Vauxhall’s city car, the ADAM, has just notched up 100,000 European orders. The figure is a milestone for the little urban-chic motor, achieved after just 18 months on sale.
Said to have a million different specification and trim combinations, the ADAM is showing the sort of motoring allure that makes a model as much a must-have fashion accessory as transport. The MINI led the way in the personalisation stakes. A high-quality motor that is rewarding to drive, it also scores top marks on the automotive catwalk.So, a fashionista’s checklist might include her high-end bag, her very latest smartphone … and her MINI.
Or, equally, Adam, Fiat 500, Citroen DS 3.The motor certainly has eye-appeal. My daughter, age 30 and with not a shred of interest in cars, returned from a holiday with pals in France, to inform me that they had hired an Adam and, ‘It was great because it stood out from the other cars. It wasn’t boring’. So there – what about that for a slogan General Motors? The company says customers can create a bespoke ADAM, reflecting their own personality and style. Personal- isation begins with the selection of one of three trim levels, Jam (fashionable/ colourful), Glam (elegant/ sophisticated) and Slam (racy/sporty).Option packs offer 16 body colours, 6 roof colours, 18 seat designs, 44 alloy wheel styles, three printed headliners and 21 interior décor panels, to mention just a few.
Standard kit includes electric climate control, DMB digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise control, leather covered steering wheel, dark-tinted rear windows, LED daytime running lights and tail lights.I first saw the car at the Paris Motor Show (where GM had a real-size replica driving along the ceiling!) and have been behind the wheel of two examples since, the latter a White Edition – anall-white-with-brushed aluminium effect-trim version that brings to mind the iconic look of Apple’s iPhone.
There’s a Black Edition too.The interior continues the theme – the seats, instrument panel and centre console are white too.The car, sampled by Flush Magazine at a Lancashire event hosted by Vauxhall, proved a sweet drive with crisp performance.And it’s a head-turner, for the colour scheme and detailing make it a winner in the all-important fashion stakes.But if you would like something with even more presence, the latest addition to the ADAM family, the ADAM ROCKS AIR (enough capitals!) is set to go on sale as the first urban mini three-door crossover.
Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show, ROCKS AIR has its own body style, offering the same contemporary design as the original ADAM but with the toughness of a crossover and the coolness of a full-length folding canvas roof. And it’s all happening in ADAM-land, for now available across the range is a new 1-litre Ecotec direct injection turbo three-cylinder engine. This high-tech unit is said to raise the bar for three-cylinder engine refinement and packs 115PS, with impressive low-end torque.
The Black Edition and White Edition are priced at £14,995(1.4 -litre petrol engine).