By Mike Torpey on 2013-09-15 - Driving Force news editor and responsible for organising our daily output. He was staff motoring editor of the Liverpool Echo for 20 years.
Vauxhall ADAM Jam
1.2 ecoFLEX
Start/Stop
URBAN chic has been taken to greater heights by Vauxhall in the shape of its latest offering the ADAM.
We're talking the full-on fashion hit with this stylish city car that looks sure to give rivals like the Fiat 500 and Citroen's DS line-up a run for their money.
Named after company founder Adam Opel, the newcomer lets customers mix and match like never before, with more than a million different spec and trim combinations.
It represents another breath of fresh air for the motor industry with its prices from £11,255 to £14,000 and choice of 1.2-litre 70ps or 1.4-litre 87 or 100ps engines.
Even the names of the car's three trim grades scream out a message. There's Jam, described as fashionable and colourful, the elegant and sophisticated Glam, and Slam, which is the sporty trim level.
Then there are the option packs with a choice of 12 body colours, 15 seat designs, 20 alloy wheel styles, three contrasting roof colours called I'll be Black, White my Fire and Men in Brown and no less than 18 interior decor panels.
Add techno treats like IntelliLink, the new on-board system which integrates the owner's smartphone with the car, a new-generation Park Assist that automatically parks the car, a side blind spot alert and a power steering system including a light touch CITY mode and you have a city slicker par excellence.
Of course this sort of stuff doesn't come with base grade cars like the tested Jam model. For instance the ‘Papa Don't Peach' metallic paint job costs an extra £525, the ‘I'll Be Black' roof colour another £200 and IntelliLink bumps up the tab by £275.
But there is a fair amount of standard kit like 16-inch alloys, leather steering wheel, cruise control, Bluetooth and digital radio, though you don't get a CD player.
As a genuine three-door, four-seater there's adequate cabin space for everyone, though the boot is small and driver's seat doesn't slide back far enough for long legs.
For city or suburban driving the car is terrific but don't expect any fancy acceleration figures. In fact the 70ps engine labours to pick up its feet on anything more steep than a flat surface.
Up to speed on the motorway though it fairly whizzes along and fuel consumption is decent too - in my case averaging 44mpg in mixed conditions.
But I reckon any enthusiastic driver would be better off with one of the 1.4-litre versions.
What you get in all though is a fresh, funky environment and feelgood factor to satisfy even the most image-conscious owners.
Vauxhall ADAM Jam 1.2 ecoFLEX Start/Stop
Price: £11,550
Mechanical: 70ps, 1,229cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max Speed: 103mph
0-62mph: 14.9 seconds
Combined MPG: 56.5
Insurance Group: 118g/km
C02 emissions: 15%
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