Vauxhall Mokka-e long-term test: report 6

The car Vauxhall Mokka-e 50kWh Elite Nav Premium Run by Neil Winn, Hubs Editor

Why we’re running it To find out how easy it is to go electric and to see how well the Mokka-e stacks up against an ever-increasing number of small electric SUV rivals

Needs to Be practical, deliver a relaxing driving experience and have a long enough range to be viable as an only car

Mileage 2050 List price £34,580 (not including £2500 gov’t grant) Target Price £33,142 Price as tested £35,230 Test range 151 miles Official range 201 miles

28 November 2021 – The Mokka-e and a little mathematical and musical mystery

It’s a testament to how impressive I’ve found our Mokka-e that the worst that’s happened to me during my tenure of it was the disconnection of my phone and the loss of the normal DAB radio station list after one overnight home charging session. One minute there were loads of radio stations on the list, the next, half a dozen, and I still don’t know where the missing ones went. Never mind, if I now have to listen to BBC Radio 6 Music all the time I suppose there are worse things. 

I’m not the only one to be impressed. My wife, not one to normally show an interest in any of the cars I bring home, even if they’re as brightly coloured as this one, commented that it was both very quiet and very comfortable. She professed admiration. 

That our Mokka-e is pleasantly hushed is indisputable. The ride is also very impressive. You see its suspension is soft, and its tyre sidewalls are tall, too. Bumps and broken surfaces, sleeping policemen and speed-calming measures are all smothered surprisingly well.

The flip side of this, though, is that it leans over in bends taken quickly and can dive under heavy braking. I would also say that it will pitch under heavy acceleration, but the Mokka-e doesn’t really do heavy acceleration, although in fairness it is quick enough for most urban situations. 

Of more concern is its range. Its official range is 201 miles but fully charged I’ve only seen 186 miles on the dashboard readout, and the rate at which that drops on long journeys suggests our real-world figure of 151 miles is more realistic. 

However, my urban commute is 10 miles, and one morning recently I started from home with a 100% charge and 182 miles indicated and arrived with 177 miles showing but, er, with only 91% of the charge left. Now I’m not good at maths but even I can see working out all of these variable factors obviously isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. If you can work them out and you also know where my missing radio stations went perhaps you could let me know?

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