Vauxhall’s freshly perked-up Mokka
Finally – a new Vauxhall to get excited about, if its performance lives up to its looks
Yes, this really is a Vauxhall. Makes a change from the indistinct crossovers we’ve become used to, helped by the striking green and black paint inspired by the ’80s Opel Manta GTE.
Underneath is the CMP platform familiar from many compact cars made by what was PSA, now absorbed into Stellantis, including the Peugeot 208/2008, the DS 3 and Vauxhall’s own current Corsa. It offers trusty handling and can employ petrol, diesel and electric powertrains. In the case of the new Mokka that means you have a good spread of options including the wobbly gargle of the three-cylinder petrol on test and the smooth, surging shove of the Mokka-E which we’ve also driven.
Vauxhall hasn’t simply restyled a 2008. The Mokka’s steering isn’t arcade-game light like the Peugeot – nor, for that matter, as heavy and twitchy as the rival Ford Puma; it’s a good balance. The ride quality is also significantly better than the 2008’s, and if you’re keen to enjoy some tight bends the Mokka displays impressive body control and grip. Not a heavy car, the petrol Mokka offers a good mix of eagerness to have fun and decent comfort when you’re just going about your business. Pick the Mokka-E (with a claimed 201-mile range) and the ride is softer, as the additional weight pummels road lumps rather than skips over them.
And there’s sophistication here, too. While the interior isn’t as mad as the 2008’s, it’s a long way ahead of the Puma and the Nissan Juke in terms of modern design and good-quality materials. There are even details you’d expect from cars a class above: the auto shifter is a dinky nodule on the centre console like a VW Golf or Audi A3, and higher variants come with massive, configurable digital dials that are clear to read. But like many other CMP cars, its infotainment can be fiddly and laggy. And when you try to get adults in the back seats and a weekly shop in the boot, you’re reminded that you’re very much not in a car from the class above.
Being better than the drab and stodgy previous-generation Mokka wasn’t much of a challenge. But the new one does more than that: it offers a serious alternative to any option for young families.