Vauxhall Mokka GSE review – a hot hatch in disguise?

Off the back of one of the strongest eras in the hot hatchback’s history, it’s taken just a few years for the segment to go virtually extinct. What’s left is a curious and fragmented range of vehicles, from petrol superminis that don’t quite hit the mark (MINI Cooper S, Polo GTI) to all-wheel drive hatches of fifty grand or more (GR Yaris, Golf R), and increasingly, electric models like the Alpine A290, Abarth 500e, and the upcoming Peugeot e-208 GTI.

The Vauxhall Mokka GSE though is none of those things, instead joining that motley collection of hot compact crossovers that has never quite gained traction, mostly metaphorically but occasionally literally: think Nissan Juke Nismo, Ford Puma ST, Hyundai Kona N, and most relevant in this instance, the Abarth 600e.

> Abarth 600e review – electric hot hatch with surprising character

The Abarth is key here because the new Mokka GSE sits on the same platform, also shared with the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. All three use an identical 278bhp electric motor (also to be shared with the e-208 GTI, and the Corsa GSE, reviewed soon), send that power to the front wheels through a Torsen limited-slip differential, take a hefty tumble in range next to their cooking equivalents (just 209 miles in the Mokka) and feature substantially revised suspension compared to their meeker family-focused counterparts.

Here there’s a modest 10mm drop in ride height, but also front and rear spring rates that are 49 per cent and 35 per cent greater respectively. Then there’s a truncheon-like 30.8mm rear anti-roll bar that boosts roll stiffness by a whopping 189 per cent and shifts the anti-roll balance to the back axle.

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There are hydraulic bump stops too, which is wise when you consider this 4.1-metre long car is riding on 20-inch wheels, which probably need some managing. Large discs and vivid yellow Alcon calipers fill out the space at the front, though viewed in profile the standard-looking rear discs seem a little lost (not that front-drive cars, especially EVs, lean on those particularly heavily). Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 5s as standard, with Goodyear Eagle F1s an option.

The Goodyears add £100 to the price, while £250 gets you a black-painted bonnet, a nod to Vauxhall’s rallying heritage in general, and the Mokka’s participation in the one-make Opel GSE Rally Cup. The GSE starts at £36,995, though the current government grant takes that down to £35,495. It seems like a lot of money, and it probably is, but it’s about on par with a MINI John Cooper Works Electric or a top-spec Alpine A290, and not actually that much more than a regular 154bhp Mokka Electric. A basic Golf GTI is £42k these days, so that’s just the world in which we live.

Ride and handling

My drive is split between the nadgery country roads spanning Darlington and Northallerton in North Yorkshire, and some lapping at long-time BTCC haunt, Croft Circuit. In usual EV style there’s little fanfare to getting underway, and beyond some smart and supportive artificial suede-trimmed seats you could be in the shopping version.

A purposeful prod of the accelerator soon puts that to bed, with a screech on the hot asphalt and some tugging at the wheel to let you know how hard the front tyres are working, though traction is actually very good, at least in warm, dry weather. Weighty steering and a purposeful-feeling ride definitely give off performance-car vibes. The ride then goes beyond purposeful and enters the realms of unremittingly busy, the uprated spring and damper rates, thick anti-roll bars and enormous wheels reacting to every imperfection you can see as well as a bunch you had no idea were there.

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Controlling a kerbweight of 1597kg is presumably the reason for buttoning everything down so tightly, but the flip side is that the GSE doesn’t struggle for turn-in response, with an enjoyably pointy feel and little body movement. You can feel the weight, especially through direction changes, but it’s remarkably well controlled and admirably agile, if not an experience that’ll keep you coming back for more.

I’m not sure it’s possible to have a bad time on a racetrack (unless it’s 2026 and your name is Fernando Alonso), but the Mokka’s actually a bit of a hoot around Croft. Higher cornering forces mean there’s a little more weight transfer and while you can’t lean on the front end forever, and need to wait a bit before booting it out of the tightest turns despite the Torsen, you can sling it around like a proper hot hatch. It feels fast down the straights, balanced on turn-in, rides the kerbs well, and though the brake pedal feels a little soft, those Alcons don’t struggle for power, at least during our short two-lap stints.

Track driving unlocks a little of the personality that the Mokka GSE is lacking on the road, where it’s quick and effective but not especially interactive. Given few Mokka GSEs are likely to be driven on track that’s a bit of a waste, and suggests that, while Vauxhall and Opel have done a great job with this fast little crossover, it’ll join the Juke Nismo, Puma ST et al in not quite replacing proper hot hatches in either the market or our affections.

Vauxhall Mokka GSE specs

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