Vauxhall Mokka Electric Review & Prices

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 Mokka Electric might well be one of the most exciting small SUVs around

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 Electric 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 12.0-inch driver’s display and a 10.0-inch central touchscreen.

As in almost all new cars, you’ll be able to get the Vauxhall Mokka Electric 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 Electric 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.

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 Electric’s snug rear seats.

The same goes for the boot. It’s larger than a Vauxhall Corsa Electric'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 Electric 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 SUV does well.

Parallel parking isn’t the easiest, though, and it isn’t exactly ‘fun’, but the Mokka Electric comes with a respectable 209 miles of claimed range.

It’s easy to drive in town, very quiet and more comfortable than the conventional petrol 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 Electric is the pick of the Mokka range.

Check out our Vauxhall Mokka Electric deals page for the latest offers, or see the latest used Vauxhall deals through carwow.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric slightly undercuts the Peugeot e-2008 – a car it shares its platform with - although the Peugeot does offer slightly more kit as standard. It is also priced very closely to the impressive Kia e-Niro, however, the Hyundai Kona Electric is a few thousand pounds cheaper in base guise.

There are two trim levels available on the Mokka Electric, and just the one battery size. It offers good value in the higher Ultimate trim, although both the Kia and Hyundai can be had with larger battery packs, and the Hyundai in particular, makes more sense if you need the extra range but don’t want to blow your budget.

The Mokka Electric delivers a fuss-free performance around town, it’s also refined and quiet on the motorway, but don’t expect much driving enjoyment here

In town

As with most EVs, the Mokka Electric is great around town. The quick acceleration and light controls make it easy to zip into gaps in traffic and zoom away from the lights.

It’s also got a softer ride than the regular Mokka, so potholes and bumps are dealt with in a fuss-free fashion. A Hyundai Kona Electric is far firmer. The regenerative braking can take a little while to get used to, and the tight rear window can hamper your parallel parking efforts. The standard rear camera and parking sensors will definitely come in handy.

On the motorway

The Mokka Electric is one of the more refined vehicles in its class. It’s particularly quiet at speed, with just some minor wind noise permeating the cabin on the motorway. While it responds immediately to throttle inputs, it doesn’t quite deliver that strong accelerative shove some other electric SUVs offer, so more ambitious overtaking manoeuvres will need a bit of planning.

Visibility is good, and the quiet cabin and comfortable suspension help the Mokka Electric eat up the miles. Passengers in the rear might get tired of the cramped accommodations after a while, though.

On a twisty road

The Mokka Electric was not designed for enthusiastic back road driving, and it doesn’t feel particularly happy to be driven quickly. The body lean in corners is more pronounced than the firmly sprung Kona Electric, and it feels less than precise when attempting to dart from one corner to the next.

None of this should matter much to someone looking to buy a family-friendly electric SUV, however, if you are after a spirited driving performance then you’ll have to look at much pricier options like the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The Mokka Electric is decently roomy in the front, but it’s cramped in the rear and the boot isn’t all that big either

The front seats offer plenty of adjustment, with enough space to accommodate just about anyone. The steering wheel also has enough adjustment to account for long, short, tall and wide drivers. The view out is good, with large front and side windows. 

Storage solutions are similar to what you get in most alternatives, starting with a pair of cup holders, phone storage shelf and closable cubby in the centre console. The door bins are big and deep, although the glove box is too small to be of any real use.

Space in the back seats

The rear is not quite so accommodating. Taller passengers will be rubbing their heads along the roof lining, and their knees along the front seatbacks. The centre rear seat isn’t really suitable for an adult, although three children should have no problem getting comfy. The shallow rear side windows won’t give them a good view out, though, especially if they are short.

Boot space

The boot isn’t particularly generous either. The Mokka Electric offers 310 litres behind the rear seats, which is 40 less than the petrol Mokka and also pales in comparison to the Peugeot e-2008 which has 405 litres. The Kia e-Niro is even more spacious, with 451 litres on offer.

At least the Mokka Electric makes the most of the available space, with a wide and square boot opening and a height adjustable boot floor (on the Ultimate trim) that allows you to minimise the loading lip and store your charging cables out of the way.

The rear seats don’t angle or slide, but they do fold down completely flat, making it easy to push heavy boxes all the way to the back.

A solidly-built interior with some nice design touches, although the infotainment system could be more intuitive to operate

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s cabin has more design flair than a Kia e-Niro but can’t match the Peugeot e-2008’s funky layout. The Vauxhall may be more practical though, as the Peugeot has a small diameter steering wheel that has a tendency to obscure the driver display.

A variety of trim finishes add a dash of colour to the interior, and the twin digital displays look like a more cohesive design than the individual units you find in most alternatives. GS Line trims get a leather-effect fabric, while the top Ultimate trim has a mix of suede and Alcantara seat coverings.

Material quality is good, with a solid feel to the controls, switchgear and buttons, and while there are a few hard plastics lower down in the footwell, the Mokka Electric feels suitably upmarket in general.

A 10.0-inch colour touchscreen sits in the middle of the dashboard, slightly angled towards the driver. The 12.0-inch digital driver display extends to the right of the touchscreen, and offer sharp graphics and lots of customisabilty.

The infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, sat nav, Bluetooth and DAB digital radio. You get a USB slot up front and two in the rear. A six-speaker audio system is standard. It isn’t the most intuitive to operate though, with laggy responses and a frustrating menu layout. You do get a set of physical buttons below the screen for certain functions, this is far easier to use on the move than the touchscreen-only options on some alternatives. You can also opt to use your phone’s apps if you prefer them over Vauxhall’s setup.

When it comes to the electric motor and battery pack, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric is available in just one flavour. You get a 134hp electric motor paired to a 50kWh battery. It can get from 0-62mph in just over 9.0 seconds, which is comparable to entry-level offerings found in the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric. It also matches the Peugeot e-2008 as they share the same underpinnings.

The claimed range between charges is 209 miles, just one more than the Peugeot e-2008 offers, and slightly more than the base Hyundai Kona Electric which has a 39kWh battery and can do 189 miles.

Both the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia E-Niro can also be had with more powerful electric motors and 64kWh battery packs, which extends their range to 300 miles and 285 miles respectively.

The Mokka Electric will take just under 22 hours to charge if you plug it into your home socket, something we’d only recommend in an emergency. A 7kW home wallbox cuts that time down to seven hours and 30 minutes. If you can find a 100kW public rapid charger, you can get the battery from 0-80% in just 30 minutes.

As with all electric vehicles, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric does not incur any road tax and is also exempt from all ULEZ and congestion charges.

The Vauxhall Mokka has been through the full Euro NCAP testing procedure, it received a four-star rating which also applies to the Mokka Electric. The adult occupant safety score was 73%, with child occupants at 75%. The safety assist score was 64%.

Where most alternatives score a full five stars and higher averages across the board, this result is a little underwhelming, but the Mokka Electric still comes packed with standard passive and active safety features. You get LED headlights, high beam assist, rear parking sensors, rearview camera and low-speed forward collision alert all on the base GS Line trim.

The Ultimate trim adds a more advanced forward collision system, adaptive cruise control, surround parking sensors and advanced park assist.

The Mokka Electric needs an initial inspection at 8,000 miles/one year, whichever occurs first, and then servicing every 16,000 miles or two years. There is a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, which is some way short of what you get from Hyundai and Kia. The battery pack comes with its own eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, which is the industry standard.

Reliability levels should be good as there is far less to go wrong in an electric car than in a petrol one. The Mokka Electric also shares much of its componentry with the Peugeot e-2008 and other electric Vauxhalls, so it benefits from a joint development program which should aid long-term reliability.