► It’s a Vauxhall Mokka Electric…
►… but with a trick LSD, the electric motor from a rally car, and Alcantara seats
► And we’ve been driving it on the track and road
The Vauxhall Mokka GSE has done something astounding; it’s transformed the everyday Vauxhall Mokka Electric into a brilliant performance EV (electric vehicle).
This isn’t the first time that Stellantis (Vauxhall’s parent company) has managed to pull this trick, mind. The CMP platform the Mokka is built on is shared with the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce – two electric hot hatches we rate highly.
The approach taken appears identical with the Mokka GSE. It too gains a limited-slip differential, chassis tweaks and more power. The difference? The Mokka GSE undercuts its stablemates on price and offers the most power out of the three.
To find out whether it’s three for three for Stellantis and whether Vauxhall has its sporty mojo back, I’ve been driving the Vauxhall Mokka GSE on the winding roads of the Spanish hills and for a few laps of the Jarama racetrack. And to find out why you can trust our verdict, read our how we test cars page.
At a glance
Pros: Keen handling, accessible performance, decent value for money
Cons: Small boot, firm low-speed ride, driving range isn’t fantastic
What’s new?
This is Vauxhall’s long overdue return to performance cars. With the demise of VXR in 2018, Vauxhall has spent the last few years producing nicely styled but plain cars. GSE is now the performance electric-only wing and no longer just a way of badging Vauxhall’s range of plug-in hybrids. The GSE nameplate now properly harks back to the racy Monza and Astra GTEs of the ‘80s.
There’s also some genuine motorsport pedigree to add some legitimacy into the mix; Vauxhall is going rallying with the Mokka GSE in 2026. It gets better too, the electric motor, battery and high voltage equipment are shared between the race and roadgoing cars.
The GSE also gains new shock absorbers with hydraulic bump stops, a 10mm drop in ride height and a revised rear axle for some (much needed) extra stiffness. The brakes are now 380mm discs at the front with Alcon four-pot calipers, and it sits on Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres. Most important of all is the introduction of a limited-slip diff, the secret sauce that make the 600e and Junior Veloce so good.
Exterior changes are tame on the other hand, especially next to the DayGlo ostentation of a 600e. It has 20-inch alloys, yellow-painted brake calipers and minuscule GSE badging on the front bumper and side.
What are the specs?
Vauxhall has eked out some extra power to produce 285bhp, seven more than either the 600e or Veloce manage. Torque meanwhile is unchanged at 254lb ft. These are everyday figures next to the ferocious figures offered by dual motor rivals – the Smart #1 Brabus and MG4 XPower to name two – but most of these can be written off as comically fast but flawed as far as corners are concerned.
And besides, the Mokka GSE is no slouch. It manages 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds and goes onto a top speed of 124mph. The range meanwhile is 201 miles from the 54kWh battery, but it’ll quickly diminish down to just over 100 miles with some spirited driving.
It can charge from 0-80% takes 30 minutes via a 100kW DC rapid charger, while a 0-100% charge from an 11kW AC charger will take 5 hours and 45 minutes. Annoyingly, Vauxhall doesn’t quote for a slower 7kW AC charger.
How does it drive?
It’s a proper hot hatch, and a lot of fun when pressed. The steering is so much better than the overly light experience of the regular Mokka Electric. The GSE has a nice weight to it, and the feedback offered inspires a great deal of confidence through corners quickly.
The LSD helps here, pulling the front end into corners and keeping that front end nice and planted. Admittedly, it lacks the poise of the 600e but grab it by the scruff of its neck and it’ll still carve through corners with good precision. It’ll even offer a nice level of rotation from the back end with a quick lift off the accelerator mid-corner. Thank the stiffer chassis for this.
The brakes meanwhile offer a small amount of mushiness before it firms up nicely as the pedal is depressed further. There’s also brake regen, that is switched off by default in Sport mode. It’s in this mode that the brakes are easiest to gauge.
The ride suffers from the same low-speed ride restlessness as a regular Mokka Electric and if anything, it’s amplified by the larger alloys. It thumps and bangs into imperfections with every small jolt reverberating through the cabin. Mercifully for my spine, the ride gets better with speed – or maybe it’s just the freshly ironed road surfaces that Spain enjoys. The real test of the ride will be how it deals with the pebble-dashed road surfaces the UK offers. At least it’s better than the spitefully bad ride a MINI Aceman JCW.
What’s it like inside?
Very much like a normal Vauxhall Mokka Electric. So, that means it’s dark, slightly cramped but fundamentally fine. There’s a pleasing array of physical switchgear, plenty of adjustment and an infotainment system that’s simple to use but otherwise unexceptional.
The big change over a regular Mokka is a pair of sporty Alcantara-lined seats up front that I found to be snug and yet comfortable. There’s also a new screen on the infotainment screen with a G-meter, lap timer and battery temperature gauge, and the infotainment is all accented in GSE yellow.
The back still leaves a lot to be desired. It’s dark and dingy but legroom seems improved next to a regular Mokka. Those sporty front seats have space carved out of them which leaves more knee room for rear occupants. With some warped logic applied, that makes the GSE the most family-friendly pick of the Mokka range.
The boot is unchanged from a regular Mokka Electric, which means it’s a mediocre 310 litres. The split boot floor is a useful touch and helps manage the tall boot lip. An Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce has an extra 100 litres of boot space for comparison.
Before you buy
There’s just the one trim level available and it costs £35,495 with the £1,500 Government Electric Car Grant applied. This means this hot hatch is subsidised by the state. It also means it undercuts the entry-level Abarth 600e and is substantially cheaper than the £42,000 Junior Veloce.
Only the Alpine A290 undercuts it on price, and that’s a smaller car with less power on tap. It does have a nicer interior than the Mokka though.
Options are spartan meanwhile. For £250, Vauxhall will paint the bonnet black, just like an old rally car. There’s also the option to swap to Goodyear F1 tyres for £100; they net an extra eight miles of range but at the expense of overall grip.
Verdict
The Vauxhall Mokka GSE has emerged as an arguable frontrunner for an electric hot hatch. It’s just as fun to drive as a Abarth 600e or Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, but undercuts both on price and offers a little more power to boot.
Admittedly, it inherits the problems that afflict its siblings, namely a shorter driving range and a firm low-speed ride. We’d also like a little more visual jazz to match the performance, but that’s hardly going to ruin anyone’s day. The GSE has proven however that Vauxhall can still make a hot hatch in the age of electric, and that’s excellent news.