Vauxhall Mokka review
The Vauxhall Mokka is a compact crossover, with chunky off-road looks and a spacious interior
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The Vauxhall Mokka is the manufacturer’s long-overdue entry into the competitive crossover segment. But with talented rivals like the Skoda Yeti, Nissan Juke and Kia Sportage all proving popular, where does the Mokka fit in? It sits halfway between the Juke and Yeti in size, with a raised ride height, plastic bumpers and a prominent bonnet that gives it a rugged, off-road look. Engine options include a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and an efficient 1.7-litre diesel. There are three trim levels to choose from, including a well-equipped Tech Line version that's aimed at company car buyers looking to keep options to a minimum. Plus, there’s the choice of either two or four-wheel drive. However, the Mokka isn't particularly refined. It also has a higher price tag than its rivals and it’s not as much fun to drive, either.
Our choice: Mokka Tech Line 1.7 CDTi ECOflex start/stop 2WD
Styling
The Mokka takes its inspiration from the Corsa and Astra, with ‘eagle-eye’ headlights and a ‘signature blade’ running down either side of the body. The wide chrome bar across the grille and oversized Griffin badge dominate the front, while the wide arches are filled by standard 18-inch alloy wheels. All Mokkas comes with protective cladding around the bumpers and wheelarches, roof rails and front and rear skid plates, and as it’s longer, taller and wider than the Nissan Juke, the Mokka looks more substantial on the road. But it does lack the distinctive styling of the quirky Juke and the more utilitarian Skoda Yeti. Inside, the steering wheel and dials will be familiar to Astra owners but the centre console is smart and the switchgear all feels well made. Large wing mirrors and windows provide good visibility, while lots of adjustment to the seat and steering wheel should make it easy to get comfy. Entry-level Exclusiv cars come with parking sensors, air-con, automatic lights and wipers, heated door mirrors, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth and a DAB radio. Range-topping SE cars also get luxuries like heated sports seats, Xenon headlights, a heated steering wheel and privacy glass.
Driving
The 128bhp 1.7-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel is our pick of the range – and it’s also expected to be the biggest seller. Although it’s not particularly refined, it is a stronger performer, especially on the motorway, where the 300Nm of torque gives the Mokka plenty of overtaking power. However, picking a petrol version of the Mokka will leave you disappointed. The 1.6-litre engine is really underpowered and would struggle up even small inclines, while the quicker 1.4-litre turbo is noisy at higher revs. Following criticisms of its ride and handling in early reviews, Vauxhall has since tweaked the Mokka for UK roads. Each engine variant now gets its own bespoke suspension set up and, although still firm, improved damping means it no longer thumps over potholes. The steering is more weighted, too, which makes it more responsive. However, the steering still lacks feel and the Mokka isn't as comfortable as rivals like the Skoda Yeti or VW Tiguan.
Reliability
The Vauxhall Mokka received a five-star Euro NCAP rating when it was tested in 2012, with a very impressive 95 per cent for adult occupant protection a score of 100 per cent in the safety assist category. Every Mokka comes with ESP, all-round seatbelt reminders, Isofix fittings and a full suite of airbags fitted as standard. Vauxhall has worked hard to improve the reliability of its cars: The brand finished 13th out of 30 in the 2012 Driver Power survey, having climbed an amazing 16 places in 12 months to finish just ahead of BMW and Audi. All of the engines have been tried and tested in the Vauxhall Astra and so should prove to be trouble free. The chassis platform is new, though, and therefore untested. The materials inside are of a good quality but some areas, such as the thin seat cloth, feel like they will wear over time.
Practicality
One thing it does have in its favour is plenty of space. Although it’s based on the same platform as the Corsa supermini, the Mokka certainly makes the most of its compact dimensions At over 4.2 metres long, the Mokka is almost the same size as the Nissan Qashqai, so there is easily enough room for five adults, with lots of head and legroom. There are plenty of family friendly cubbyholes inside, too. The boot is one of the biggest in its class, at 356 litres, which is considerably larger than the Juke and MINI Countryman, which have just 251 and 350 litres. However, it’s still much smaller than similarly priced but slightly larger rivals like the Yeti and Qashqai, which offer 416 and 410 litres respectively. Folding the 60:40 split seats creates a useful 1,372-litre load area, while the wide and low opening makes loading luggage simpler. A set of nylon tags make flipping seat bases easier, too. Plus, there’s an integrated bike carrier that pops out of the rear bumper, just like on the Corsa. If you’re planning to use the Mokka off-road, it comes fitted as standard with traction and stability control, plus systems such as Hill Start Assist – which prevents the car from rolling backwards on a slope – and Hill Descent Control, which allows it to negotiate steep slopes at a controlled speed.
Running Costs
The most efficient model is the front-wheel-drive 1.7 CDTi diesel with a six-speed manual, as it has an official fuel economy figure of 62.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 120g/km. Opting for four-wheel drive pushes this up to 129g/km, which doesn't affect how much you'll pay in road tax but does push it up one benefit-in-kind bracket. Opting for the six-speed automatic gearbox will have an even bigger effect on these figures, at 53.3mpg and 139g/km, as only the manual models come with a fuel-saving stop-start system. The petrols are much more expensive to run, with the 1.4-litre turbo emitting 149g/km and returning 44.1mpg. The entry-level 1.6-litre petrol manages just 43.5mpg and 153g/km and can only be had with a rather dated five-speed manual gearbox. Servicing and insurance costs should be reasonable, though, and as with all new Vauxhalls, it comes with a 100,000-mile warranty.
Disqus - noscript
Some of us don't expect our suv to perform like a ferarri
Having had a test drive, i could not disagree more with your review.
Can we have someone other than a boy racer reviewing this car. my score 4.5 overall
Another in the deluge of SUVs
I think Mokka looks nice and should be more practical in terms of passenger and luggage space. Better than the radically styled Juke. Engine line-up does not seem impressive. Neither powerful, not particularly clean. But most of these tried and trusted engines may just be adequate to haul this car around.
My husband and I have been looking for a while for cars and this took us completly by surprise. We test drove the 1.6 petrol and hubby loved it, very spacious and yet still designed not to be a hairdressers car. We both wanted something we would both like to drive yet that was not a tank.
People are rating the diesel but are they taking into account that all diesel cars, now have to do at least 20,000 miles a year as the new convertors inbuilt in them need to burn off the rubbish in the diesel after set temp. (by the way the cost of replacement for this convertor if you do not cover the miles as they do break and block is around est £1800 ouch!)
Also Mokka does not come with a spare tyre - you are best to buy one on the day as its a third of the price, of course they do supply you with the flat foam but that is it. Best to look into.
Another thing to watch out for is if you would like to buy the cameras for the frount and rear of the car you would also have to buy the inbuilt GPS as they need the screen for the cameras to work.
Other then that we loved the car and could not disagree with the review.
Diesel particulate filters.
Dual mass fly-wheels.
And you people are still recommending diesels??
Why, oh why are all these "mini SUV's" so appallingly ugly? Were the stylists hungover on the day they produced this and the horrid Nissan Joke??
And it's Eurojunk!
I don't believe anyone who buys these cars cares about driving. engines, steering or ride comfort or anything else except possibly the price of diesel, the tax disc price and possibly the price of a service...why waste your time? Best you can say is if you like the look of it then but it.
what's with all the negativity in a few of the comments? I drove one of these yesterday and was more than surprised. Handles well, comfortable. I cant understand come of the comments 'Eurojunk' etc. how does that help anyone. People come on here to get a review and perhaps some feedback from people who have driven or own said vehicles. Why even bother commenting if it adds nothing to the review.
I enjoyed the drive in the car - the 1.7D I drove is much, much quieter that the VW 1.9tdi that I own. The wheels are enormous 18" (thinking of replacing these in your overall running costs), the steering gave good feedback which I enjoyed. This appears to me like a really good value car with lots of space and toys for the driver. I would like to own one! (warranty seems great too!)
Vauxhall Mokka is much nicer than Nissan Juke or Chevrolet Trax.
It looks as ugly in the flesh as it does in the pictures. Not for me at all.
what do you mean? It's made in Korea so If it's eurojunk because its sold in Eurpoe then that is a real foolish remark