Opel’s GSE badge has always signalled everyday performance you can use. Those of a certain vintage will recall when the letters first appeared in the seventies and eighties on fast road cars that paired lively power with spacious comfort. In the electric era Opel has now revived GSE as a promise of high performance in series production, and the first model to carry that promise is the Mokka GSE. It borrows engineering and spirit from the brand’s electric rally programme and aims to bring a little special-stage theatre to your daily commute. The first thing we noticed was the styling and I think it’s safe to say, the visuals leave no doubt about this vehicles intent. The GSE treatment sharpens the familiar Mokka lines with motorsport-inspired inserts for the front apron and rear, new aerodynamically optimised twenty-inch alloys wrapped in glorious Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres. Giant yellow four-piston brake callipers peer through the spokes at the front whilst yellow and black GSE lettering looks great on the grille and side flanks. It looks like it means business without shouting about it, if that makes sense!
Inside, the sporty theme continues. Comfortable Alcantara performance seats with integrated headrests hold you in place and a white centre stripe with yellow stitching adds just enough sportiness. The flat-topped and bottomed steering wheel is paired with a revised steering system that gives direct feedback without jitter. Aluminium pedals sit ready for heel-and-toe style inputs even though there are no gears to rattle through! The digital cockpit has been tailored for the GSE with a ten-inch driver display and central touchscreen that can show G-force, acceleration times and battery management data, alongside navigation and media. Everyday comfort has not been forgotten either. Wireless phone charging is standard, there is multi-stage heating for the front seats and a heated steering wheel, along with the usual phone mirroring that works wirelessly. Safety and assistance technology read like a modern checklist as expected. The glare-free Intelli-Lux matrix headlights are fitted for excellent night time vision and you can expect automatic speed assistant, active lane keeping, and a 180-degree rear-view camera to take the strain out of tight parking. The usual suite of airbags and active systems come as a backstop.
So let’s get down to the business end and the headline numbers are strong! Peak output stands at 281hp, with 345 Nm of torque delivered without delay. Opel quotes 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds making this the fastest all-electric series-production Opel. Three driving modes are available to play with. Sport unlocks the full power and tightens responses, Normal eases the edges for everyday use and runs up to 180 km/h, while Eco pulls back the power and climate settings to stretch range. Energy is stored in a 54 kWh lithium-ion battery, a pack familiar from the rally prototype. There is a Torsen multi-plate limited-slip differential to help you find traction on corner exit, and the suspension has been reworked with newly specified axles and hydraulic dampers. Steering and braking are tuned for a more engaging feel, again drawing on Opel’s experience with the Corsa Rally Electric and the Mokka GSE Rally. Kerb weight remains under 1.6 tonnes, which helps the car change direction cleanly and recover composure quickly when you ask a lot of it.
Our test drive began on billiard-smooth roads that sweep from the city of Madrid towards the mountains before looping back to Circuito del Jarama. The route showed two sides of the new car. On the motorway the Mokka GSE settles quickly, the steering calm and the cabin quiet, with only a hint of road noise. Out on the climb the extra power is immediate. The powertrain feels keener than a regular Mokka E and the chassis stays tidier over compressions and mid-corner bumps. Back at Jarama we could really lean on it and the transformation became clear. The GSE badge is not just decoration, the performance changes give the car a more aggressive character without turning it into something hard to drive or tiring! It just forces a wry smile on your face. Speaking of smiles, we were also afforded the opportunity to take a passenger ride in full FIA spec GSE Rally.
This machine was exhilarating with proper sideways action, tyre scrabble, and clever simulated sound that makes electric motorsport feel every bit as visceral as the petrol stuff. Based on the road-going Mokka, the GSE Rally also has 281hp and 345 Nm, putting it on Rally4 pace. A racing gearbox, multi-plate limited-slip diff, reinforced shafts, hubs, and Bilstein rally suspension delivers brutal drive and precision. With no ABS, ESP or traction control, the car is gloriously analogue to get a spin in. The 54 kWh battery is production-spec, managed for efficiency and consistency over stages, and the safety kit is serious with FIA-certified cage, six-point belts, battery encapsulation, underride guard, auto high-voltage shutdown, and a fire system. As the first rally car built to FIA eRally5 rules it certainly proves EV rallying is fast, tough and huge fun!
Getting back to normal GSE, prices for Ireland have yet to be finalised, although dealers are already reporting interest. That’s probably not surprising given the following the GSE badge enjoys! The original point of GSE was to make performance part of everyday life rather than an occasional treat. In electric form the Mokka GSE honours that idea. It looks the part, goes hard when you ask it to, and settles back into the background when you just need to get home from the school run. If Opel can keep the Irish pricing competitive, the car should find a number of buyers who want a compact electric crossover with genuine handling and performance!
