Vauxhall Mokka long-term test: report 2

The Car Vauxhall Mokka 1.2 136 GS 6-Speed Manual Run by Jonty Renk, senior videographer

Why it’s here To prove that small, petrol-powered SUVs can still hold value for buyers wanting to keep costs low

Needs to Be comfortable for five people and transport luggage with ease, be comfortable on long distances and function as a mobile office when needed

Mileage 3833 List price £28,085 Target Price £26,475 Price as tested £28,085 Official economy 51.4mpg Test economy 41.6mpg

24 July 2023 – Getting to know each other

There aren’t many tenth-place finishes which are celebrated that loudly. But being the tenth best-selling car in the hotly-contested UK car market is no mean feat for the Vauxhall Mokka.

Now that I’ve got a few miles under my belt with it – I can see why it’s so popular.

The car has been a decent all-rounder so far, my GS model perfoming well in most of the areas that I'd expect a small SUV to.

When I was waiting for this car to arrive, my only concern was the 350-litre boot. On paper it’s smaller than the boots you find in rivals like the Ford Puma, Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq. And because of the nature of my job – lugging around my camera equipment – I need a big boot.

But I’m happy to say I’ve had no trouble fitting all my equipment in the back. The only limiting factor I’ve found is the depth of the storage space – sometimes I’ll pack it to the brim and beyond which makes the parcel shelf pop off its hinges when I close the tailgate, blocking my view out of the back.

But come on; this is a small SUV being asked to do the job of an estate car. So I’ve no complaints on the practicality front.

As I mentioned in my first report, the GS trim Mokka comes with (in my eyes) the best bang for buck in the lineup in terms of equipment.

The thing I’m most grateful for in my Mokka in these early days with it is the “Panoramic rear-view camera”, which gives a crystal clear view out of the back, as well as a handy 180-degrees birds-eye view.

It’s a good thing the camera is so useful, though, because I’m not getting on well with the parking sensors. They are extremely sensitive, especially down the sides of the car, and after a couple of hours of town driving the beeping was so frequent that I had zoned it out. There’s no ability to adjust the sensitivity so, unfortunately, they are now permanently off.

Overall though, I'm getting on well with my Mokka, and I am hoping that, like a fine wine, our relationship continues to get better with age.

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