Vauxhall Mokka

GOODBYE

£24,455 OTR/£25,085 as tested/£273pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

The old Mokka was appalling, has the new version impressed us more?

DRIVER

Esther Neve

FULL DISCLOSURE: I LAST SPENT ANY MEANINGFUL TIME IN AN EV back in 2003 or 2004. And even that wasn’t a proper, road-going EV. Nope, it was a concept. Since then, I’ve read a lot about EVs, and the news and statistics sound great (though whether they are the silver bullet the industry is looking for remains up for debate). However, the fact is that I have absolutely no way of charging an electric car at my home, and just a three-pin socket at work. As a result of this lack of experience, I have serious anxiety about electric cars – they are truly a foreign land to me.

My curiosity, however, is strong. Strong enough to book in an electric Mokka to drive alongside the long-term petrol version. This is a most excellent way to say farewell to the Mokka – a week-long comparison with its newer technologied younger sibling.

Enter the Mokka-e stage right. A mild panic attack ensues. I bombard the delivery driver with questions about charging, actual real-world range and the effects of using aircon or heating on the battery. He leaves.

Intrigued, I get into the Mokka-e and press the start button... it has 85 per cent battery. For reasons beyond me, I am already panicking. Surely it should have the full 100 per cent? I genuinely feel like it’s losing range just because I’m sitting in it. I turn it off, get out and lock it, hoping that these actions will miraculously give me more battery. Coffee will solve everything, so I go inside for a strong espresso.

Fully caffeinated, I take the Mokka-e to my local Tesco where there are many chargers. I plan to do a spot of shopping and top up the battery simultaneously. I arrive with a 180-mile range, download the app, connect the car and head for the fresh fruit and veg. About 40 minutes later I’m back out, keen to see how much range I’ve garnered. The reading comes up – 185 miles... nearly three-quarters of an hour for five miles. This is unacceptable. By the time I get home, the range is 175 miles. I feel deflated regarding range, but the flip side of the first electric drive is the realisation that an EV is so quiet. SO quiet. There really isn’t even a noticeable amount of road noise, not even tyre noise. This is a most excellent realisation. Peace, perfect peace. We have a considerable point in the Mokka-e’s favour.

The following morning is cold. Really cold. Time for an experiment. I start up both Mokkas and see which is defrosted and ready to go first. After five minutes, both are warm and ready... the Mokka-e has lost two per cent of its range. The petrol Mokka registers no difference in range from start-up. Or so it says.

Time to take the Mokka-e for a bit of a spin. An opportunity to dig into the driving experience. And my first thought? You know air hockey

tables? That’s what driving the Mokka-e feels like – as though you’re floating on a cushion of air. Very smooth, very wafty, very relaxing. Indeed, it is without doubt smoother, waftier and, er, relaxinger than the ICE Mokka I usually drive. It is great. I like it a lot.

The rest of the day is spent floating around on a variety of roads. The Mokka-e feels completely at home on everything from tight hairpins to motorways. The only downside is watching the battery deplete. Down to 56 per cent. Time to find a ‘fast’ CCS charger. ‘Just’ one hour and £5.85 later, the Mokka-e is charged up to 95 per cent. And that’s the nub of it. Running an EV requires a sea change in the thought processes of having a car. I’m simply not ready for it yet.

Having had the pleasure of running the Vauxhall Mokka for five months, (it spent a happy few weeks with TG managing director Adam beforehand) it occurs to me that not once have I worried about anything. There has been no anxiety during my tenureship, only happiness, delight and enjoyment. Indeed, the strength of my positive feelings towards it have surprised even me.

The Mokka did everything we asked of it. It drove engagingly, it’s been super efficient, capacious and comfortable, and it’s been universally admired for its refinement and design (including winning TopGear’s own Design of the Year award last issue). This car is a huge win for Vauxhall. Not for years has there been such positivity for the griffin nameplate... in fact, considering the rebirth of desire for cars from Luton’s favourite manufacturer, perhaps the emblem should change from one mythical creature to another more appropriate... the phoenix.

Obviously it hasn’t all been sunshine and roses. The sensitivity of the auto unlocking drove Adam to distraction. And the random and bewildering location of the external boot release remains one of the world’s great modern mysteries. But aside from those two genuinely tiny things, nothing else has grated.

Regards the question we asked at the beginning – “The old Mokka was appalling, can the new version impress us more?” – well, the answer is an emphatic yes. To be fair, the old Mokka was so disappointing that almost anything would have been an improvement. As it happens, the new Mokka is such an impressive car that I would happily recommend it to family and friends, and even consider owning one myself. And there’s no greater compliment than that. Sad times to see it leave.