RAY MASSEY: Vauxhall’s new Mokka serves up a tasty treat

As the May bank holiday gets underway, you may be sitting down to a relaxing spring breakfast with a fresh orange juice and a cappuccino.

Me? I’ve been enjoying a Mokka – the striking Vauxhall car which takes its name from a mocha coffee. Like the drink, this car gives you a perky lift.

In fact, so attached is Vauxhall to the caffeine association that last year it created a one-off Mokka Coffee-E electric car, providing coffee on the move with a coffee bar in the boot that housed two machines and barista-quality tools.

The Mokka comes in three trim levels, Design, GS and Ultimate, and in a range of engines: petrol (130 and 136hp), hybrid and a battery-powered zero-emissions 156hp Mokka Electric.

I drove the 136hp GS Hybrid model, which pairs a three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor. It has an electrified automatic dual-clutch six-speed gearbox.

Prices start from £29,605 (which includes £700 extra for gloss metallic paint). With 18 in wheels it’s a great drive and accelerates to 60mph in a decent 8.2 seconds, up to a top speed of 129mph. It also promises good fuel economy of up to 58.9mpg, with CO2 emissions of 110g/km.

There are three drive modes – eco, normal and sport – and the latter makes for the most engaging driving.

My lively car was pretty well-stocked, including hill start assist, electronic climate control and a panoramic rear-view camera. But it still needs a physical key to fire up the car.

My only real gripe – and it’s a personal one – was the lack of in-built sat-nav on my model. It’s available only on the higher spec Ultimate trim version. Otherwise you have to hook up your smartphone to services such as Google Maps or Waze. Second nature to many, I’m sure, but for me it’s just too much faff.

There are three drive modes – eco, normal and sport – and the latter makes for the most engaging driving

The car is pretty well-stocked, including hill start assist, electronic climate control and a panoramic rear-view camera

Prices start from £29,605 (which includes £700 extra for gloss metallic paint)

Ray’s only real gripe was the lack of in-built sat-nav on his model, so he had to use his handy road atlas

With 18 in wheels it’s a great drive and accelerates to 60mph in a decent 8.2 seconds

I resorted to a good old-fashioned road atlas. This may spark debate, but my preference is generational, and I know many older drivers who feel the same way.

To be fair, Vauxhall is simply following a trend pursued by many car-makers on their smaller and cheaper models: your smartphone becomes your mobile ‘brain’ – a real computer on wheels. Overall about 70 per cent of all Vauxhall car sales have sat-nav fitted as standard.

How many younger drivers of the TikTok generation have used an atlas? Not many, I suspect.

But wait for the next big powercut – as suffered this week across Spain and Portugal – and then we’ll see where over-reliance on digital technology gets us.

Unless, of course – like me – you always keep a road atlas handy.

Double celebration for Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce is in the middle of a double celebration week, with it having a special anniversary either side of today.

Tomorrow is the 121st year since Henry Royce met Charles Rolls, and yesterday was the centenary of its flagship model, the iconic Phantom. 

With a little help from my friends: John Lennon famously painted his own Rolls-Royce in psychedelic hues

John Lennon famously painted his own in psychedelic hues. 

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief Chris Brownridge said: ‘Phantom is much more than a motor car. It is a cultural phenomenon, both reflecting and influencing the world around it.’

Rolls-Royce has planned a series of events and unveilings throughout 2025.