It’s fair to say the outgoing Vauxhall Mokka X was far from our favourite mid-sized SUV, but from these early images of the new car, it looks like much-needed progress has come in the form of an interior tech overhaul and next generation drivetrain.
Fear not, Mokka fans, because it also appears that the new car has retained (and in fact enhanced) the easy-to-use charm of the previous model.
It’s also worth getting a good look at that front end and interior design – you can expect to see those replicated on subsequent Vauxhall models in time.
Launched in all-electric Mokka-e form
The first Mokka variant to go on sale is the 136hp EV version, which boasts a 260Nm of torque for what should be punchy performance.
A choice of three driving modes (Normal, Eco and Sport) help tune the driving experience although you can expect a 93mph top speed and as yet unspecified 0-62mph time.
More importantly really is the 201 mile range the 50kWh battery provides, which can be recharged to 80% in 30 minutes via the standard 100kW DC fast-charger.
Conventionally powered models will follow and these will be simply badged as Mokka – the additional X that was added for the last generation has been consigned to the bin. Either way, the model name is now positioned in the centre of the tailgate, because that’s super trendy right now.
Tweaked dimensions, boosted practicality
The new Mokka is based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform, which is a bit of a mouthful and largely irrelevant to you as you won’t ever really see or touch it.
What you will benefit from though is the 120kg weight loss this brings, as well as additional stiffness for a more agile drive. Inside the car is bigger thanks to more millimetres between the axles (actually, only two of them) but overall the car is shorter for easier urban manoeuvres.
Thankfully that’s not resulted in a (major) shrinking of the luggage space – at 350 litres the Mokka’s boot is a couple of pints down on the old car but not enough to warrant buying smaller suitcases.
Big tech enhancements
Dominating the dashboard is Vauxhall’s clean-looking Pure Panel – made up of two widescreen displays (the driver’s measuring 10- or 12-inches) designed to show everything you need to see and nothing more.
That decluttered look is mirrored in the centre console where an electronic parking brake and gear lever save space over their mechanical predecessors, and while physical controls remain for the air conditioning, it’s overall quite a button-sparse environment.
Other breakthrough tech additions include adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist that work down to a stop, and LED matrix headlights that allow you to keep the high beams on without dazzling oncoming traffic.
Wireless charging is supported and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feature integrated voice control, plus VauxhallConnect with real-time traffic sat-nav is available built in.
What this means for you?
The Vauxhall Mokka X was a bit of an also-ran in a hugely diverse and talented field of compact SUVs. That didn’t mean it was a rare sight though, far from it, so to revolutionise the replacement model with a (for a short time) all-electric line-up and fancy digital dashboard looks like quite a bold move.
For what it’s worth we like the design of the new car – particularly the decluttered interior that was historically a bit of a Vauxhall weakpoint. Ergonomic and easy to use yes, but not all that interesting to look at.
If all of this sounds incredible tempting then you can look forward to ordering a Mokka-e this summer and picking it up in early 2021.
