VAUXHALL MOKKA

As we well know, jacked-up superminis can fly off the shelves.

- JONATHAN BRYCE

The Ford Puma is regularly at the top of the UK's best-sellers chart and the nation's Vauxhall dealers have managed to shift nearly 100,000 Mokkas since the current, second iteration went on sale in 2021.

Now the Mokka has received a facelift - although it is quite a minor one. There have been some trim-level revisions and the exterior has been treated to new light designs and black accents to replace less environmentally friendly chrome inlays.

Talking of sustainability, the interior - where most of the facelift money seems to have been spent now contains hardy fabrics made from recycled plastics, an upgraded infotainment system and a new steering wheel with the same design seen in the new Frontera (which is smaller) and the new Grandland (which is larger). And there's some substance to match the style, with the materials being soft to the touch and the upholstery plush-feeling.

Head room is generous in the back, although rear-seat passengers with longer legs might struggle behind a driver taller than 6ft.

The driving position is okay, although we would like to have some more adjustment in the steering column, and better under-thigh support from the seat.

Vauxhall's Pure Panel dashboard arrangement returns in enhanced form. The touchscreen now runs updated software, and whereas before the standard central touchscreen was 8in, now it matches the digital instrument display at 10in - and that display itself has been given some revised graphics.

Generally it's a pretty intuitive system to use, featuring a shortcut button that takes you back to the home screen and - praise bephysical rotary dials for the air conditioning, although the menus do lack some configurability.