Due in showrooms in 2020, the new Vauxhall Mokka X SUV will get a fully electric option
The second generation of the Vauxhall Mokka X will be available as a fully electric model, with the British brand saying production of the SUV will begin in 2020.
The Mokka X will switch to the same PSA platform as the likes of the new DS 3 Crossback, as well as the next version of Vauxhall’s Corsa.
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Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Vauxhall/Opel boss Michael Loscheller said that development of the new Nissan Qashqai rival is well under way.
“The Mokka successor was going to be an SUV based on General Motors architecture, which is heavy and doesn’t offer electrification,” Loscheller said. “So I said ‘No, let’s stop this’. It’s a heavy platform, fuel efficiency is not good and the electrification is not there.
“We did not axe the Mokka programme, but we halted it in its current state and moved it to a PSA platform.”
The fully electric Mokka X is expected to use the same powertrain as found in the DS3 Crossback E-Tense. That means a 50kWh battery will drive a 138bhp electric motor on the front axel, which should deliver a range of around 190 miles.
The SUV will also grow slightly and offer a much more spacious cabin for its second generation; that’s because there’s a clear slot for the car to sit in between the Crossland X and larger Grandland X.
We’d expect the Mokka to be about 30mm longer, at just over 4.3 metres, but to feature a substantial increase in wheelbase (perhaps by as much as 60mm) that’s likely to bring benefits in rear passenger legroom.
Our exclusive preview pictures show how the longer, more spacious car will take advantage of its arrival soon after an all-new Corsa to offer chunkier looks that are still clearly related to those of the supermini.
Recent spy pictures of an early Mokka prototype undergoing winter testing prompted speculation that the car will be available with four-wheel drive, but Auto Express understands that there are no immediate plans for the CMP platform to offer this feature. At most, then, the next variant of the Mokka will be available with the same kind of Grip Control traction technology as the likes of the Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C3 Aircross.
Meanwhile, Loscheller revealed that while switching the Mk6 Corsa on to the PSA CMP platform is “hugely ambitious”, given the planned launch in 2019, Opel and Vauxhall engineers were already exploring the possibility of such a switch before the PSA takeover was concluded. He said: “We always said we’d check possibilities for synergies. And the Corsa would have been the fourth alliance model, before the closing [of the overall Vauxhall/Opel purchase].”
What are the best electric cars on sale right now? Take a look at our list of the top 10 right here…
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