Road Test: Mokka X 1.4 Cosmo Auto

This week we have the 1.4 turbo Mokka X on test. The spritely new version of the car that first came on the market in 2015 is an interesting and tempting prospect for those looking to purchase in this segment. Let’s take a closer look.

On the road

The Mokka X delivered this week came with attractive 19 inch wheels which I thought made the ride a tad crashy. On the launch the smaller 17” wheels fitted to the Enjoy felt more pliant but one has to admit the car looks great with the bigger 5 spoke wheels. Handling on the Mokka is fun and you can even get the car to move around a little if you really pushed on.

The steering on the Mokka feels light at low speeds but be aware that with the little turbo motor comes lots of torque steer that suddenly kicks in if you floor it at slower speeds. I suspect this is because the steering loads up at the same time making whatever torque steer there is more noticeable.

Fuel consumption on the automatic claimed at 6.5l/100 which is entirely possible although I only managed 9.1l/100 over the 7 days of custody.  The turbo engine is  responsive and fun to drive (with some obligatory turbo lag) that I that I had the throttle pinned to the floor way too often.  Cruising at 80km/h then 100km/h the car managed to achieve below claimed figures relatively easily.

Inside

Mokkas interior is much like any other Opel in the current range. With familiar placement of switch gear and the same rear facing camera as the Trailblazer.  The heated seats are not completely electrically adjustable, but do come with electrically adjustable height and lumbar support. Mokka has heated steering as well, but I only noticed it on the last day and disappointingly I did not get to try it.

The white roof lining of the test car made the car feel airy inside and the electrically operated sunroof was always open during my travels. The shade cover is however manually operated.

The automatic gearbox works OK but the strange button operated “manual mode” seems gimmicky with the lever being too far back to be usable.  The system requires the driver to engage M mode, then hit the + and – buttons to change up or down. This button is situated on top of the gear lever, a first for me and not a system I want to get used to. The handbrake is also quite far back and with the handbrake button on top of the lever, makes this weird trait all the more noticeable.

Exterior

The 2017 Mokka X now comes with adaptive forward lighting and daytime running lights,  and a revised front and rear design. The car looks modern and fresh, more so than most of its current competitors. As mentioned I’d personally prefer the smaller wheels but the arch filling 19” really do complete the sporty look. Mokka X is NOT an off-roader and the rugged off-road looks are just that, looks. With 131mm of ground clearance this car should be treated like any other hatchback when negotiating pavements and bumps.

Verdict

All in all, Mokka X is pretty much the 2015 model with revised exterior and interior bits. Those bits do look good though and if you’re an Opel fan you won’t be disappointed with the sizable and impressive spec sheet.

Opel Mokka X 1.4T Turbo cosmo auto

Engine: 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder turbopetrol

Gearbox: 6-speed auto

Power: 103kW @ @ 4900-6000rpm

Torque: 200Nm @ 1850-4900rpm

0-100km/h (claimed): 10.7 seconds

Top speed (claimed): 191km/h

Price: R368 100

Warranty: 5-year / 120 000km

Service plan: 5-year / 90 000km

See also:

Mazda CX-3 2.0 Individual auto – 115kW/204Nm – R365 400

Nissan Juke 1.6T Tekna – 140kW/240Nm – R359 900