VAUXHALL MOKKA
It looks the part, but has it displayed the real-world substance to underpin that?
WHY WE RAN IT
To see if Vauxhall’s revamped compact SUV excites in a congested vehicle class
Of all the cars that have been on my driveway, I’ve yet to have one that sparked quite as much curiosity as the Vauxhall Mokka. That means I’m in a great position to answer our original question: can the firm’s second model under Stellantis ownership stand out and excite in what is quite possibly the most crowded vehicle segment right now?
I won’t give my full conclusion yet (although, spoiler, it’ll be a positive one) but let’s start with the styling. The previous Mokka was rather uninspiring in most departments and had frumpy, bulbous looks. It wasn’t the worst car in the world, but this new, second-generation model is a completely different proposition. Months into my Mokka ‘ownership’, I would still find myself climbing in and thinking: “Yep, that’s still a greatlooking car.” Chief sub-editor Kris Culmer, also a custodian of the car, was a fan of the updated styling, too. On several occasions, interested bystanders came up to me and asked, in a roundabout way, what I liked and loathed about it. I always found there was far more to say about its good points than its bad.
Driving the Mokka was a mostly relaxing experience and our car has certainly been up, down and around. I took it to Yorkshire, Cornwall, Lanarkshire and Perthshire, the very centre of London (after a typical England penalty shootout performance) and just about everywhere in between. Kris took it to Belgium, where it completed the final few of its 7987 miles with the Autocar team at the wheel.
The 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine in our car produced 128bhp and the power delivery was smooth and effortless, traits emphasised by the eight-speed automatic transmission. (A cheaper, six-speed manual is also available.) The Mokka was particularly good on the motorway, where overtaking was never an issue and the adaptive cruise control really came into its own.
Things weren’t quite as impressive on country and urban roads, though. Vibrations in the cabin became more noticeable at slower speeds, especially on pockmarked roads, a characteristic that was probably exacerbated by the 18in wheels fitted to our test car. It was never uncomfortable, although the ride quality felt noticeably rigid in these circumstances. Talking of comfort, there was ample leg and head room up front, the seats felt accommodating and the driving position was decent.
Our SRI Nav Premium car (now named SRI Premium, if you’re looking to buy one new) was impressively well equipped and injected an extra dose of flair into the Mokka’s exterior appearance. I thought the contrasting red styling accents paired with the Jade White exterior paint (a £325 extra and the only option fitted to our car) were eye-catching without being garish.
Other often used and useful kit in this spec included the digital gauges, sat-nav, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, parking sensors, electronic handbrake and reversing camera. I was also a big fan of the larger, 10.0in touchscreen (upgraded from the standard 7.0in unit on our spec). It was clear and responsive, if a little unintuitive in some areas such as the DAB radio.
There were, of course, some negatives. The carbonfibre-effect plastic inside was a fingerprint and dust magnet. The digital gauges could also be improved by some additional customisation options.
Those problems were fairly minor, but others caused genuine frustration in day-to-day use. The stop-start system and automatic gearbox simply would not operate in harmony and there was erratic juddering when you came on and off the brakes. This was particularly stressful in traffic as it felt as though I was going to lunge into the back of the car in front. I also had problems with the lane assist, which would drag me across the road in rural areas. So I switched them both off before each journey.
The Mokka also loses points for practicality. It’s manageable for a couple, but if you’re going on a holiday with more than one additional passenger, you’ll struggle to cram suitcases and bags into that 350-litre boot, even with part of the 60/40-split rear seats folded down. Rear leg room is also a bit tight. Most people under 6ft will be fine, but any taller than that and your legs will be pressed uncomfortably against the seats in front. Space is an area where the previous-generation Mokka X has the upper hand.
Ignoring the negatives common to many crossovers, Kris thinks the Mokka shows we’ve entered an era when we might finally see just how good Vauxhall can be. I agree: we should be genuinely excited about its future as (technically) Britain’s last volume brand. This secondgeneration Mokka proves that and is a significant improvement over the previous model, while the Corsa is earning similar praise and has become the best-selling car in the UK, deposing its Ford Fiesta rival.
So back to the original question: is Mokka exciting? Well, dynamically, as a pure driver’s car, it falls short of rivals like the Ford Puma, but most buyers won’t mind and, to be honest, neither did I. If you covet a boldly styled compact crossover to stand out, one with all the kit you need to make driving a doddle, the Mokka is an appealing choice and a decent all-rounder. It is not a game-changer, but it has played an important role in kick-starting Vauxhall’s new era and it certainly makes a strong case for itself in a very crowded market.
❝ This second generation is a significant improvement over the previous Mokka ❞