Vauxhall Mokka review

Driving position

Let’s start with the driving position, shall we? Thankfully, there’s lots of adjustment to help find your ideal seating position.  

There’s plenty of rake and reach adjustment for the steering wheel, so if you like the wheel nice and close to you, it’s ideal.  

You’ll also find the gearstick sits quite high up, which puts it nice and close to the steering wheel. Okay, it’s no EP3 Honda Civic, but it’ll do for a family SUV. 

Another point we noticed is how low the seat can go – handy if you’re of slightly taller stature than your average Joe. It also goes high up to get a full view of the road ahead if needed. 

The seats themselves are fine for most journeys, if little uncomfortable on longer drives due to a lack of lumbar support. Luckily, they’re heated, which makes up for that a bit. 

One unique feature of the Vauxhall Mokka is how boxy it is. Not just from the outside, but from the inside looking out. In theory, this is useful, but because the windows are so narrow it makes no odds. 

The windscreen is very narrow and takes a few minutes to adjust but grows on you once you’re settled in. 

Another thing that takes time to get used to are the tiny front doors. We’re not just saying this to be awkward – they're genuinely very narrow when compared to other cars in its class. Our passengers had the same thoughts. 

It's as if ‘The Thing’ from The Fantastic Four designed the box-shaped exterior but left the door design to Alfa Romeo, which is known for making comically small doors, except Vauxhall doesn’t have the ‘oh but it’s a quirk’ excuse. 

Tech and features

Tech-wise, the Mokka isn’t going to win any awards but there’s not a single piece of standard tech we feel is missing from our GS trim press car. 

The GS trim is the mid-spec version and gets a 10-inch infotainment screen, climate control, and a rear-view camera with parking sensors, as well as a heated steering wheel and front seats. 

This means it’s more-or-less all you need from a daily driver. 

What your eyes are drawn first is the dual-screen display setup, which Vauxhall calls its ‘Pure Panel’. 

There’s a 10-inch screen in the centre of the dash and a 12-inch digital gauge cluster in front of the driver, an upgrade from the standard seven-inch one. 

The main display is easy to use and very responsive, not jumpy and crashy like a lot of the Mokka’s rivals. It works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too, as you’d expect from any other 2024 car.  

But what is old fashioned is that it’s through a wired connection-only and there’s no USB-C option. Really, Vauxhall? 

Our favourite feature is that when you use Apple CarPlay, a black border around the screen appears with buttons to adjust the air-con and the car’s settings without messing up your maps or music. It’s a really clever feature that we’re surprised more button-less cars don’t have. 

In the same way the Vauxhall Adam is quirky, the Mokka’s interior gets strong red accents around the air vents that link with the exterior red lines and wheels.  

Plus, there’s some fake carbon fibre trim which actually gives it a premium feel. 

A Vauxhall’s cabin is never going to match the likes of a Range Rover or Mercedes, but Vauxhall’s done a very good job with this one. 

While it does feel higher quality than the Nissan Juke, we prefer the Peugeot 2008’s interior from the Stellantis group small SUVs. The Mini Countryman is the ultimate small SUV experience, though. 

Engines and power

The new Mokka is exclusively available with a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, offering various power outputs and one hybrid unit.  

There’s also the fully electric Mokka-e with up to 252 miles of range. 

The car we drove had the smaller 134hp turbocharged unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox – a rare treat in a modern car. 

We chose this because it’s not every day you find a manual wand in a new small SUV, and even after a week the novelty still hasn’t worn off.  

It won’t break records for smoothness and precise gear changes, so Porsche can relax in that department. But the fact it offers a tactile feel is a pleasant change. 

Thanks to its turbo, you get punchy performance in all six gears, which makes overtaking on the motorway a breeze, especially if you forget you’re driving a manual car with no kickdown that can get bogged down in gear, which is an easy mistake to make in 2024.  

The Mokka does have a sport mode but don’t expect it to add a ‘VXR’ badge next to its name. It just makes the throttle a bit more responsive.  

Handling and ride comfort

As you’d expect from a small family SUV, the 2024 Mokka doesn’t ride like a sports car, and instead feels more like a dune buggy on sand. 

Its soft suspension soaks up bumps nicely and slightly more supple than the Mokka e, which is on the firmer side due to its added weight from the batteries. 

The steering is another strong point, being direct and sharp but not too light. It manages tight and twisty country lanes just as well as cruising on the motorway at 70mph. 

Boot space

In the back, there’s a 350-litre boot which is big enough for two suitcases, and there’s a handy little storage space underneath the floor. 

But to get in the boot, it isn’t as easy as it seems, if you’re an oaf like some of us... There isn’t a button or handle like most – you can only open the boot using the key or a secret button just above the number plate.  

It's just a bit overcomplicated.  

Rear seats

Rear-seat space is a bit compromised, which is a shame because space in the front is perfect. 

If you have longer legs, you’re going to struggle to sit comfortably on longer drives, and headroom isn’t great either due to the shape of the roofline. 

You do get two USB-A ports in the back to keep devices charged up, though. 

Storage solutions

Most modern family cars don’t mess about when it comes to nifty storage solutions, and the Mokka is no different. 

With a deep central storage bin under the armrest and large cupholders in the doors, you won’t struggle to find areas to store/hide your snacks. 

There’s also a padded area under the climate control where you can store your phone and while driving. 

Safety

The Mokka comes with a host of safety kit as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assistance. 

Go for the top-spec Ultimate trim for blind-spot monitoring and a lane-positioning assistant (automatic-only). 

When tested by Euro NCAP in 2021, the Mokka scored a strong four out of five stars for occupant safety – in line with its Ford Puma rival. 

Fuel economy

Thanks to the Mokka’s 1.2-litre turbocharged engine, Vauxhall claims you’ll see around 51.3mpg. But through mix of motorway, town and countryside driving, we got between 30 and 40mpg with the six-speed manual gearbox. 

Go for the eight-speed automatic and Vauxhall says you should average 47.9mpg. 

Reliability

Being so new, it’s hard to comment too much on reliability, but modern Vauxhalls are known to be dependable cars – mostly thanks to the powerhouse that is its Stellantis parent group. 

It offers a very standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which will cover you for most things.  

Even used examples, if cared for, shouldn’t pose any worries at all. 

Insurance groups

The Vauxhall Mokka should be a cheap car to insure too, sitting between insurance groups 13 and 23 (depending on spec).