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By Jonathan Crouch

Vauxhall energises its Mokka Electric with this fast GSE version. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 39

If, like us, you doubted that Vauxhall's Mokka small SUV could ever be really sporty, then check out this hot electric version, the Mokka GSE. It's been thoroughly developed by enthusiasts. But will be thoroughly at home amongst fashionistas.

Backgroundword count: 179

Vauxhall and its partner Opel used to be experts in small sporting cars, as anyone who's owned an old Corsa VXR or Astra VXR will tell you. So when its classic GSE badge was dusted off in 2023 for use in modern day Astra hatch and Grandland SUV performance models, much was expected. But what a disappointment. No proper performance tuning, no huge hikes in power - not even much of an exclusive look. And with all the clumpy weight of a PHEV drivetrain to cart around, those two models weren't even particularly fun to drive either. But forget about that now and consider here a Vauxhall far better tuned to what a small, sporty car should be - the Mokka GSE. To suit the mood of the moment, it's all-electric, but the engineering here is promising, basically the same as we've seen in other recent perky Stellantis Group small EVs like the Peugeot E-208 GTI, the Abarth 600e and the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce. This is Vauxhall's very first all-electric GSE model. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 251

The Mokka GSE was inspired by the brand's GSE Rally competition model, which was the first rally car to be developed to the FIA's new eRally5 regulations. And Vauxhall claims the production model shares its competition counterpart's motor, battery, inverter and wiring harness. You're going to want to know about power - there's 280hp of it, a massive 120hp increase over the ordinary Mokka Electric, which is why the 0-62mph time of 5.9s is a full 3.1s faster than that standard model, helped by a meaty 345Nm of torque (85Nm more). What the GSE does share with its standard counterpart is its 54kWh battery (51kWh usable), though the range it delivers here is just 209 miles (about 50 miles less). You might hope for a more sophisticated independent rear suspension system to handle all this extra power, but the budget here didn't allow for that so the GSE retains the same simple twist beam rear axle as any other Mokka. At least the spring and damper system's been upgraded, lowered by 10mm with new shock absorbers and double hydraulic bump stops all round. There's also a wider track, bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, a limited-slip differential and four-pot Alcan brakes with 380mm front discs featuring yellow GSE calipers. Oh and the electric power steering's been tweaked. There's also a new rear axle design, with an anti-roll bar that means roll stiffness is up by an enormous 189% compared to an ordinary Mokka Electric. In short, it's all been properly done.

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