First Drive: Vauxhall is back to building hot cars with new Mokka GSE

But things are starting to change. It all started two years ago with warmed-over plug-in hybrid variants of the Astra and previous-generation Grandland SUV that wore a new sporting badge – GSE (Grand Sport Electric).

That was just a toe-dip into the world of performance cars, though. Two years on and Vauxhall is cranking things up a bit – the new Mokka GSE is the starting point, with Vauxhall even using the car as a base for a return to motorsport in an electric rally car series.

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, while the exterior and interior have had a makeover.

Just like with its sporty Stellantis sisters, there’s been some engineering work to get the most from the power on offer. There’s a Torsen multi-plate limited slip differential, revised spring rates (+49% front, +35% rear), a 10mm ride height drop, new shock absorbers with hydraulic bump stops all round, a different rear axle with an anti-roll bar (giving +189% rear roll stiffness), a new quicker ratio steering rack, Alcon four-piston brakes with 380mm ventilated front discs, and GSE-branded and yellow-painted calipers.

As for the battery, it’s the standard Mokka’s 54kWh pack. Vauxhall claims a range of 209 miles, and a 100kW maximum DC charging capability allows a 10-to-80-per-cent top-up in 30 minutes.

It all adds up to a surprisingly sporty and involving driving experience, but be prepared for an uncomfortable ride and plenty of charging. On our test route high in the hills around Madrid, Spain, the roads were silk-like smooth asphalt. In the UK, and on the concrete sections of the M25, we’d imagine the ride will be bone-crushingly hard and deafeningly loud. And use all of that power regularly, and that 207-mile range will probably be more like 100-120 miles.

Yes, there’s a new front bumper, gloss black trim, and GSE written along the bottom of the front doors, but where’s the roof spoiler, the lurid paint schemes, and the badges on the tailgate? You can select a black-painted bonnet for £250, but it’s all a bit too muted. Its Abarth 600e stablemate manages to look far more flamboyant, and is all the better for it.

Surprisingly, the bucket seats don’t take up too much extra space. But, as rear legroom isn’t even a plus point for the standard Mokka, it’s just as well, really.

Vauxhall has done an excellent job in turning the pretty mundane Mokka SUV into a very decent little hot hatchback. The engineering changes have transformed the car, and it’s a serious hoot to drive. At £35,495 (after the government’s Electric Car Grant is deducted), the GSE looks like a bargain compared to its sister Stellantis models.

Some buyers will like the under-the-radar looks of the GSE, but we guess the slightly plain-Jane design might act against it. Its arch-rival, the Alpine A290, manages to be just as thrilling to drive but has the want-factor by the bucketload thanks to its heart-melting design. We fear the Mokka GSE won’t get under hot hatchback fans’ skins in quite the same way.