New Vauxhall Mokka GSE revealed - the first proper performance Vauxhall since VXR’s death?
Vauxhall’s taking a leaf (and a few components) out of Peugeot’s book (parts bin) to create a hot 276bhp crossover with a limited-slip diff, upgraded suspension and brakes
Vauxhall has been out of the proper performance car game for a little while now. At least, it hasn’t offered anything as rowdy or extreme as the Astra and Corsa VXRs since the VXR sub brand’s demise. Now though, it’s poised for a potential return to fast car form with the Mokka GSE.
We’ve seen Vauxhall use the GSE badge recently (small e – GSe) on vaguely warmed-over products but the Vauxhall Mokka GSE is the real deal, according to the Griffin. Said to bring a ‘high performance rally feeling to the road’, it does at least seem to be more than a few flashes of lurid green and a more powerful electric motor. Here are the details.
The power is important, mind you, and so the GSE does get a bump, with its 276bhp and 254lb ft a match for the figures of its Stellantis cousins - the Peugeot e208 GTi and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. The performance figures are similar too, with 62mph coming up in 5.9sec on the way to a 124mph top speed.
More important than the performance is how it’s delivered and how the rest of the car deals with it. To address those points the Mokka GSE gets a mechanical limited-slip differential at the front and sits 10mm lower on its revised suspension, which features new double hydraulic shock absorbers. It has new axles too, with the rear one sporting a 189 per cent increase in roll stiffness compared to the standard car.
The steering’s been fettled, with the learnings from Opel’s electric rallying experience in mind, while there are chunky four-piston Alcon brake calipers at the front clamping 380mm discs. This will be useful given that the Mokka GSE tips the scales at almost 1.6 tons (no precise figure is given). Those brakes are shrouded in 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres.
True to its (very) distant VXR relatives, the GSE doesn’t bring all these upgrades without a bit of dressing-up. It’s a punchy, edgy looking thing with good stance and the right amount of attitude – helped by some proper-looking honeycomb mesh up front. There’s plenty of GSE badging and yellow highlights but it’s certainly not over-the-top like the aforementioned ancestors.
There’s been a makeover inside too, with Alcantara covering the snazzily-patterned new performance seats. The central display can show ‘GSE Performance data’ including G-force, acceleration, battery charge and more.
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Full details on the pricing and availability of the Mokka GSE aren’t yet known but expect it to healthily undercut the £42k Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. For reference, the Mokka Electric in top GS spec is currently priced from £34,280, so there’s always a chance the GSE will be cannily positioned with a starting price below the £37,000 threshold for the new £3750 UK Government Electric Car Grant. The full verdict on whether Vauxhall’s found some of its lost mojo won’t come until we drive it.
