The Vauxhall Mokka GSE Gets A 276bhp Shot Of Espresso

The Vauxhall Mokka is not a car that regularly troubles our thoughts at CT Towers. It’s a small crossover of the kind that are ten a penny all over Europe, and comes wearing the badge of a manufacturer that hasn’t really built anything to make enthusiasts pay attention since the last Corsa VXRs were made eight years ago.

They might be more inclined to pay attention to this, though: it’s the Mokka GSE, and despite being electric, it’s arguably the first proper performance car to wear Vauxhall badges since that spicy Corsa (no, we’re not counting the underwhelming Astra GSE).

On the front axle, you get an electric motor making 276bhp and 254lb ft, fed by a 54kWh battery, and all transmitted through a fully mechanical limited-slip diff. Sound familiar? It’s a setup you might recognise from closely related cars like the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, Abarth 600e and, soon, the Peugeot e-208 GTi. In parts of Europe, you’ll also know it from the Lancia Ypsilon HF, and we’ve actually already seen it on a Mokka in the shape of the competition-only GSE Rally.

Still, we know from the Alfa and Abarth that it’s a setup that leads to plenty of fun, so while it might not be very original, it bodes well for the Mokka GSE. So too do the 5.9-second 0-62mph time and 124mph top speed.

Vauxhall hasn’t just chucked some power and a diff at the Mokka and called it a day, either. It has new double hydraulic shocks and heavily reworked axles, the rear one bringing a massive 189 per cent increase in roll stiffness over a boggo Mokka Electric. New 380mm, four-pot front brakes come from Alcon, while various high-voltage electric components come straight from the GSE Rally. The steering and chassis have seen unspecified tweaks too.

You’ll be able to tell it apart from the single-shot Mokka by its angrier front bumper and new 20-inch wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber hiding lurid yellow brake callipers. Inside, meanwhile, you get new Alcantara sports seats and a slightly redesigned squircular steering wheel. There’s a new GSE-specific section of the infotainment screen too, giving you info like peak G (in an electric Vauxhall crossover, remember) and acceleration data.

There’ll be more info to come on the Mokka GSE soon, including pricing and market launch date. In the meantime, where does it sit for you among its growing stable of very close relatives?

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Mike joined Car Throttle as a Staff Writer at the start of 2024, a role that sees him driving the news desk, as well as reviewing cars and (often unsuccessfully) pitching features on obscure Italian hatchbacks.

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