, according to the manufacturer, cuts fuel costs by almost 50 per cent compared with the equivalent petrol version, carries a reasonable purchase price (the premium is €1,500), and thanks to the dual tank the total range rises to over 1,000 kilometres. And if reliability is a concern, LPG systems are now manufactured directly by car makers, cause no problems whatsoever and come with the same warranties as petrol or diesel cars.
From the outside it looks like a "normal" petrol Opel Karl — that is, the most compact model built by Opel, designed for city traffic, with a small footprint, easy parking and plenty of practicality. What changes is the price, which rises by €1,500, offset however by the advantages we have already seen: lower consumption, lower emissions, access to low-traffic zones and free circulation on days when traffic restrictions are in force.
Among the reasons to choose it are certainly the dimensions (3.68 metres fit anywhere and waste no road space), the interior provides room for five passengers (another example of optimisation), to which is added a boot that is not enormous but does not shrink, thanks to the LPG tank being installed in the space normally occupied by the spare wheel. The engine is a modern 3-cylinder of just 1,000 cc — punchy, economical and reasonably quiet.

Technological innovation

At first glance, an LPG-powered car might not seem to offer much in the way of innovation. And in some respects that is true. Yet this fuel is a low-environmental-impact energy source, identified by the European Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels as one of the tools useful for achieving the target of a 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. For the driver nothing changes: on the Karl, simply pressing a button is all it takes to switch from LPG to petrol and back again.
The 1-litre engine, small and already among the most efficient in its class from the outset, adopts cutting-edge technology: two control units ensure that the switch between petrol and LPG takes place without any "jolt", and regulate injection and ignition for both fuel types, thereby guaranteeing low consumption and reduced emissions.
Managing the two fuels is extremely straightforward: the on-board computer displays, for each of the two fuel modes (depending on whether one is running on petrol or LPG), current consumption, remaining range, average speed and average consumption. As for the availability of LPG filling stations, there are over 3,800 in Italy (35,000 across Europe).

Consumption and savings

Low consumption and emissions (93 g/km) among the lowest on the market, hybrids and electric vehicles aside. To give an idea, filling the Opel Karl with LPG costs just over €10, with a cost of around €3 per 100 kilometres. Admittedly, the LPG version costs €1,500 more than the petrol version, with a list price starting from €13,300 and rising to €14,900 for the top-spec Innovation version.
This means that, beyond the environmental merits of choosing LPG, or the usage benefits (see below), one must bear in mind that there is a so-called "break-even point" — that is, the relationship between kilometres driven and costs, which must be calculated according to one's own habits. Setting aside costs, LPG, thanks to its properties (-99 per cent particulate emissions compared with diesel and petrol), offers, among its environmental advantages, an immediate positive impact on air quality and, among the more "pragmatic" ones, the ability to enter low-traffic zones free of charge, including on days when traffic bans are in place. Bear in mind the parking restrictions in car parks and underground car parks: all vehicles fitted with an LPG system installed after 2002 may park down to the first underground level of car parks.

Environment

The Opel Karl, like all LPG-powered vehicles (a mixture of butane and propane), achieves carbon dioxide emissions up to 15 per cent lower and nitrogen oxide emissions up to 80 per cent lower than diesel and petrol cars. LPG contains no benzene, aromatics or lead, and its combustion produces no particulate matter — those microscopic particles that are among the principal causes of atmospheric pollution in our cities.
Opel is among the manufacturers that believe in this technology more than most and that, in less fashionable times, invested heavily in sustainability: in 1981 by using water-based paints in series production; in 1989 by being the first European manufacturer to adopt the catalytic converter as standard and a plastic recycling system; in 1995, with the compact Opel Corsa ECO3, covering 100 km on just 3.4 litres of fuel. In 2017, Opel will launch the Ampera-e, a new extended-range electric vehicle that is practically the twin of the Chevrolet Bolt.

Driving confidence

From a small car one would certainly not expect the equipment or comfort of a saloon. And yet the Opel Karl offers a very comprehensive specification for its class: from the parking assistance system that makes reversing manoeuvres easier (by signalling the presence of any obstacles), to Hill start assist, the hill-start assistance function that keeps the brakes applied for a few seconds until the accelerator is pressed. Also very useful are Lane departure warning, which alerts the driver to unintentional crossing of the lane line — as typically happens when drowsiness sets in — and ESP for electronic stability control. Cruise control and a speed limiter are also available, two smart ways to increase relaxation on long motorway journeys and to avoid speeding fines. Finally, the Opel Karl has been awarded 4 stars in the Euro NCAP.

Test drive: opinions from those who have driven it

On the Karl LPG, the engine remains the well-known "one-litre" 3-cylinder unit producing 75 horsepower, which drops to 73 when running on LPG due to the different energy efficiency of the two fuels. A difference that, even when switching from one fuel to the other (which can be done on the move by pressing a button), causes no noticeable loss of power. A car with a strong urban character, compact and very easy to park even in tight spaces, the Karl also features City mode, which reduces steering effort and increases comfort during manoeuvres.
Choosing LPG therefore does not penalise performance, which remains perfectly adequate for city traffic and the occasional out-of-town journey, where a modest level of engine noise becomes apparent, especially when pressing the accelerator hard. As for the gearbox, the 5-speed manual is not bad. Two points to note: the LPG version must forgo the comfort of the automatic gearbox (available on the rest of the range) and stop&start which, as is often the case, is incompatible with bi-fuel versions.

The detail that makes the difference

It's called IntelliLink and it effectively integrates smartphone functions with the on-board multimedia system, enhancing both safety and driving comfort. How? Through a 7-inch touch-screen monitor, voice commands and Bluetooth connectivity. Compatible with Android and Apple systems, it features a handy USB port for connecting a mobile phone to the car, making all applications manageable directly from the on-board monitor. The system supports widely used apps such as WhatsApp, Google Maps and, for music lovers, Spotify.

The alternative

If the idea is a compact bi-fuel city car on a limited budget, the Peugeot 208 LPG, Kia Picanto LPG and Fiat Panda LPG Easypower represent good alternatives to the Opel Karl LPG.

Opel Karl: specs

Version: Opel Karl 1.0 LPG N-Joy

Price: from €13,300.

On sale from: 2016

Engine: petrol-LPG (54 kW)

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Performance: top speed (km/h) 170; 0–100 km/h (sec.) 14.9

Petrol consumption (l/100 km): urban (5.7), extra-urban (3.9), combined (4.6)

LPG consumption (l/100 km): urban (7.1), extra-urban (4.9), combined (5.7)

Range (total): 1,000 km

Emissions (g/km): 93, Euro 6

Dimensions (mm): 3,680×1,600×1,480 (l×w×h).

Price, specs and opinions: 10 things to know about the Opel Karl 1.0 LPG