Vauxhall Mokka Electric Review

​Practicality and boot space

Space up front in the Vauxhall Mokka Electric is good. That slightly higher ride height compared to an equivalent Vauxhall Corsa Electric gives you a good view out, however space in the back isn’t as roomy as it should be. If you need to carry passengers that are taller than 5’8” then they’ll likely complain on longer journeys as their knees will be pressed into the backs of the front seats, and headroom is a little tight. You can squeeze three passengers in the back if they’re very friendly with each other, but probably only for shorter trips. 

Move around to the boot, and it is usefully bigger than a traditional ‘supermini’ hatchback and has a removable floor panel (on top-spec Ultimate) which makes hiding valuables and charge cables easy. It’s not quite as big as a car like the Nissan Leaf or Volkswagen ID.3 though, and these cars will make more sense if your kids are nearer teen than toddler. One thing to note is that you cannot order a space-saver spare wheel as the Mokka’s electric powertrain robs the space where one would be stored.

Interior & Design

Vauxhall has really upped its game with design in recent years. The exterior look of the Mokka, in particular, means you’ll likely choose it simply because of how good it looks. I particularly like that bright green! Sure, I'd say that the Renault 4 looks even cooler, but the Mokka is certainly a smart car. The sharp design continues inside and there’s real substance behind the modern look as there’s plenty of nice feeling materials used for the dashboard and doors. The quality doesn’t continue into the rear, though, which is a shame as the plastics in the back are scratchy and feel cheap. 

Dashboard

The Mokka Electric was the first Vauxhall to get the company’s new ‘PurePanel’ display – that’s the touchscreen and dials joined together to make one big display – and comes in a 10-inch readout regardless of which trim you choose. It uses Vauxhall’s IntelliLink software, which isn’t the quickest system and can be rather slow to respond. The Google-based system in the Renault 4 is more intuitive, and the systems in the Hyundai Kona and Kia EV3 are also more user friendly, but the Vauxhall's infotainment is good enough and I like that the air-con buttons are separate!  ​

The rest of the dashboard design is smart and modern and it feels far more finished than the Corsa’s and isn’t quite as divisively-modern as the Peugeot E-2008. One thing we really like is the addition of shortcut buttons for the touchscreen menus, and proper knobs for the climate control system – it’s much easier to make minor adjustments to the temperature when driving. The centre console is covered in shiny ‘piano’ black plastic, which looks great when the car is brand new but marks easily after a while. 

Technology & Equipment

Vauxhall has introduced a new, entry-level Griffin trim in recent years, and has updated the rest of the trim range so that more expensive trim levels include GS and top-spec Ultimate. It may be the basic version but Griffin still gets the 'PurePanel' touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, a contrasting black roof, heated seats and steering wheel, air conditioning and cruise control. The Mokka makes most sense when in this trim. 

GS adds bigger wheels, reversing camera and the 'Intelli-Lamps' fully adaptive LED headlights, while Ultimate gets electric driver's lumbar adjustment with massage function, keyless entry and go, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning and semi-autonomous parking function. 

The sporty Vauxhall Mokka GSE is the electric hot hatch variant, and stands as its own trim with loads of style kit and interior upgrades including sports seats. 

Safety

Every Vauxhall Mokka Electric comes with a suite of safety tech, including lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and driver drowsiness alert. Top-drawer Ultimate models add blind spot monitoring – which alerts you if a car is in your blind spot – and adaptive cruise control. Independent crash testers Euro NCAP gave the Mokka a four-star rating when it tested the car in 2021. It received scores of 73% for adult occupant protection and 75% for child occupant protection, as well as a 64% rating for its standard safety assistance technology. It missed out on the full five-star rating due to not having automatic emergency braking for cyclist protection and no centre airbag.