Vauxhall has high hopes for its sub-compact SUV, and those in the market for such a vehicle won't be disappointed
The new Vauxhall Mokka, sister car of the Chevrolet Trax, left flank of GM’s small car pincer movement and, if the hype is to be believed, the preordained second biggest retail seller in the brand’s UK line-up by this time next year.Big boots for a sub compact SUV to fill, then, but the Mokka is plodding up the tyre tracks laid by the Skoda Yeti and the Nissan Juke, and Europe’s thirst for tiny soft-roader chic apparently grows quicker than giant kelp.Consequently there’s room for some significant differentiation between this model and its overseas cousins (the Buick Encore is also closely related). First, and most noticeably, Vauxhall design cues are now prevalent in a restyled body shell, and the innards have been swapped out for the firm’s familiar interior look.Underneath, the Gamma II platform sits unaltered, but the European engineers have been given space to tinker liberally with the running gear. Suspension mounts, bushes, damper and spring rates have all been shifted, replaced or retuned for a revised character. The electric power steering has also been reprogrammed with greater directness in mind.Nevertheless, some of the ruggedness so important to other parts of the world arrives in the Mokka, too. Along with the front-wheel-drive version, an AWD car will be offered which uses an electromagnetic clutch to send as much as 50 per cent of the torque to the rear axle when a control module deems it necessary. The new model also comes with a Descent Control System and Hill Start Assist as standard across all four trim levels (S, Exclusiv, Tech Line and SE). Admirably, even the entry-level car gets digital radio and cruise control, but dual-zone climate control, USB socket, Bluetooth connectivity and parkings sensors are saved for the mid-spec offering where British buyers are likely to start shopping.Three engines (shared between the brands) are available: two petrols — a 113bhp 1.6-litre and a 138bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre — and one diesel, the 128bhp 1.7-litre CDTi. The less powerful petrol unit (mated to a five-speed manual) kicks off the range at £15,995, but we drove the likely much more popular diesel engine, with a six-speed gearbox, in front-drive guise.
Vauxhall has high hopes for its sub-compact SUV, and those in the market for such a vehicle won't be disappointed
The new Vauxhall Mokka, sister car of the Chevrolet Trax, left flank of GM’s small car pincer movement and, if the hype is to be believed, the preordained second biggest retail seller in the brand’s UK line-up by this time next year.Big boots for a sub compact SUV to fill, then, but the Mokka is plodding up the tyre tracks laid by the Skoda Yeti and the Nissan Juke, and Europe’s thirst for tiny soft-roader chic apparently grows quicker than giant kelp.Consequently there’s room for some significant differentiation between this model and its overseas cousins (the Buick Encore is also closely related). First, and most noticeably, Vauxhall design cues are now prevalent in a restyled body shell, and the innards have been swapped out for the firm’s familiar interior look.Underneath, the Gamma II platform sits unaltered, but the European engineers have been given space to tinker liberally with the running gear. Suspension mounts, bushes, damper and spring rates have all been shifted, replaced or retuned for a revised character. The electric power steering has also been reprogrammed with greater directness in mind.Nevertheless, some of the ruggedness so important to other parts of the world arrives in the Mokka, too. Along with the front-wheel-drive version, an AWD car will be offered which uses an electromagnetic clutch to send as much as 50 per cent of the torque to the rear axle when a control module deems it necessary. The new model also comes with a Descent Control System and Hill Start Assist as standard across all four trim levels (S, Exclusiv, Tech Line and SE). Admirably, even the entry-level car gets digital radio and cruise control, but dual-zone climate control, USB socket, Bluetooth connectivity and parkings sensors are saved for the mid-spec offering where British buyers are likely to start shopping.Three engines (shared between the brands) are available: two petrols — a 113bhp 1.6-litre and a 138bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre — and one diesel, the 128bhp 1.7-litre CDTi. The less powerful petrol unit (mated to a five-speed manual) kicks off the range at £15,995, but we drove the likely much more popular diesel engine, with a six-speed gearbox, in front-drive guise.