First Report 2021 Vauxhall Mokka-E SRi Nav Premium 11kW

What’s it like to wave goodbye to the diesel pump and set off in Vauxhall’s all-electric Mokka? So far, so good, writes Simon Hacker.

Talk about the shock of the new. After a year of piloting a pickup that functioned on a 50-50 diet of diesel and hooch, the Ed has teleported me into 2021. So please forgive any culture shock. To be fair, this new adventure is what I asked for. Car journalists need to embrace the EV experience with 100% commitment, not just furtively fondle one for the occasional day.

In the first week, I got to know a very helpful press officer quite well. The problem: if the chicken of your EV arrives before the egg of a wall charger can be fitted (obviously you’d do this when buying one; after all, you get 75% off from the government) you are condemned to a life of driving around looking for functioning public charge points.

If, like me, you are also a fumbling idiot with apps and maps, this is a sharp learning curve. Furthermore, my postcode seems so socket-averse there’s every chance that, if you take up Tesco’s offer of a free trickle charge while shopping, your total return journey, despite shopping till you’re numb, spells a net range boost of zilch. Infrastructure engineers Gridserve appear to be doing admirable things to the former Ecotricity network, found at motorway services, but a brisk-ish top-up for not much change from £10 does shave off some of that EV schadenfreude when driving past Esso and Shell.

I am, however, keen to separate any range angst and caffeine poisoning acquired and not let it dull the sheen of this dapper addition to the Our Cars fleet. As I write, a plan is afoot for those very nice people at Pod Point to pay a visit; in the meanwhile, Vauxhall sent me an adaptor accessory which three-pins you can connect to home power. It’s slow, of course, but it’s already a game changer: I drive, sleep, charge, repeat, venturing forth with 201 miles under my belt. I feel normal.

But, of course, I’m not. EV use remains eccentric here in Gloucestershire, if not largely a rich man’s sport. Tesla dominates the show, so this striking set of wheels is a chat magnet – for predictable conversations. I’m distilling the answers into a pre-printed card which I will soon hand out, thus enabling me to have a life again. It will say: 201 miles, 280, some claim, if you drive in urbanish routes on Eco mode; about 18 hours if using a three-pin, just over an hour for 80% on a fast CCS connection; around £9.50 for the latter; for home charging, my data as yet is uncrunched. Less, though. Most don’t ask what it’s like to drive, which saddens me. We’re so dazzled by the EV revolution that such details are overlooked.

To cut to the chase, highly entertaining. If you want to out-hoon Mr Golf GTI breathing up your backside at the lights, you’ve come to the right Vauxhall. Select Sport and watch him disappear quicker than he can blush. You want to arrive at a destination eight miles down the road, and arrive with more miles banked than when you left? Simply select Eco, whereupon tyre pressure drops of 10lbs psi and a small trailer is attached, loaded with a dead donkey. Or at least that’s how the regenerative braking and staunched bhp feel. But who cares? Look at my range! No wonder all those drivers behind me are fistpumping in celebration.

More mature analysis will follow, but the novelty is still, I guess, making me emotional. Indeed, as per the travel feature also in this issue, I’ve been so inspired by the Mokka-e that I jumped in it, early one morning, told my wife I may be some time and silently swooshed off for a test drive back into the 1880s. It was intense, but boy did we bond. Infatuation, nevertheless, is a dodgy mate to objective journalism, so next month, I’ll try hard, at least to some extent, to be a Mokka knocker. I suspect it’s going to be tough.

WHAT’S HOT + Styling by Sports Direct in this specification. Loud, but it makes Nissan’s Leaf look a bit wilted.

WHAT’S NOT – All a bit bijou in the back and the windows, sadly, don’t fully retract. Thumbs down, say the kids.

FACTS & FIGURES

• Price (new) £32,435
• Price (as tested) £32,655
• Colour Jade White with black roof
• Built in Poissy, France
• Codename tba Platform CMP
• Bodystyle 5-door CUV, 5-seats
• Layout Front-wheel-drive
• Powerplant 100kW electric motor with 50kWh battery pack
• Transmission 1-speed automatic
• Max power 134bhp
• Max torque 192lb ft
• Top speed 93mph 0-62mph 8.7secs
• CO2 emissions (WLTP) 0g/km
• Range (electric motor) 201 miles
• Recharge time (7kW home charger/22kW charger/50kW rapid charger/100kW rapid charger) 7 hours 35 minutes/5 hours 5 minutes/45 minutes/30 minutes
• Insurance group 22
• BIK rate (2021/2022 tax year) 1%
• Size (length/width without mirrors) 4,151/1,791mm
• Boot space (min/max) 310/1,060 litres
• Kerb/max towing weight 1,598/0kg
• Euro NCAP crash rating 5/5
• Warranty (car) 3 years/60,000 miles
• Warranty (battery) 8 years/100,000 miles
• Wheels (Full-size/spacesaver/run-flat/selfsealing/repair kit) No/no/no/no/Yes
• Date arrived 4th August 2021
• Costs Aptiv five-metre charge lead with three-pin compatibility (£496)
• Faults None

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

• 12-inch digital instruments
• 18-inch alloy wheels with 215/55/R18
• Michelin Primacy 4 tyres and tyre repair kit
• 60/40 split/fold rear seats
• Adaptive cruise control
• Alarm system
• Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and
• Bluetooth smartphone compatibility
• Anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Automatic headlights
• Autonomous emergency braking system
• Blind spot detection
• Climate control
• Cloth and faux leather upholstery
• DAB radio with navigation, 10-inch touchscreen, 6-speakers, USB sockets, voice control, and steering wheel controls
• Drive mode selector
• Driver, passenger, side, and head airbags with passenger side de-activation
• Driver drowsiness detection
• Electric and heated mirrors with power folding
• Electric park brake
• Electric windows front and rear
• Electronic stability programme with traction control
• Emergency e-call system
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Hill-start assist
• ISOFIX child seat safety fasteners for rear outer seats
• Keyless entry and start
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keep assist
• Leather steering wheel
• LED daytime running lights
• LED front fog lights
• LED headlights with automatic high beam
• LED tail lights
• Parking sensors front and rear
• Rain sensing windscreen wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Reversing camera
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitors

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT FITTED TO TEST CAR

• Jade White Brilliant paint (£320)
• Black upper window moulding (£0)