The Vauxhall Mokka is a big seller within the crowded small SUV market, but does it deserve its sales success? We're living with one to find out...
The Car Vauxhall Mokka 1.2 136 GS 6-Speed Manual Run by Jonty Renk, senior videographer
Why it’s here To prove that small, petrol-powered SUVs can still hold value for buyers wanting to keep costs low
Needs to Be comfortable for five people and transport luggage with ease, be comfortable on long distances and function as a mobile office when needed
Mileage 226 List price £28,085 Target Price £26,461 Price as tested £28,085 Official economy 51.4mpg Test economy 40.3mpg
12 July 2023 – Meet My Mokka
I don’t like coffee. But I do like hot chocolate. So, if I wanted to get into the world of caffeine, maybe I’d start out with a Mocha.
And similarly, while I like SUVs, I don’t like the running costs that often come with me. So, maybe the Vauxhall Mokka – which combines chunky looks and an elevated driving position with the promise of impressive frugality – is ideal for me.
It’s certainly a popular choice among car buyers. So far this year, the Mokka has been the tenth best-selling car in the UK, with almost 15,000 models leaving showrooms. Surely that many families can’t be wrong about something?
Well. The original first-generation Mokka was a huge seller for Vauxhall but decidedly mediocre. Indeed, as a used buy it carries a three-star rating here on Whatcar.com. This all-new Mokka, however, I am assured by my road-testing colleagues, is much better.
The looks have certainly drawn me in. The latest Mokka apes the look of the smaller Astra and Corsa, both cars which, I think, are very attractive in their respective markets. Of course, style is a subjective thing, but among its small SUV rivals like the Ford Puma, Peugeot 2008 and Skoda Kamiq, I think the Mokka is by far the sleekest and most appealing of the bunch visually. All the cars have similar dimensions and are at a similar price point, but when I was picking my first small SUV to test it was the looks of the Mokka that sealed the deal for me.
When buying a new Mokka, you get the choice of three trim levels if you want a traditional combustion engine, or two if you would prefer the fully electric Mokka Electric. I went for the former, and mid-level sporty GS trim, which comes with a larger 10.0in touchscreen infotainment screen (it’s 7.0in on Design trim), bigger 18in alloys (16in on Design) and a rear ‘panoramic’ parking camera system to help avoid any embarrasing car park scrapes.
My Mokka has most of my kit needs covered, then, and while I could have spent more to unlock adaptive cruise control, adaptive LED headlights and some nice Alcantara seat trim by choosing the range-topping Ultimate trim, GS keeps the Mokka’s price the right side of £30,000.
My Mokka’s 134bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine is the most powerful option in the lineup, so I’m hoping it’ll see off my long motorway journeys with little fuss. And since I’ve always preferred having three pedals, choosing the six-speed manual gearbox over the automatic option was a no-brainer. That the manual is also a little cheaper was the icing on that particular cake.
As a senior videographer for the What Car? YouTube channel, I will be pushing the limits of the Mokka’s 350-litre boot in order to fit all of my equipment in the back, and travelling up and down the country to various shooting locations on a variety of roads. I’m also hoping that, living in London, a small SUV will strike a brilliant balance of offering decent practicality in a bitesize, width-restrictor-friendly frame.
Early signs of life with the Mokka have been positive. It doesn’t necessarily feel like an SUV behind the wheel, and in the driver’s seat I feel cocooned in with an almost sporty driving position. The rest of the interior follows suit with some faux-carbonfibre detailing, which could easily look and feel flimsy but is actually is solid to touch and premium to look at.
What about the rear seats? Well, while it’s so far been fine for my commute and ferrying the odd mate around town, this small SUV is about to get a big challenge. You see, I’m planning a long-distance holiday to the South of France with four adults, and all of their luggage, in just a few weeks time – and nobody wants to pack light. To find out how the Mokka fares, check in for my next report.
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Keyword: Vauxhall Mokka long-term test