Vauxhall Mokka Review & Prices

The Vauxhall Mokka and Mokka Electric are both super-stylish small SUVs with well-equipped interiors, but aren’t as practical as some drabber-looking alternatives.

You’d scarcely believe the new Vauxhall Mokka was related to the old, forgettable model just by looking at it. This new car is one of the most stylish crossovers on sale. It's a bit like one of those teen movies where the nerdy character dresses up nicely for the final scene and you realise they were beautiful all along.

The Mokka certainly makes a great alternative to the likes of the Volkswagen T-Cross if you’re after something with a bit of visual flair – especially if you go for one of its eye-catching two-tone colour schemes.

Even without one of these optional paint jobs, the Mokka looks more dramatic than your average family car. It’s no off-roader, but its chunky black wheel arch trims and raised ride height means it’ll turn more heads than something like a Vauxhall Corsa hatchback.

Thankfully, Vauxhall hasn’t run out of ideas for the Mokka’s interior. Sure, it doesn’t have quite the same visual appeal as the tres-chic Peugeot 2008’s cabin, but the glossy black trims and raised touchscreen look posher than what you get in most baby SUVs.

Speaking of which, that touchscreen comes with all the must-have smartphone mirroring features of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and all but the entry-level models get sat nav, too.

Everything in the Mokka’s cabin is relatively easy to use and you’ll have plenty of space to get comfy in the front. But the back seats are a little too cramped for tall adults to stretch out, and the boot isn’t as roomy as in a Peugeot 2008.

That said, you probably won’t be ferrying too many large items of furniture in your Vauxhall Mokka. It’s much more likely you’ll be tackling the school run or popping to the shops – jobs this attractive crossover does pretty well.

The Mokka deals with most bumps around town without any fuss, and its raised driving position gives you a better view out forward than in hatchbacks such as the Vauxhall Corsa.

That said, parallel parking is made a tad tricky by the small rear window – but the Mokka’s light steering helps make most inner-city manoeuvres a doddle.

It’s easy to drive for long periods, too, and you won’t hear a great deal of wind or tyre noise at motorway speeds.

All this makes the new Vauxhall Mokka a good choice of family crossover – especially if you’re looking for something that’ll stand out and don’t mind paying a bit extra for some posh-looking upgrades.

So, if the Vauxhall Mokka sounds like the ideal new small car for you, make sure you check out our Vauxhall Mokka deals page to find out how much you could save when buying through carwow. You can also browse the latest used Vauxhall Mokkas, as well as an extensive stock of other used Vauxhalls from our network of trusted dealers. If you need to sell your car, carwow can help with that, too.

The Mokka might have the same basic mechanical bits as a Corsa, but you have to pay a few thousand more than you would for the hatchback to get the bigger body and SUV style. That’s true for the petrol and the electric versions.

There is a bewildering and ever-changing range too, but the electric is only available on the two top-spec versions.

The cheapest Mokka, called Design, does look a little basic, so we'd recommend paying a few pounds more every month to have a bit more comfort and style, budget-allowing. The GS is sportier looking while the Ultimate has a classier style and more kit. As the name suggests, Black models get some black detailing, as well as some extra equipment above the GS model.

The Mokka deals with bumps reasonably well and it’s easy to drive, but rear visibility isn’t great. All the power options do a decent job, but aren’t going to excite

In town

The Mokka’s light steering and compact dimensions means it’s easy to drive through tight spaces and in town, especially compared to bigger SUVs. The suspension does a decent job smoothing out most bumps and potholes – even on the bigger 18-inch wheels fitted to all but the Design models, which get 16-inch wheels. 

The Mokka Electric is even better in this regard, thanks to its extra weight, which seems to give it a more refined feel over bumps. Its instant acceleration, refinement and gearless transmission also make it ideally suited to city roads. That’s before you start adding up the possible financial benefits, such as congestion charge and low emission zone exemptions. 

You also get a better view out of the Vauxhall Mokka than in regular hatchbacks such as the Vauxhall Corsa thanks to its raised suspension and tall body, but the difference isn’t as huge as you may think. 

While looking forwards is fine, the narrow rear windscreen and small back windows can make parallel parking or slotting into a tight multi storey slot a little tricky, especially if you choose the Design model with no parking sensors.

On the motorway

The Vauxhall Mokka is a fairly quiet car to drive, which makes longer journeys much easier on your ears. You won’t hear too much noise from the engine whichever power you choose unless you accelerate hard, and you’ll only notice a slight wind-whistle from the door mirrors at motorway speeds. This is more noticeable on the Mokka Electric as there is no engine noise to drown it out. 

The 1.5-litre diesel has now been discontinued, meaning that the more powerful 1.2-litre petrol is the best choice if you are regularly doing longer journeys. The electric version is perfectly capable of keeping up with motorway traffic, but stray towards the 70mph limit and the battery range will plummet. 

On a twisty road

The Mokka is not designed to be a sports car, but even so it is not as much fun to drive as a Ford Puma. The steering has good weight and feel, but the body leans in corners and the car isn’t keen to change direction quickly. 

The electric version with its lower centre of gravity is better in this regard, and this means it is more fun to drive generally. In fact, the Mokka Electric can put a cheeky grin on your face when you accelerate thanks to the instant shove from its electric motor – something you’ll not get from the combustion engines. 

Front seat passengers get a decent deal and the boot is a reasonable size, but the rear cabin is squeeze for adults

The Vauxhall Mokka’s cabin feels pretty roomy in the front. The seats are comfortable and come with a decent amount of adjustment so you’ll be able to get a good view out whether you’re small or very tall. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake too, so most drivers will be able to find a comfortable driving position. 

There is also a decent amount of space for stuff in the front, with a respectable size glovebox, door pockets and a tray below the centre of the dashboard which is perfect for storing a phone. On the top models it will wirelessly charge it too. It’s slightly more awkward to access on cars fitted with a manual transmission though, as the gear lever dominates the centre console.

All versions have an electric handbrake which frees up space inside, while the electric versions are even less cluttered, with just a switch to select gears. 

Two large cupholders sit behind the gear lever, with an armrest which covers another generously-sized storage cubby.   

Our only real issue is the glossy black finish on the centre console and surrounding areas, which quickly becomes grubby and scruffy-looking. 

Space in the back seats

It’s best to describe the back seats as cosy. The doors themselves are small, meaning larger adults will find it tricky to fold themselves in. Once there, six-foot-tall passengers don’t have much headroom to spare and their knees will touch the front seats if they’re sitting behind an equally tall driver.

The central-rear seat is raised, which limits headroom further, but at least there’s enough space for three kids to sit side-by-side without the need to fight over elbow room – unless there are child seats involved, which will eat into the available room further.

The Mokka’s relatively small rear windows mean they won’t get a particularly good view out, and the dark interior fabrics can make things feel a little too dreary at times too.

Boot space

The Vauxhall Mokka comes with a 350-litre boot, which is usefully larger than a smaller hatchback. Its square shape makes it nice and easy to load, but you can’t carry quite as much luggage as in the Skoda Kamiq’s 400-litre boot or the Peugeot 2008’s 434-litre load bay.

You can get the Mokka with an adjustable boot floor that makes it easier to slide in heavy items, and it gives you a nice hidey-hole to keep valuables out of sight. It’s a good place to store cables in the electric version too.

Flip the back seats down (which you can do in a 60:40 split) and the raised floor makes it easy to push heavy luggage right up behind the front seats. Doing this increases load space to 1,105 litres, though this is still less than the Skoda and Peugeot offer.

Unfortunately, the button to open the Mokka’s boot is located down on the bumper by the number plate. This makes it a bit tricky to reach, especially if you’re carrying heavy luggage, and it’ll likely get covered by dirt and grime in winter months.

The Mokka looks smarter than many small crossovers inside and feels solidly built, but its infotainment system isn’t the most intuitive

The Vauxhall Mokka’s cabin looks more exciting than the interiors of many small crossovers, but it can’t quite match the style you get in a Peugeot 2008. That might suit some buyers though who prefer the more restrained – and arguably more sensible – design.

The Mokka’s high-mounted infotainment display looks pretty smart and there are a few glossy black plastic and metal-effect trims dotted about the cabin to keep you interested. Some versions have flashes of colour too, adding a more sporty look.

Most of the Mokka’s materials feel pretty solid. There are a few hard plastics on the doors and beside the centre console, but the soft dashboard trim and sturdy buttons and controls feel pleasingly posh. 

The tech is pretty up to date too. You get a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard on the Mokka Design, which is upgraded to a 10.0-inch on the GS, Black and Ultimate.

This isn’t the most responsive system, and seems especially flaky when using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but the menus are laid out fairly logically and the physical shortcut buttons on the dashboard are easier to use than the (arguably cooler-looking) piano-key controls you get in the Peugeot 2008.

You don’t get sat nav on entry-level models, but you can connect your smartphone using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and use your preferred apps through the car’s touchscreen as standard instead.

You get a digital driver’s display instead of conventional analogue dials in every Mokka. This is easy to read and you can cycle through various menus using shortcut buttons on the steering wheel. High-spec cars come with a 12.0-inch driver’s display instead of the standard 7.0-inch item. This is even easier to read and comes with a few extra display options.

Unlike in the Peugeot 2008, the Vauxhall Mokka comes with conventional knobs and buttons to control the heating and air conditioning. This is a big improvement and makes it much easier to quickly turn down the heating without taking your eyes off the road.

The Vauxhall Mokka is available with two petrol engines, while the Mokka Electric offers zero-emission propulsion. All are efficient and tax effective choices for company car drivers, especially the Mokka Electric.

The entry-level, 1.2-litre 100hp petrol engine used in the Design, Black and GS models returns an official 51.4mpg and produces 125g/km of emissions. It is a good choice if you spend a lot of time driving in town as it has perfectly adequate but not exceptional performance.

There’s also a more powerful 136hp version of this same petrol engine offered on all trims and with the option of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. The manual is almost as economical as the 100hp car, with Vauxhall claiming it’ll manage more than 50mpg and 126g/km.

Adding the auto gearbox hits that efficiency but not by much – the official figures are 47.1mpg and 134g/km. Curiously it has slightly less power (130hp) with this gearbox, but you won't be able to tell the difference between the two.

For the ultimate in economy it’s best to ditch fuel altogether and plump for the Mokka Electric. It has a 50kWh battery which gives an official range of 209 miles between recharges. Because it produces 0g/km of CO2 emissions it is hugely beneficial for company car drivers, who will pay just 2% tax until the 2025 financial year.

Even the entry level Design Mokka is equipped with a decent amount of safety equipment, which led to it being given a reasonable four-star rating by the independent safety organisation, Euro NCAP. 

All versions feature automatic emergency braking which can help prevent an ‘rear end’ accident and also a lane assist function which aims to keep you between white lines unless you indicate by tugging at the steering. In our experience it is not the best system though, and can become confused by expansion gaps or other ‘phantom’ road markings.

Adaptive cruise control, a panoramic rear view camera with parking sensors and LED headlights are all included on every version to help with day-to-day driving.  

Advanced Matrix LED headlights are available on top models and are a worthwhile feature to improve visibility on dark roads.

In terms of security, the GS Line and Ultimate both have ‘Keyless’ entry and start, which means you won’t need to remove the key from your pocket or bag to get into the car or start the vehicle. 

The Mokka is a relatively new car, but it seems to be far more dependable than the last model according to owners’ surveys. As with all other Vauxhalls, the Mokka is covered by a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty. That’s pretty much the bare minimum these days, and rivals such as Kia and MG offer seven year cover.