Vauxhall Mokka X SUV (2012-2019) - Engines, drive & performance
There’s nothing particularly wrong with the way the Vauxhall Mokka X drives, but you could hardly describe it as ‘fun’
The Vauxhall Mokka X isn’t as good to drive as some of its rivals, although it’s broadly comparable to others. It grips the road well, develops relatively little body lean when cornering and smooths out potholes and other road imperfections pretty well – although the Citroen C4 Cactus is better in this respect. In the other column are the Mokka X’s gearboxes, as the manual is a little notchy and the automatic takes its time to change gear.
Still, not everyone wants their car to be scintillating on the open road, and that’s no bad thing: many drivers simply want a car to get them from A to B in relative comfort, without breaking down or costing the Earth to run – and the Mokka X is effective in those areas. Those who do want to be able to enjoy hustling their SUV crossover down the open road should check out the Mazda CX-3, though, as that car is significantly more enjoyable to drive.
Vauxhall Mokka X petrol engines
There’s only one petrol to choose from: a turbocharged 138bhp 1.4-litre. This goes from 0-62mph in 9.6 seconds and is more than capable of keeping up with traffic or joining motorways.
You can add four-wheel drive or an automatic gearbox to this engine (although not together) and these cost about £1,300 and £2,000 respectively. The automatic takes the 0-62mph time to a smidge over 10 seconds, while four-wheel-drive reduces the time to 9.3 seconds.
Diesel engines
The diesel engine in the Mokka X is decent, even if it can’t match the headline economy figures of the Renault Captur and Citroen C4 Cactus.
The 134bhp 1.6-litre diesel has a 0-62mph time of 9.3 seconds and it makes the Mokka X a relaxing car to drive. This is the engine we'd recommend if you're looking for a mix of performance and economy, but it's a shame you can no longer specify an automatic gearbox or four-wheel-drive with the diesel engine.
