2016 Vauxhall Mokka X priced from £17,590
A new face, engine and extra kit account for the bulk of the Mokka's 2016 update
by Sam Sheehan
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The 2016 Vauxhall Mokka X will be priced from £17,590 when it goes on sale in October, making it £801 more expensive than the outgoing model.
Read our review of the Vauxhall Mokka X
Despite the new name, the X is essentially just a facelifted version of the current Mokka. The new model's price increase comes thanks to its updated exterior, a new engine and a more comprehensive list of technical features.
Read what we made of the first generation Vauxhall Mokka
The most noticeable change for the 2016 model is that new nose. Vauxhall says the Mokka's design team wanted to create a more muscular stance, so it swapped the old car's soft face for a sharper, angrier looking one. There's also less plastic trim and new sharply angled LED day running lights, adding more class to the design.
Vauxhall Mokka 2012-2016
Vauxhall undercuts established crossovers like the Nissan Qashqai with a supermini-sized SUV of its own
The rear has seen fewer changes, but new lights and a redesigned bumper help to freshen things up, while inside, the Mokka's dashboard has been completely revamped.
Inspired by the cabin of the new Astra, the Mokka X gains a new centre stack with the choice of a 7.0in or 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system. The system can integrate with smartphones via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and has enabled the design team to remove most of the outgoing car's buttons, giving the dash a simpler, cleaner look.
The Mokka X also gains a new 1.4-litre turbocharged direct injection engine. The 152bhp petrol unit first appeared in the new Astra, and, when mated to Vauxhall's six-speed automatic transmission, is claimed to be good for 42.8mpg combined and an output of 154g/km of CO2 in the Mokka X.
The 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel units of the existing Mokka are retained with the X. They come in 108bhp and 134bhp guises and are both good for a claimed 68.9mpg combined when specced in two-wheel drive ecoFlex form. Standard fit for all engines is a six-speed manual, and stop/start technology is also available.
Four-wheel drive is optional on manual models, and it uses an electro-magnetic multi-plate clutch to offer both front and all-wheel drive modes. The car's default setting is front-wheel drive, helping to save fuel, but as soon as the system detects slip, up to 50% of torque can be instantly directed to the rear wheels.
The Mokka X also gains a few optional extras compared with its predecessor. These are headed by Vauxhall's latest LED Adaptive Forward Lighting headlamps, which automatically adapt to the driving situation. It has nine different settings that can adjust the lighting for different driving conditions, such as in town or on country roads. There's even a tourist mode, which angles the headlights in the other direction to avoid dazzling drivers when driving on the right side of the road.
Vauxhall's OnStar personal connectivity service is also available from launch, and adds a range of wireless safety features to the car. If an airbag deploys, OnStar is automatically alerted, with an advisor contacting the car to determine if passengers need help or not.
OnStar customers also have 24-hour access to Vauxhall's services, which can help with things such as requesting roadside assistance. The system's connection enables the Mokka to become a 4G LTE hotspot too, offering internet connectivity for up to seven devices.
What we need is more cross looking cars
Thanks Vauxhall. I wonder whether the new face will result in more elderly people behaving like Audi drivers? The friendly, if slightly startled looking original was much more in keeping with its Worthers-sucking demographic.
Quite a big facelift actually
New engine and a totally new inside which looks vastly better than the previous version which was lifted from the Mk6 Astra. Stands a good chance of being/continuing to be the biggest seller in the small SUV sector.
Sandancer
New dash is a godsend
Recently hired the old model in France and I found the multitude of buttons on the centre console an absolute nightmare. Add in the unfamiliarity of left-hand drive and I found the whole week stressful as even the simplest things on the car seem complicated. The newly simplified dash can't come a moment too soon for this car!