• Plenty of space up front, cramped in the rear 
• Average boot space
• Lots of storage space in the cabin

How much space is there?

The good news is that there’s ample head and legroom up front, and there’s also plenty of elbow room – the Mokka is a wide small car so taller individuals shouldn’t feel cramped. Not only does the driver’s seat go back a long way for long legs, the vertically challenged will find it goes forward far enough for them to comfortably depress the clutch pedal.

Rear passenger space is a point of contention for the new Mokka,. as head and legroom will be tight for anyone approaching six feet tall and the rear door apertures are tiny, making it tricky to get in. The closely related DS 3 Crossback is similar, although the Peugeot 2008 is a bit longer to help with rear legroom. Many rivals are better, with the Skoda Kamiq proving the best for rear space in the class.

The shallow side window also leaves the rear seating area feeling a little claustrophobic, not good especially for those prone to car sickness. If you want to seat three in the rear, you can, but it’s not advisable over long distances, although the seat is at least at a higher level than the fronts for a decent view forwards.

Boot space and storage

The centre console has useful cubbyholes, aided by the standard electric handbrake and tiny gear selector on the automatic versions, which save space. There’s a roomy storage area for mobile phones in the centre console beneath the air-con controls, too – and this can be used as a wireless charger for compatible smartphones in the Elite Nav model.

Boot space (rear seats up) is rated at 350 litres. That’s around 40 litres more than the Vauxhall Corsa. This is enough for a weekly shop or weekend away, but anything more than that, and you’ll be bolting a roofbox on. The Ford Puma has a larger rear load area thanks in part to a huge well underneath the boot floor.

But the Mokka is available with a height-adjustable boot floor, which adds usability. The storage area under the false floor is well sized in its highest setting, and also means there’s not much of a lip to get heavy items over.

Is it easy to park?

The Vauxhall Mokka is closely related to the Peugeot 2008, which is in turn based on the 208. So, in essence it’s a supermini on stilts, and therefore perfectly designed for towns and cities. Visibility isn’t bad, and the rear windscreen is deep enough to get a good view over your shoulder.

The rear-view mirrors are good, and there are options to add front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera or a 360-degree front and rear parking camera system. With any of those systems, you’ll have no issues parking a Vauxhall Mokka in all but the tightest garages.

Safety

• Slightly disappointing four-star Euro NCAP rating
• Safety tech in line with its rivals
• Available with adaptive cruise control

The Mokka gets a four-star rating from Euro NCAP, which puts it in line with its sister car – with which it shares a considerable amount of tech – the Peugeot 2008. That’s a four-/five-star car, depending on version.

The Mokka is available with lane-keeping assist, plus adaptive cruise control, which adds considerable sneeze factor resistance on the motorway. There’s Automatic Emergency Braking, which also detects pedestrians and cyclists, automatic LED headlights, wipers, traffic sign recognition, and blindspot monitoring, to alert you to people overtaking you.