Vauxhall Mokka Exclusiv 1.4 16v Turbo S/S 4x4 5dr Car Review - July 2012

The Mokka Exclusiv 1.4 16v Turbo S/S 4x4 is fitted with Vauxhall's 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine which develops 138bhp and 108lb-ft of torque. It's a good engine offering plenty of pull, and it's capable of hauling the Mokka from 0-60mph in 9.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 116mph.

Under normal conditions, the Mokka sends its power to the front wheels; however, when the going gets tough, up to 50% of the engine's torque can be sent to the rear wheels, making the Mokka a capable off-roader.

The ride manages to be firm without being uncomfortable and this makes the Mokka a comfortable place to sit; however, the steering is very vague and inconsistent. Body roll is kept to a minimum through the corners.

The Mokka is by no means an ugly car -- it's a beauty compared to the hideous Nissan Juke -- but we think it's a little anonymous and bland. Inside, it's a pleasant place to be thanks to the use of high quality materials.

The Mokka Exclusiv is a middle-of-the range model, sitting between the lowly S trim and the more upmarket SE models. As such, you get alloys, climate control, electric windows all-round, cruise control, rear parking sensors, and a CD player with Bluetooth and iPod connectivity.

There's plenty of space in the Mokka and the boot is a decent size at 362-litres, making it a practical proposition. There are also plenty of cubby holes for storing things in the cabin.

EuroNCAP has yet to test the Mokka but it feels solidly built and comes with a surfeit of airbags. Cars with a high driving position like the Mokka tend to be safer too, and we'd be very surprised if the Mokka failed to score the full five-star NCAP rating.

Vauxhall doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to reliability -- the Corsa, for example, fared poorly in the last J D Power survey -- but the Mokka will be available with Vauxhall's impressive lifetime 100,000 mile warranty, which should give you peace of mind.

The Mokka has a relatively high list price at £20,200 but it should be easy to negotiate a hefty discount, making it better value than the Skoda Yeti, if not quite as good value as Nissan's Juke.

The Mokka's petrol engine is not particularly efficient but, given the car's size, this is partly to be expected. Vauxhall quotes a figure of 44.8mpg on the combined cycle and you should get fairly close to this. CO2 emissions of 149g/km mean that the 1.4 is the less polluting of the two petrol engines; however, this still pushes the Mokka into a relatively high VED band: F.