Introduction

Prior to the Mokka, apart from the rarely seen Antara (a car outsold by its Chevrolet Captiva counterpart), Vauxhall's current line-up consisted of everyday hatchbacks and MPVs.

The Mokka is Vauxhall's attempt to appeal to outdoorsy family buyers. People who want a practical car but one that makes a statement. So expect to see lots of 'lifestyle' stuff in the marketing. Cue people on beaches kitesurfing. Of course in reality the Mokka is a car that will spend more time in the car park of the local Sainsbury's.

It's not a bad looker though with a distinctive front end that's more aggressive than the usual Vauxhall design along with a sharply rising window line. That said, the rear isn't as successful and overall there's a lot going on. It's certainly not the cleanest of designs. However, the tall shape means there's plenty of space inside with surprising amounts of room for rear passengers, much more than the Nissan Juke – a car Vauxhall is hoping the Mokka will rival.

The line up includes three efficient engines all of which are fitted with a start-stop system. There is a 1.6-litre petrol or a 1.4-litre Turbo petrol. The one diesel is a 1.7 CDTi with 130PS and 300Nm of torque. The latter two engines are available with a six-speed automatic as an option. Most models come with 18-inch alloys as standard.

When it was launched, you could could sum up the biggest problem for the Mokka in two words – Skoda Yeti. The Yeti was a better car in every department from performance and refinement to quality and value for money.

However, in 2016 Vauxhall improved on some of the main criticisms of the Mokka, with the facelift model getting better infotainment and a redesigned interior. Indeed, by 2017 we had only recorded six complaints about the Mokka yet 73 about the Yeti.

Vauxhall Mokka 2012 Range Road Test

Vauxhall Mokka X 1.6 CDTI 2016 Road Test