Revisions to Mokka gain pass marks

VAUXHALL’S Mokka has done good business for the Griffin brand in its growing compact Crossover segment.

Over half a million examples of this Korean-built contender have found homes across Europe since its original launch in 2013.

But time moves on and so has the competition. This car faces a much stronger challenge now than it did at its original launch.

Hence the introduction of the revised Mokka X model range.

The changes aren’t too far reaching. There’s a smarter front end, plus inside, an upgraded cabin that features Vauxhall’s clever ‘OnStar’ connectivity system.

Under the bonnet, the car gets the brand’s latest, more efficient, CDTi ‘whisper diesel’ engines, plus a pokier 1.4-litre petrol unit.

The 110PS 1.6-litre CDTi diesel is the unit you’d probably ideally want and it returns a very class-competitive set of stats — 65.7mpg and 105g/km of CO2 — or 68.9mpg and 103g/km in more frugal ecoFLEX guise. Even if you go for the pokier 136PS CDTi powerplant and mate it with AWD, you still get 60.1mpg and 124g/km.

If you prefer petrol, the 140PS 1.4-litre turbo is a cracker and is now available with 152PS if you go for a top-spec AWD model with auto transmission.

There’s also the trusty 115PS petrol 1.6-litre variant which, with only 155Nm of torque, needs to be rowed along a little with the gear lever to go anywhere in a hurry.

The Mokka’s compact size — it’s 4.28m long — places it in the upper part of the compact Crossover segment. In other words, in terms of exterior dimensions and cabin space, it’s more Skoda Yeti than Nissan Juke — but not quite Nissan Qashqai size.

For this improved ‘Mokka X’ model range, British designer Mark Adams and his team have tried to create a bolder look.

This means a wing-shaped horizontal front grille and the dominant, sharp double-wing signature of the LED daytime running lights.

At the rear is another double wing signature highlighted in the tail lamps, with LED technology an option. Vibrant new colours such as ‘Amber Orange’ and ‘Lava Red’ are also available. On the inside, the Mokka X has a completely new dashboard inspired by the latest Astra.

Prices range from £17,500 to £27,000. To put that into perspective, that means you’ll be probably paying a price premium of around £3,000 for this Mokka X over an equivalent Juke.