Sometimes I get press review cars that are rolling billboards for the model, writes Brian Byrne. With decals, occasionally half-wraps, silently shouting the name or version of the car. I have colleagues who dislike this, but I've never minded, even if, from time to time, it means me having to explain more to neighbours or people in the street where I have parked. The most recent such was the Opel Mokka GSE. When revealed last year, it was billed as the fastest production electric car launched by Opel.
GSE as a performance suffix in the brand goes all the way back to 1970 when a version of the Commodore large coupe wore it, the GS part meaning Grand Sport and the E for the fuel-injection system that offered more combustion bang. Down the decades, Opel switched to GSi and, later, OPC, to designate punchy performance variants of standard cars. Now, the E represents electric in the fast lane.
The base car is the second-generation Mokka, the B-segment urban SUV that last year was the German brand's most popular model in Ireland. A nice edgy smart looker from the beginning, it's a familiar motor, and in the metallic grey of the review car might not have stood out as something special without the decals. But some subtle upgrades of the fascia, and the really outstanding style of the alloy wheels with yellow brake callipers would have been noted by those interested in more than basic transportation. They maybe would also have spotted the lower ride height, by 10mm. At the rear, nothing much is different, except the lack of a tailpipe indicating the electric powertrain.
The inside is the same as the facelift of two years ago, with some minor details to the controls and the new steering wheel. For the GSE the big difference is the sculpted sport seats with the GSE logo and individualised fabric and stitch patterns to show it off. The driving information cluster and central screen are combined into a pleasant curved housing that keeps everything easily visible to the driver. It's worth noting the nav-infotainment screen is not one of those massive things that dominate too many car interiors. Climate and volume controls are physical knobs. Nothing flash about the centre console, which has the transmission and drive mode selectors side by side. The overall driving position in the Mokka has always suited me.
The electric motor can output up to 281hp, and with the instant torque available from an EV powertrain, it offers a 100km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds. Not supercar stuff but practical and reassuring during overtaking, and without the sound and fury of a combustion-engined equivalent hottish hatch. Again, while colleagues miss that, I don't. There's something special about quiet but fast acceleration. The 54kWh battery is the Mokka standard one, offering a rated range of up to 336km, but providing substantially less if you set out to enjoy the car's full performance.
Significant underpinnings changes help it be a sporty car for those who get the opportunity to use it thus. There's a tighter steering rack. A heavily modified suspension with stiffer spring and damper rates, and an anti-roll bar that increases rear roll stiffness substantially. All help keep the car under control in more extreme twisty road driving. A trade-off in ride comfort is partly mediated by hydraulic bump stops that come into good effect when negotiating anti-speed ramps. As always, a passenger will notice any discomforts more than the engaged driver will, and the review car's OMG! decal could become said passenger's real exclamation if pushing things on some of our more challenging roads.
There's a question to be considered if a 'halo' high-performance version of a standard car does anything these days for general sales. Are the younger cohort who used to be the flag-carriers for hot hatches actually out there? Especially when the 'hot' is silent electric performance. There are still young guys in my own locality who go for modified cars, but a key requirement is that they make loud noise. GSE is just a quick winding-up to a faster hum.
PRICE: €39,879 (standard Mokka-E from €29,478). WHAT I LIKED: The relative quiet of the swish to speed.
