Vauxhall Mokka review - high on kit, low on thrills - Performance and 0-60 time

Performance is best described as leisurely – even the quickest Mokkas are somewhat restrained in their offering by today’s performance standards and there's no hotter model, like Nissan offers with its Juke Nismo RS. The diesels make the most sense given their extra mid-range grunt thanks to broad torque curves, and we'd strongly recommend turbo models for anyone doing longer trips and motorway work. 

The 1.6 petrol takes a painstaking 11.9 seconds to get from zero to 60mph and tops out at 106mph. It would be fine for an urban-based owner’s needs and it is at least relatively smooth and quiet when going about its business. The 1.4 VVT turbo petrol does anything between 9.3 (manual front-wheel drive) and 10.1 seconds (auto) for the 0-60mph sprint, with top speeds of 118- to 120mph, although it’s louder than the 1.6i.

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It's soon to be replaced when the Mokka X arrives though, with a new 1.4-litre, direct-injected turbocharged engine. Performance will be similar (9.4sec to 60mph, 120mph) but the 151bhp unit should be more pleasant to use.

If pace is what you are after then we currently recommend going for the 134bhp 1.6 CDTi. It’s not much quicker on paper than the 1.4 petrol, but will need less fuel stops. Front-wheel drive manual and EcoFlex cars sprint from 0-60mph in 9.3 seconds, the four-wheel drive version taking 9.7 seconds and the auto checking it off in 10.3 seconds. Top speeds range from 116- to 119mph, but the healthy 236lb ft the 1.6 produces means it is by far the nicest Mokka to drive when you need to keep up with traffic flow.