2017 has been a great year for cars, but it just seems to be getting better and better. Vauxhall’s new Mokka X has bowled us over, in all honesty. It’s time to go properly in depth into this great new Model from Vauxhall. We’re going to talk through some of the best parts of this new model and why we think it’s such a great new car.

It opts for practicality over looks.

Okay, the Mokka X might not be the best model out this year. BMW has definitely been cruising ahead of the game with some of its newest offerings, but that doesn’t take away from what Vauxhall has achieved here. As we said in our initial impressions of the Mokka, it handles really well. We had a great ride in the vehicle, and the performance more than makes up for the mediocre interior. If you’re looking for something that actually drives well rather than simply impressing in terms of aesthetic then the Vauxhall Mokka X can certainly give you that.

It’s got a 1.4 turbocharged engine, and that means it offers 138bhp with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Essentially, Vauxhall know what they’re doing when it comes to building a machine which actually works. It might not be the prettiest model of 2017, but it’s certainly one of the best-functioning, and that’s becoming a rare thing for newer cars. It seems flashiness often wins out over sheer driving ability. But Vauxhall haven’t caved in. Take the Mokka X for a test drive yourself if you don’t believe us. You could check out your nearest Vauxhall dealers and see whether they have the new Mokka X in for you to test out first. In our initial 10-minute drive, we felt that it was a little slow to get going, but slow burners aren’t always the worst. In the long-run, it handles well, and that’s what you want from a car that you’re planning to own… well, in the long-run.

It’s a compact family solution.

There’s a never-ending amount of them on the market, but the Mokka X is definitely up there as one of the best. It definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good cup of tea. It just means that it won’t be winning any awards for ‘Car of the Year’ this year. Still, all that matters is whether it delivers on its promises. Do we think Vauxhall has done that? To an extent… yes. There’s certainly a lot of variety with this model. If you want a diesel, petrol, front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or many other options then Vauxhall have provided it all. They’ve definitely tried to create a car that appeals to many different markets, and it seems they’ve done so with moderate success. Again, it isn’t as good as some of the 2017 models we’ve reviewed from BMW and even Ford, but it’s certainly not a bad effort from the Vauxhall giant.