COVER Vauxhall Mokka X
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Exclusive images of more grown-up crossover, and EV is coming
John_mcilroy@dennis.nnis.co.uk @johnmcilroy
VAUXHALL is about to undergo a major range revamp under its new owner, PSA, with a fresh Corsa due within the next 18 months. And soon after the supermini’s arrivalal there will be another key debut: the second generation of the Vauxhall Mokka X.
Due in 2020, the Mokka will switch to the same PSA platform as the likes of the forthcoming new Peugeoteugeot 208 and the DS 3 Crossback, as well as the next version of Vauxhall’sl’s Corsa.
The future of the Mokka model had been called into question after the PSA takeover – particularly sincece Vauxhall has recently launched anotherother small SUV, the Crossland X, whichh already uses hardware from the Frenchrench firm as part of an earlier agreement.t. However, speaking exclusively to Autoo Express, Vauxhall/opel boss Michaelel Loscheller said that while developmentent of the second-generation Mokka X had been frozen, it is only a temporaryary halt.
Architecture
“The Mokka successor was going to be an SUV based on Generalal Motors architecture, which is heavyy and doesn’t offer electrification,” Loschellereller said. “So I said ‘No, let’s stop this’. It’s a heavy platform, fuel efficiencyency is not good and the electrificationn is not there.
“So have we changed somethingomething in our portfolio of future carsrs after the takeover? I would say the Mokka is what we have changed, in terms of the architecture. We did not axee the Mokka programme, but we halted it in its current state and moved it to a PSAA platform.
“I won’t say which platformorm Mokka is going on to. But it’s a new platform for the vehicle. And we’re cutting nine platforms down to two, so itt has to be CMP or EMP2 [PSA’S larger platform].”
Auto Express understandsnds it is the first of those two options. The Mokka is likely to grow slightly and offer a much more spacious cabin for its second generation; that’s because there’s a clear slot for the car to sit in between the Crossland X and larger Grandland X.
We’d expect the Mokka to be about 30mm longer, at just over 4.3 metres, but to feature a substantial increase in wheelbase (perhaps by as much as 60mm) that’s likely to bring benefits in rear passenger legroom.
These dimensions will, in turn, allow Vauxhall to market the car above the Crossland X, as a rival for the production version of Skoda’s Vision X concept, for example. Our exclusive preview pictures show how the longer, more spacious car will take advantage of its arrival soon after an all-new Corsa to offer chunkier looks that are still clearly related to those of the supermini.
Recent spy pictures of an early Mokka prototype undergoing winter testing prompted speculation that the car will be available with four-wheel drive, but Auto Express understands that there are no immediate plans for CMP to offer this feature. At most, then, the next variant of the Mokka will be available with the same kind of Grip Control traction technology as the likes of the Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C3 Aircross.
It will, however, have the option of an all-electric edition, based on the E-CMP version of the architecture and following a pure-electric Corsa supermini that Vauxhall has already confirmed for production in late 2019 or early 2020.
Meanwhile, Loscheller revealed that while switching the Mk6 Corsa on to the PSA CMP platform is “hugely ambitious”, given the planned launch in 2019, Opel and Vauxhall engineers were already exploring the possibility of such a switch before the PSA takeover was concluded.
He said: “We always said we’d check possibilities for synergies. And the Corsa would have been the fourth alliance model, before the closing [of the overall Vauxhall/opel purchase].”
Exclusive images preview all-new Vauxhall crossover Switch to PSA platform,atform, with all-electric version to come “Mokka will havee the option of an all-electric edition, based on the E-CMPMP version of the architecture”