A MOKK HOT HATCH

Vauxhall goes back to its glory days with its new ‘hot hatch’ Mokka GSE, replete with heated bucket seats and 20in wheels, but how does it fare on the road?

- James Batchelor

The Mokka GSE packs a potent 276bhp motor and engineering tweaks, which should please you if you were a fan of early hot Vauxhalls. But is it the performance halo model Vauxhall promises?

WHAT IS IT?

Cars wearing the fabled GSi and VXR badges haven't formed part of Vauxhall's lineup for some time, with the British brand closing down its motorsport division to concentrate on more humble cars like crossovers.

But things are starting to change. It all started two years ago with plugin hybrid variants of the Astra and previous-generation Grandland SUV that wore a new badge - GSe (Grand Sport Electric). Two years on and Vauxhall is cranking things up with the Mokka GSE the starting point.

WHAT'S NEW?

While GSes were plugin hybrids with a few sportier touches, the Mokka GSE is a bit more full-on.

It’s based on the pure-electric Mokka, and, in turn, becomes the brand’s most powerful electric car it has ever made. The chassis has had a good going over too, and the rest has had a makeover.

WHAT'S UNDER THE BONNET?