ADAM on a roll

The Adam looks set to become a “profitable little product” for Vauxhall says the Telegraph’s Chris Knapman, thanks to its focus on personalisation. “It looks great, all wide and squat. And the interior managed to be both trendy and functional,” says Knapman, who finds the front seats “supportive” and notes the 170-litre boot’s “10-litre advantage” over the rival Mini. “There’s a seven-inch touchscreen display to control the audio and mobile phone functions, while the heating is operated via the more traditional method of three dials. As for the options, ours came with heated seats and, the ultimate in luxury, a heated steering wheel. “There are no fewer than 18 interior panels that you can personalise on the dash and doors. You can even select backlit LEDs for two of them, plus have LEDs or prints of clouds or chequered flags in the headlining. All very funky. “The ride, on our Adam’s 16-inch wheels at least was pretty good, particularly once up to speed.” Knapman’s only advice for those “taken by the Adam’s good bits” is to “wait” until the 1.0-litre, three cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine and six-speed gearbox option arrives in 2014. “It’s hard to see how this 113bhp unit could fail to transform the Adam into a car that can stand tall alongside what are very competent rivals,” he concludes. (Link: The Telegraph, 26 August)