Vauxhall Mokka Electric Review 2024

Electric car development has already progressed sufficiently that we can now identify two distinct variants: those that have been developed from scratch as EVs, and those that already exist as petrol or diesel-engined machines and have simply had a battery and electric motor shoehorned in instead. This small SUV falls firmly into the latter category, with some of the shortcomings that entails, as our Vauxhall Mokka Electric review will reveal.

It’s a pretty snappy-looking machine, though, especially in the middle-of-the-range GS trim which we drove.

The crisp lines flowing from that pleasingly aggressive, full-width grille boasting a blacked-out Griffin badge are complemented by splashes of vibrant red to the alloy wheels and roofline, and, on board, to the dashboard and upholstery. 

Unfortunately, however, there’s something of the reverse Tardis about the Vauxhall Mokka Electric.

Although billed as a small SUV to rival the likes of the Peugeot e-2008 and another Stellantis stablemate, the DS 3 E-Tense (with which it shares underpinnings and technology), as well as the Hyundai Kona Electric and fellow South Korean contender the Kia Niro EV, and even less expensive offerings such as the MG ZS EV, it looks at first glance to be large enough to offer respectable accommodation.

That’s not the case, though, and it is particularly tight at the rear, with inadequate legroom and a small loadspace.

There are just three trim levels on offer – Design, GS and Ultimate – even the most basic of which offers a pretty comprehensive list of standard equipment including LED lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, a seven-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital instrument panel, panoramic rear view camera and rear parking sensors.

The plusher trim levels add bigger alloys, 10-inch infotainment and 12-inch driver’s instrument screens, and the likes of keyless entry and go, wireless phone charging, heated seats and steering wheel, fancier air-conditioning and posher upholstery.

There’s just one powertrain: a 50kWh battery mated to a 136PS electric motor, which provides acceptable shove off the line, but isn’t quite so forthcoming when it comes to overtaking in a hurry.

The official WLTP range is quoted at only 209 miles, which isn’t great, but if you can find a 100kW rapid charger, you can replenish from 0-80% in just half an hour.

Driving the Vauxhall Mokka Electric is a perfectly acceptable experience, but hardly engaging. Once you’ve made it to 62mph in around nine seconds, there doesn’t seem to be much acceleration left, even in Sport drive mode.

The ride’s okay, and certainly not as brittle as that of some rivals, and grip levels are adequate. But the soft springing responsible for straight-line comfort means it rolls through bends.

A Vauxhall Mokka Electric can be yours for £36,260, but you’ll pay £40,945 for a top-of-the-range specimen.

We’d opt for the mid-spec GS costing £38,635 and giving you all the standard equipment upgrades over the basics that you’ll need, plus extra style from those model-unique flashes of red detailing. 

For those sitting in the front, the news is generally good. Although the Vauxhall Mokka Electric isn’t as tall as most small SUVs, the seats have been raised sufficiently to give a pretty good view out.

Over-the-shoulder visibility is less impressive, hampered by the window-squeezing pillars and roofline, but at least rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are standard across the model range.

Despite the lack of adjustable lumbar support, except on range-topping models, the driving position is fine and the cockpit ergonomics give no cause for complaint: a diagonal step between the driver’s instrument display and the central infotainment screen brings the latter well within reach.

Climate control and media volume are operated by physical buttons and knobs, which is a definite plus.

The trouble anyone six feet and over will have just getting through the rear doors – the door head height is absurdly low – gives you a clue as to what you’re in for once settled.

Ironically, after the struggle getting in, there’s plenty of headroom, but precious little legroom. Knees are pressed up against the front seatbacks, and it’s a shame Vauxhall didn’t make the rear bench a slider. 

Then again, with just 310 litres of luggage capacity, the designers probably didn’t dare. The 60:40 split folding rear seats collapse easily to create a more respectable total volume of 1060 litres.

Unusually for an electric car, there is no frunk into which you might lob the odd charging cable, but a height-adjustable load space floor does allow you to create two compartments and hide the cables away in the lower deck.

The best thing about the flashes of GS grade red trim that spark lurid life into diverse corners of the cabin is that they distract you from an interior quality that isn’t all that pleasing. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it. It’s just that, like the presentation of the instrument and infotainment screens, it clearly reflects Vauxhall’s commitment of late to dragging the brand’s exterior design into the correct decade with a resultant neglect of interior issues.

We’d hoped that electrification might usher in the next level of styling creativity in the cabin. However, even there though are some elements of flair, it’s nothing to get excited about yet.

Entry-level Design grade versions of the Vauxhall Mokka Electric are awarded a seven-inch digital instrument panel and a seven-inch colour infotainment touchscreen with six-speaker DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The plusher GS and Ultimate grades up the ante with 10-inch infotainment and 12-inch driver’s instrument screens, satellite navigation and two rear-seat USB ports.

The infotainment system is pretty much identical to that of the Peugeot e-2008, which is not a good thing. The layout is inelegant and confusing, the graphics decidedly behind the curve and the software sluggish.

At least both systems allow you to spurn the clunky Vauxhall software and, through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, use your own phone’s interface instead.

And it must be said that the physical shortcut buttons below the screen do make it far easier to use on the move than rival touchscreen-only systems, such as the set-up in the Volkswagen ID.3.

The entry-level Vauxhall Mokka Electric Design currently costs £36,260, the middle trim GS £38,635 and the top-of-the-range Ultimate £40,945. We’d opt for the GS, which gives you all the standard equipment upgrades over the basics that you’ll need, plus added flair courtesy of the red detailing. 

There are often Vauxhall deals available to help bring monthly PCP costs in line with those of rivals. The company is currently quoting £389, £413 and £435 per month for Design, GS and Ultimate grades respectively.

Cheaper EV rivals include the MINI Electric, Hyundai Kona Electric, the Mazda MX-30 and the endearing all-electric Fiat 500.

The larger Kia Niro EV Long Range, Peugeot e-2008 and Volkswagen ID.3 are more expensive, but the Vauxhall Mokka Electric is predicted to suffer from heavier depreciation than many of those, which may make it less appealing to private buyers.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s WLTP certified range between charges is just 209 miles. That’s acceptable in an essentially urban class that includes the MINI Electric, Honda e and electric Fiat 500, all of which the Vauxhall Mokka Electric can outlast.

But the Kia Niro EV Long Range and Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance both knock spots off it with 285 and 265 miles respectively.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s 50kWh battery can be charged from 0-100% in around seven-and-a-half hours from a 7kW home wall box, or from 0-80% in 45 minutes using a 50kW service station charger.

If you can find a vacant, working 100kW charger you can get the same charge in just 30 minutes.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric is also available with the company’s ‘Plug & Go’ offer, allowing buyers to choose a wallbox from one of Vauxhall’s three approved national suppliers and spread the cost across the length of their finance agreement. 

Just like all pure-electric cars, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric is currently exempt from road tax. This will change in April 2025, however, when all EVs registered since April 2017 will be taxed at £165 per annum.

Vauxhall fared badly in a recent 2023 reliability survey, finishing in 30^th place out of 32 car makers listed. However, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric does come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, and the main battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Weighing just 1598kg, which is something of a flyweight in the all-electric world, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric can afford to be quite softly sprung compared to heavier rivals.

That’s a good thing when it comes to the long-haul motorway munching for which, unfortunately, it lacks the battery power reserves. Its straight-line ride is comfortable enough, and only troubled by the worst excesses of ham-fisted expansion joint construction.

It doesn’t deal with potholes and poor surfaces as well as the Volkswagen ID.3 at lower speeds, but it remains more comfortable than firmer rivals such as Hyundai’s Kona Electric, and doesn’t try and buck you out of the saddle on undulating surfaces like the over-excited DS 3 E-Tense.

The incorporation of regenerative braking means it takes a while to get used to a gently inconsistent brake pedal, which often leaves you guessing as to the amount of pedal pressure needed to slow down smoothly.

Overall, however, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s ride quality is pretty refined by class standards, with low levels of road and wind noise.

Handling, on the other hand, is only okay up to a point – the point at which you try and press on with any sort of enthusiasm. Everything falls tidily enough into place at cruising speeds: the steering feels nicely weighted and accurate enough, and there’s plenty of grip.

Start cornering more quickly, though, and the steering starts to lose precision, and that soft suspension adds to a general lack of composure with plenty of roll.

You’ll quickly back off to conserve the limited battery power available and ensure you don’t upset the occupants of the back seats.

There’s just one powertrain: a 50kWh battery mated to a 136PS electric motor which drives the front wheels. This provides acceptable shove off the line, a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds and a maximum speed of 93mph.

But it isn’t quite so forthcoming when it comes to overtaking in a hurry – there doesn’t seem to be much shove left from the engine room, even in Sport drive mode. 

The drive modes in the Vauxhall Mokka Electric have been designed to limit power and maximise range – Eco limits power to 82PS, Normal allows up to 109PS and switching to Sport means all of the 136PS available is on tap.

It’s really not that quick, and those expecting rapid acceleration might be a little disappointed, especially in Eco drive mode. It feels nippy enough in town, though.

In all but Eco mode, the distance to empty range indicator plummets like an anvil kicked off a cliff. Battery capacity is represented in percentages, and in cold weather, this can reduce at the same rate as the miles left in the ‘tank’. That would indicate a usable range of 100 miles in typical winter driving.

When tested by Euro NCAP in 2021, the previous Vauxhall Mokka-e only scored four stars out of five.

It’s hard to know, though, where the shortfall lay, because the entire electric Mokka range is fitted, as standard, with a pretty comprehensive array of safety kit and advanced driver assistance systems. 

All models feature six airbags, forward collision alert (low speed), automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a driver drowsiness alert, rear parking sensors and a panoramic rear-view camera. 

Top-of-the-range Ultimate models add LED matrix headlights with advanced forward lighting, front parking sensors, forward collision alert (all speeds), lane positioning assistance and side blind spot alert with flank guard.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s maximum unbraked towing capacity is 620kg. So that’s a trailer to the tip rather than a caravan to Cleethorpes…

The entry-level Vauxhall Mokka Electric Design includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, tail-lights and running lights, rear parking sensors, a panoramic rear-view camera and rain-sensing wipers.

There’s also auto an anti-dazzle rear view mirror, heated electrically adjustable door mirrors, electric windows, air-conditioning, cruise control, a seven-inch colour touchscreen with DAB radio, six speakers, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition. 

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric GS trim level builds on the Design specification with 18-inch alloy wheels, red exterior and interior trim detailing, rear privacy glass, heated front seats and steering wheel, plus electronic climate control.

Add to that a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch colour infotainment touch screen with satellite navigation and two rear seat USB ports. 

The top-of-the-range Vauxhall Mokka Electric Ultimate trim level adds to the GS specification with 18-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, intelligent LED Matrix headlights with auto levelling, LED front foglights, front parking sensors, keyless entry and start and a movable boot floor.

Buyers also get electrically folding door mirrors, Alcantara upholstery, driver’s seat lumbar adjustment and massage function, wireless smartphone charging, lane positioning assistance and blind-spot monitoring.