If you believe Opel’s hype, the Mokka-e’s ideal driver is holding a coffee in one hand and a skateboard in the other. 

She looks to be in her 20s, a little bit wild and easily able to break hearts.

Admission: You don’t need to be in your 20s. This snappy EV is designed for anyone who’s young at heart.

You know a car looks stylish when a stranger’s teenagers shout “Wow!” and wave as you whizz by. 

That red trim makes this a good-looking car. (Image: Opel)

And actually, my heart also gave a little lurch when I first saw the Opel Mokka-e. For an SUV, it looks pretty adorable, and I was smiling at the thought of taking it home with me.

There's some Alfa in there

The red detailing on the black model I borrowed gave it an Alfa Romeo swagger, and the snub nose added attitude.

It’s chunky, it’s cheeky and it’s cheaper than many a similarly sized EV. That's because Opel has just dropped the cost, making it New Zealand’s lowest-priced, top-spec, fully electric car.

The Mokka-e Sri is now available from $52,740 plus on-roads, after Opel offered a “double deal” this week, doubling the government’s clean-car rebate of $8,635 to make it a $17,250 discount.

Opel claims the Mokka-e charges to 80% in 30 minutes. (Image: Opel)

Then, after you’ve bought it, because it’s a 100% electric vehicle you’ll still be saving money as you zoom silently around the streets, having charged it to 80% in a claimed 30 minutes on a fast charger.

ICE is even cheaper

You could choose the even cheaper internal combustion engine (ICE) model, but you’d have to read another website for that: at BusinessDesk, we review only EVs and hybrids. 

However, with that one, you'd be able to joke you’ve just bought an ICE Mokka. It would set you back from $38,990 plus on-roads, with a $1,923 clean-car rebate. 

A mid-sized SUV, the Mokka-e is designed for a group of friends heading to the beach, but I reckon you could chuck a stroller and a couple of toddlers in the roomy back and do the supermarket run with ease – and in style.

It sits stable on the road, negotiates bends with panache and has that all-electric ease of acceleration that makes driving so effortless. And it decelerates when you’re not applying power, too.

However, it is wide, so be cautious on twisting car-park ramps and too-tight parking spaces.

Vizor visibility

Opel calls its front array of lights, functions and sensors the ‘Vizor’. 

Its headlamps are made of 14 LED lights that can shut off individually, which is probably what prompted the excitement as I indicated to turn left at sunset.

At night, the full effects of its "Vizor" headlamp array can be seen. (Image: Opel)

The company says the feature “radically improves visibility”, and it certainly was easy to drive after dark. 

Inside, the delightful red details continue that signature theme, and you’ll never be breaking the law if you keep one eye on that clear, easy-to-read digital speed readout on the screen.

So, range anxiety? Opel says the Mokka-e travels 363km on a single charge.

Note that your fuel bill may be non-existent, but my power bill certainly blew out that month, while I was driving and charging two EVs over two separate weeks. 

I see red, I see red, I see red. (Image: Opel)

And quiet. Did I say quiet? 

Every note of every track on your stereo is crystal clear, with only the thrum of the tyres on the road as a backdrop.

Sit back and enjoy. Trust me, you don’t need caffeine to get a buzz – have a Mokka-e. And make that a double shot, thanks to Opel.