All-new Mokka GSE gets 280hp, Alcon brakes

Likely most of us wouldn’t have a small SUV as our first choice when it comes to choosing a car for resurrecting fast Vauxhalls. But there’s no denying their wider popularity – new electric Mokkas are a regular sight these days. Hopefully the same will be true for this 280hp GSE, because what we know of it so far sounds encouraging enough. 

It doesn’t weigh too much, for starters, Vauxhall claiming less than 1,600kg. The suggestion that that figure is ‘exemplary for a battery electric vehicle’ feels a bit of a stretch, but half a tonne less than a Macan is a good start. Especially with the calibre of hardware underpinning it; there’s a rear anti-roll bar in the GSE where the standard Electric goes without, contributing to a 189 per cent increase in roll stiffness. The steering system has been overhauled (though without specifics mentioned yet). Alcon brakes are included, with 380mm front discs and four-piston calipers, as is a Torsen limited-slip diff. It’s lots of the stuff that has distinguished the Abarth 600e from standard, basically, so expect much the same from the Vauxhall equivalent. 

The GSE sits on wider tracks than standard, with ‘specially designed’ axles at each end and what are being called ‘double hydraulic’ dampers. The 280hp motor (supplied by a 54kWh battery) should shoot the Mokka to 62mph in 5.9 seconds. Top speed is double that. The boring bits like range, charging speed and efficiency are still to be confirmed.

Because now is the time to ‘arouse emotions with GSE and rally accents’. Which is almost as cringe as the whole ‘OMG! GSE’ schtick, but the regular Mokka Electric is a smart-looking thing, and 20-inch wheels alongside yellow accents do that impression no harm at all. There’s more yellow inside, alongside Alcantara, a flat-bottomed wheel and aluminium pedals. No danger of mistaking a GSE for a normal one, that’s for certain.

Vauxhall’s MD Steve Catlin noted: “The new Mokka GSE brings motorsport energy to the streets. Using years of pioneering electric motorsport experience, we have put our best engineering, power, and handling into a car made for daily thrills. With its striking design, sharp handling, and outstanding performance, the Mokka GSE is made to be exciting to drive and builds on a proud heritage of sporting Vauxhalls for the modern electric era.”

Consider us mildly intrigued. Expect full spec details and a price before the end of the year.