Vauxhall Mokka X (2012-2021) Review

The Mokka X is the car for you if you’re looking for a great deal on a used family SUV. 

Sure, it’s conservatively styled inside and out and misses out on the latest technology, but it’s these factors that mean you can get a nearly-new example at a knockdown price.

The Mokka X is a decent car with enough space for a small family and has a satisfactory infotainment system that can use the apps on your smartphone for functions such as sat-nav and music playback. It’s not great to drive, but it doesn’t cost a fortune to run and isn’t slow.

The only problem comes when you compare the Mokka X to its newest rivals which have smarter looks, more spacious interiors, are better to drive and cheaper to run – compared like-for-like, it’s hard to recommend the Vauxhall.

The Mokka X is best in basic Active trim in combination with Vauxhall’s 1.4 140PS petrol engine. 

Vauxhall’s petrol might not be as economical as the comparable engine in rivals – such as the 150PS 1.5-litre in the SEAT Arona – but it’s much smoother than the diesel model and offers plucky performance. 

Active trim gets all the equipment you really need, most notably a seven-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Fancy something a bit flashier? Well, Elite Nav models are few and far between but add a leather interior and larger alloy wheels, as well as getting an upgraded infotainment system with built-in sat-nav.

The Vauxhall Mokka X competes in a packed class so you have plenty of alternatives to choose from. Fancy something stylish? Then you’ll love the Peugeot 2008, its glamorous looks wouldn’t be out of place on the concept stand at a motor show and the interior is just as eye-catching with a modern design and pair of large infotainment screens.

The Seat Arona meanwhile, serves as the Peugeot’s antithesis. Its styling is neat and tidy rather than eye-catching, but you’ll love its intuitive design, spacious interior and sporty handling. 

These are just a couple of highlights from a class that includes excellent cars such as the Ford Puma, Skoda Kamiq, Volkswagen T-Cross, Nissan Juke… and the list goes on.  

The Vauxhall Mokka X comes with a choice of two infotainment screens.

Active models get the basic system with a seven-inch screen that’s colourful and – because all the menus are laid out intuitively – easy to use. Operating the touchscreen can be a bit tricky as you're bouncing down the road but the same is true of the systems fitted to most of the Mokka X’s rivals.

The standard system includes a wireless Bluetooth phone connection, a USB port, an Aux socket and a digital radio. However, by far the best feature is its Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Here, you can use your phone’s apps – for things like music playback and navigation – on the car’s big screen. 

Skip the basic active model and you get the upgraded infotainment. Its larger 8-inch screen is slightly easier to use when driving and has a built-in sat-nav system so you don’t have to rely on your phone. Every other feature is carried over from the basic system, though, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You can also upgrade the stereo, swapping the standard six-speaker system for a Bose Premium Sound System which has six speakers along with a boot-mounted subwoofer. 

The Mokka X’s raised driver’s seat makes it easy to get in and out of and the front doors are large enough to give you plenty of access. Its seats come with eight-way adjustment as standard but search for a car with Ergonomic Active Front Seats and you get 18-way adjustment. 

The plusher seats should be ideal if you do lots of long-distance driving because they offer electrical lumbar support and an extendable seat cushion which takes some of the weight of your legs when you’re driving.

Getting into the back seat is also made easier by the Mokka X’s raised ride height which means you don’t have to drop down into the chair, so it’s a shame the back doors are tiny and don’t open 90 degrees, leaving you a relatively small gap to squeeze through. 

Once they’re in though, your average-sized passengers should be able to sit comfortably if they’re a similar height and, while tall passengers might struggle for knee room, everyone should have plenty of headroom. It is also worth mentioning that Elite models came with a rear centre armrest.

Try and stick three people in the back of the Vauxhall and you’ll risk fusing them together at the hips – the narrow cabin squeezing everyone tight – so it’s best to treat the Vauxhall as a four-seater. 

Got younger passengers? Well, the Mokka X has an Isofix point on both outer rear seats in the back row. Getting the seat in isn’t an easy job through the relatively small opening left by the rear door, but at least the car’s height means you don’t have to bend your back too much when you’re getting it locked into position.

Oh well, at least the boot is easy to load. You get a large boot opening, no load lip and the car’s height means you don’t need to bend your back loading heavy luggage. Sure, the 356-litre boot isn’t that big – a Peugeot 2008 SUV is 25% larger – but it should still manage a family’s luggage for a week’s holiday.

Got a big job to tackle? Then the Mokka X’s back seats fold flat into the floor so you can slide heavy luggage into place. The only trouble is Vauxhall's outdated two-stage folding mechanism – it requires you to lift the seat squabs out the way before you lower the backrests – which isn’t as handy as the one-stage mechanism that you’ll find in most competitors. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the Mokka X does without a full-sized spare wheel, instead, you get a bottle of tyre repair. 

Another bone of contention is the lack of interior storage space. Sure, you get a handy tray in front of the gearstick for your phone and an additional storage area above the glove box, but the glove box itself is small and so are the pockets in all four doors. As a result, the Mokka X can’t match the interior storage you get in a SEAT Arona.

The Vauxhall Mokka X was only available with two engines – a petrol and a diesel, both came with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The 140PS 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol is the one to go for. In a small SUV like the Mokka X, it has enough power to make brisk progress and you won’t find yourself constantly changing gear just to keep pace with normal traffic. It gets from 0-62mph in 9.6 seconds (9.3 if you fit the optional four-wheel drive) and it’s fast enough to not feel overly stressed on the motorway. 

While the 136PS 1.6-litre diesel has similar specs to the petrol model, the way it delivers its power couldn’t be more different. It shakes and rattles in a way that’s alien to other modern diesels and its thin power band makes the engine feel like an on/off switch – change up a gear too quickly and suddenly all your performance has gone. It couldn’t feel more different from its 9.3 second 0-62mph time.

Want an automatic gearbox? Then you’ll need to go for the petrol model, which was readily available with a six-speed auto upon release. It adds a few tenths to the car’s acceleration time, but it makes smooth changes and is reasonably responsive when you want to overtake.

Unfortunately, the Vauxhall Mokka X is one of the noisier small SUVs on the market.

Avoid the diesel engine and you win half the battle. It’s noisy at idle and only gets louder as you go faster, then there are the vibrations through the pedals and steering wheel, which make it feel like a hammer drill has been hooked up to the car’s controls. Lovely! 

The petrol engine is a lot better, not buttermilk smooth, but acceptable, but even in this format, the Vauxhall suffers from plenty of wind noise – from around the windscreen and the wing mirrors – and road noise. The latter will be particularly bad if you choose a car with 19-inch alloy wheels fitted.

The Vauxhall Mokka X was crash-tested by Euro NCAP back in 2012 (as the Mokka) when it was awarded five stars for safety. However, it’s unlikely to get the same score if it was evaluated under the tougher current procedures. 

Why? Well, because the latest safety kit – such as automatic emergency braking – wasn't even on the Mokka X’s options list. By comparison, the SEAT Arona received this clever safety device as standard – so the car will brake itself in the event of a collision. The SEAT was also available with active cruise control, which could accelerate and brake the car automatically on the motorway.

In lieu of the latest safety tech, the Vauxhall makes do with safety features that have been fitted to cars for decades including traction and stability control, as well as anti-lock brakes.

Vauxhall comes in last in HonestJohn.co.uk's satisfaction index with a score of 82.69 percent. This in mind, it's worth noting that the Mokka X's score (2012-2016) appears feeble in comparison as it lands fourth on the HonestJohn.co.uk Worst 20 Cars list. 

These cars have been out for some time now and any issues should've been fixed under previous ownership, but it's worth keeping an eye out as these were plagued with some concerning issues. One of which was the side airbags in the front seats of cars made from 25 August 2016 and 1 December 2016. It's said that these might not deploy in an accident, so it's worth checking whether these have been replaced previously. 

The Vauxhall Mokka X won't cost a fortune to insure. 

Design Nav models fitted with the 1.4-litre petrol engine are among the cheapest in insurance Group 13E. The base Design Nav with the 115ps engine beats this again in Group 7. 

If you opt for the range-topping Elite Nav, you can expect it to be in groups 8-15, depending on its specs. The most expensive car to insure is the Design Line 136ps BlueInjection, which is in group 18. 

Taxing the Mokka X can be confusing because, depending on the age of the car you buy, it falls under two different tax arrangements.

Under the current scheme (which applies to cars registered on or after 1 April 2017), you’ll pay £190 to tax the 1.4 petrol for 12 months. 

Go for the pre-facelift version – called simply, Mokka – and road tax remains at £190. As previously mentioned though - there are savings to be had here if you choose the right car. The 1.6 CDTi with 110ps lands in band B, meaning it'll cost you just £20 to tax in the first year and £10 thereafter. 

The Vauxhall Mokka X is available in four trim levels kicking off with the basic Active model. It gets kit including a seven-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, dual-zone climate control, cruise control and 17-inch alloy wheels. 

Design Nav models are almost identical to Active cars, the only difference being they swap the basic infotainment screen for an eight-inch display that has built-in sat-nav. 

Griffin models get the larger infotainment screen but also auto lights and wipers, a heated steering wheel and front seats, auto-dipping headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels. They feel a tad posher inside thanks to their ‘Premium’ leather-effect/fabric seat trim.

Elite models have the same kit as Griffin cars but have real leather seats and 17-inch alloy wheels. Elite versions of the Mokka X are the only cars in the range that can be specified with four-wheel drive.