Vauxhall Mokka-e review

Like one of those transformation shows, where someone miraculously changes from grim to glam, rough to rugged, so the new Vauxhall Mokka has morphed from dull to dashing, and the all-new electric Mokka-e might well be one of the most exciting small SUVs coming this year.

For a start, just look at it… You’d never believe it was made by the same company that produced the previous, rather forgettable-looking Mokka. That bluff front end with its super-slim headlights looks great and the wide intakes and angular chrome bumper trims make it one of the most eye-catching small SUVs around.

It’s not just a pretty face, though. The two-tone bodywork and chrome strip running over the roof make sure that the new Mokka-e doesn’t just look like a hatchback that’s been jacked up and given a set of big alloy wheels. It’s the same story ’round the back with a set of cool-looking down-turned pillars beside the windscreen and new flatter brake lights like the ones you’ll see on the latest Astra.

The old Vauxhall Mokka’s interior was neatly organised, but a bit dull. The new car’s cabin is going much more upmarket thanks to an infotainment system inspired by the dual-screen setup you get in the newest Mercedes models.

Sure, Vauxhall’s system doesn’t quite link the central touchscreen with the driver’s display quite as seamlessly as in a Mercedes, but it certainly has the likes of the Renault Captur, VW T-Roc and Skoda Kamiq licked. The range-topper will have a 12-inch driver’s display and a 10-inch central touchscreen.

As in almost all new cars, you’ll be able to get the Vauxhall Mokka-e with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring so you can use your phone’s navigation and media-streaming apps through the car’s built-in screens.

The new Vauxhall Mokka-e is 12.5cm shorter than the old Mokka X, so you’d expect it to be more cramped inside. Not so, because Vauxhall’s actually made the new model 10mm wider and pushed its front and rear wheels apart by 2mm, so there’s actually a smidge more passenger space inside than before.

The Mokka-e looks almost identical to the standard car, but it has the petrol-powered Mokka licked in almost every area – besides price…

Less simple is carrying a few lofty adults in the back seats. Three kids have space to stretch out but tall adults will be left wondering if you secretly hate them after a few hours cooped up in the Mokka-e’s snug rear seats.

The same goes for the boot. It’s larger than a Corsa-e’s but quite a bit smaller than the load bays you get in a Peugeot e-2008 or a Kia e-Niro.

You probably won’t be using your Mokka-e to cart old furniture to the tip, though, right? More likely you’ll be popping to the shops or ticking off the school run – both things this electric crossover does well.

Parallel parking isn’t the easiest, though, and it isn’t exactly ‘fun’, but the Mokka-e comes with a respectable 201 miles of claimed range.

It’s easy to drive in town, very quiet and more comfortable than the conventional Mokka over most bumps.

If that sounds like the sort of driving you do regularly, and you have somewhere to charge it overnight, the Mokka-e is the pick of the Mokka range.

Check out our Vauxhall Mokka-e deals page for the latest offers.

Vauxhall Mokka-e range and charging

The Vauxhall Mokka-e comes with a 50kWh battery and a 136hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. It’ll accelerate from 0-60mph in less than 8.7 seconds, which is plenty nippy enough for a small family crossover.

The Mokka-e has a claimed range of 201 miles. That’s some way short of the Kia e-Niro’s 282-mile claimed range but broadly matches the Peugeot e-2008’s 206-mile claimed range.

You shouldn’t have too much difficulty matching this claimed range if you do plenty of town driving, but motorway journeys will sap power from the Mokka-e’s battery more quickly.

The fastest way to recharge the Vauxhall Mokka-e is using a 100kW public fast charger. Find one of these and you can boost its batteries from empty to 80% full in around half an hour.

A slower 50kW public charger will take around 50 minutes to charge your batteries from 0% to 80%, while a household plug socket will take more than 20 hours to give your Mokka-e a full charge from empty