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 – and that’s not something you’d ever say of the previous Mokka. 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 either seven inches or 10 and 12-inches depending on which trim level you choose. 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 and e-208. 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 scratches easily after a while. 

Technology & Equipment

Vauxhall widened the entry-level Design trim to cover the electric version in 2023 as a more cost efficient way to get into an electric-powered Mokka, which was welcome. It may be the basic version but Design gets the PurePanel screens, albeit in a smaller seven-inch size for each, rear parking sensors with a parking camera, and air conditioning. Due to their smaller size, the twin seven-inch screens look a little lost in the gloss black surrounds, but it’s not too much of a problem. GS and Ultimate trims get a 10-inch screen for the infotainment and 12-inch screen for the digital dials, while Ultimate adds a wireless charging pad for your phone. It also gets clever Matrix LED headlights, which allow you to drive at night with your full beams on without dazzling oncoming drivers. 

The infotainment system uses Vauxhall’s IntelliLink software. It isn’t the quickest system and can be rather slow to respond, and the Google-based system in the Renault Megane E-Tech is more intuitive, but it’s good enough. The reality is, though, most owners will likely hook up their smartphone thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, which is standard equipment from mid-spec GS and upwards. 

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.