Vauxhall Mokka-e

After weekends in the Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 it’s time to take a look at something smaller from Charles Hurst. Say hello to my little friend – the Vauxhall Mokka-e.

Accommodation & Equipment

Even though this is a smaller car, it is still big on equipment. This launch edition model has the same keyless go system as the other more expensive EVs we’ve tested, unlocking the doors as you walk up without having to touch your key.

Once sitting behind the wheel the high bonnet line and dashboard give the interior a cosseted feel, with the comfort of that all-important centre armrest. There are 2 digital displays and the one behind the (heated) steering wheel can be configured to show the information of your choice. Heated front seats, with a massage function for the driver, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and automatic LED Matrix headlights all add to the impressive list of equipment.

Accommodation is good in the front, but with the driver’s seat in position for me (6 foot 3) there’s not much leg room left in the rear. That means this car is probably ideally suited for the school run, rather than cruising with 4 adults.

Performance, Handling & Ride

The Mokka has three driving modes – Sport, Normal and Eco to maximise range. Pressing the ‘B’ switch next to the drive selector increases regen for one-pedal driving, bar coming to a complete stop as the Vauxhall behaves like an automatic, creeping forward when your foot is not on the brake. 0-60 comes up in around 9 seconds and handling and comfort are on power with other similar sized hatchbacks.

Design

I love the look of this car, especially in its 2-tone Mamba green paint work (£700 option) with black roof and smart 18″ bi-colour alloys.

This is the new “Vauxhall Vizor” styling that the company says it will be bringing to more new models in the coming years, and that’s a good thing.

This Vauxhall shares its platform with piston engined cars and you can tell from its packaging that it’s not a ground-up EV design. Lift the bonnet and you’ll find it full of motor, inverter and ancillaries, similar to something like a Nissan Leaf, rather than a front trunk.

Charging & Efficiency

The Mokka-e can AC charge at 11kW, going from 0-100% in 5 hours, extending to 7 hours 30 on a 7kW home charger. On the DC side CCS rapid charging is supported up to 100kW which gives a 30 minute charge from 0-80% (or 50 minutes on a 50kW rapid).

Vauxhall quote range as “up to 209 miles (WLTP)”. The weekend we drove the Mokka, temperatures were in the 7-9 degree range. After around 120 miles, admittedly with quite a bit on the motorway, the car returned exactly 3.0 miles per kWh.

3.0 miles/kWh x 50 kWH Usable = 150 mile range

The EV Database info for the Mokka E shows an untested real world range estimate of 160 miles which should be doable when things warm up OK. This EV is probably best suited as a city car rather than something to drive longer distances.

Verdict

The Mokka-e comes with a battery warranty of 8 years/100,000 miles (70% capacity) and It’s packed full of enough tech and equipment to embarrass all but the most luxurious cars. If you’re looking for a city car and have children for the back seats then add it to your shortlist to test drive.

Prices for the Mokka-e start from £30,865. Many thanks to the Charles Hurst Group for the loan of the car for this review.

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