Paris 2012: the Vauxhall Adam

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It's new territory for Vauxhall, but on first impressions we rather like it. The Adam, a customisable three-door small car in the mould of the Citroen DS3, was properly unveiled last night. It goes on sale early next year, from a reasonable £11,255.

A riot of curves and lumps, the sheet metal is busy, and makes merry with contrasting roof colours and splashes of chrome. But on the pugnacious proportions, it stops short of going OTT. Vauxhall says there are millions of trim and colour combinations. You can even have four-wheel spokes in black and the fifth in body colour...

Main news inside is a new connected entertainment. It's just a dumb radio until you connect your Android or iOS gadget. Then it'll run your phonebook, playlists and even (if you're stopped, dummy) videos. Better yet, you can download apps to the device that then run in the car: navigation, internet radio, podcasts and more.

The advantages of having this stuff embedded in the device rather than the car are huge. For instance, you can set a destination on the car screen, and when you get near, just park and carry on walking using your phone screen. Also, you don't need to go anywhere near a car dealer to get updates and new apps.

The cabin itself is cheerily designed with decent quality materials and fancy illumination, including the option of a multi-LED 'starlight headliner', not unlike the one on a Rolls Phantom coupe. Many of the interior colour parts can be swapped out during the car's life, so if you choose a bold scheme you won't be giving yourself a lifetime headache, or killing the trade-in value later.

Design chief Mark Adams assures us the cabin and the sheet metal are unique (which isn't true of the Citroen DS3 f'rinstance). They won't be used on the next Corsa.

Engines are all-petrol: 1.2 and two 1.4s of 87 and 100bhp. Soon after, Vauxhall's new high-tech direct-injection 1.6 will come on stream, with an option of a double-clutch transmission. Self-parking is also on the list.

Never mind parking. We want to drive it, so stay tuned for our verdict in early November.

Paul Horrell

It's new territory for Vauxhall, but on first impressions we rather like it. The Adam, a customisable three-door small car in the mould of the Citroen DS3, was properly unveiled last night. It goes on sale early next year, from a reasonable £11,255.

A riot of curves and lumps, the sheet metal is busy, and makes merry with contrasting roof colours and splashes of chrome. But on the pugnacious proportions, it stops short of going OTT. Vauxhall says there are millions of trim and colour combinations. You can even have four-wheel spokes in black and the fifth in body colour...

Main news inside is a new connected entertainment. It's just a dumb radio until you connect your Android or iOS gadget. Then it'll run your phonebook, playlists and even (if you're stopped, dummy) videos. Better yet, you can download apps to the device that then run in the car: navigation, internet radio, podcasts and more.

The advantages of having this stuff embedded in the device rather than the car are huge. For instance, you can set a destination on the car screen, and when you get near, just park and carry on walking using your phone screen. Also, you don't need to go anywhere near a car dealer to get updates and new apps.

The cabin itself is cheerily designed with decent quality materials and fancy illumination, including the option of a multi-LED 'starlight headliner', not unlike the one on a Rolls Phantom coupe. Many of the interior colour parts can be swapped out during the car's life, so if you choose a bold scheme you won't be giving yourself a lifetime headache, or killing the trade-in value later.

Design chief Mark Adams assures us the cabin and the sheet metal are unique (which isn't true of the Citroen DS3 f'rinstance). They won't be used on the next Corsa.

Engines are all-petrol: 1.2 and two 1.4s of 87 and 100bhp. Soon after, Vauxhall's new high-tech direct-injection 1.6 will come on stream, with an option of a double-clutch transmission. Self-parking is also on the list.

Never mind parking. We want to drive it, so stay tuned for our verdict in early November.

Paul Horrell

It's new territory for Vauxhall, but on first impressions we rather like it. The Adam, a customisable three-door small car in the mould of the Citroen DS3, was properly unveiled last night. It goes on sale early next year, from a reasonable £11,255.

A riot of curves and lumps, the sheet metal is busy, and makes merry with contrasting roof colours and splashes of chrome. But on the pugnacious proportions, it stops short of going OTT. Vauxhall says there are millions of trim and colour combinations. You can even have four-wheel spokes in black and the fifth in body colour...

Main news inside is a new connected entertainment. It's just a dumb radio until you connect your Android or iOS gadget. Then it'll run your phonebook, playlists and even (if you're stopped, dummy) videos. Better yet, you can download apps to the device that then run in the car: navigation, internet radio, podcasts and more.

The advantages of having this stuff embedded in the device rather than the car are huge. For instance, you can set a destination on the car screen, and when you get near, just park and carry on walking using your phone screen. Also, you don't need to go anywhere near a car dealer to get updates and new apps.

The cabin itself is cheerily designed with decent quality materials and fancy illumination, including the option of a multi-LED 'starlight headliner', not unlike the one on a Rolls Phantom coupe. Many of the interior colour parts can be swapped out during the car's life, so if you choose a bold scheme you won't be giving yourself a lifetime headache, or killing the trade-in value later.

Design chief Mark Adams assures us the cabin and the sheet metal are unique (which isn't true of the Citroen DS3 f'rinstance). They won't be used on the next Corsa.

Engines are all-petrol: 1.2 and two 1.4s of 87 and 100bhp. Soon after, Vauxhall's new high-tech direct-injection 1.6 will come on stream, with an option of a double-clutch transmission. Self-parking is also on the list.

Never mind parking. We want to drive it, so stay tuned for our verdict in early November.

Paul Horrell

It's new territory for Vauxhall, but on first impressions we rather like it. The Adam, a customisable three-door small car in the mould of the Citroen DS3, was properly unveiled last night. It goes on sale early next year, from a reasonable £11,255.

A riot of curves and lumps, the sheet metal is busy, and makes merry with contrasting roof colours and splashes of chrome. But on the pugnacious proportions, it stops short of going OTT. Vauxhall says there are millions of trim and colour combinations. You can even have four-wheel spokes in black and the fifth in body colour...

Main news inside is a new connected entertainment. It's just a dumb radio until you connect your Android or iOS gadget. Then it'll run your phonebook, playlists and even (if you're stopped, dummy) videos. Better yet, you can download apps to the device that then run in the car: navigation, internet radio, podcasts and more.

The advantages of having this stuff embedded in the device rather than the car are huge. For instance, you can set a destination on the car screen, and when you get near, just park and carry on walking using your phone screen. Also, you don't need to go anywhere near a car dealer to get updates and new apps.

The cabin itself is cheerily designed with decent quality materials and fancy illumination, including the option of a multi-LED 'starlight headliner', not unlike the one on a Rolls Phantom coupe. Many of the interior colour parts can be swapped out during the car's life, so if you choose a bold scheme you won't be giving yourself a lifetime headache, or killing the trade-in value later.

Design chief Mark Adams assures us the cabin and the sheet metal are unique (which isn't true of the Citroen DS3 f'rinstance). They won't be used on the next Corsa.

Engines are all-petrol: 1.2 and two 1.4s of 87 and 100bhp. Soon after, Vauxhall's new high-tech direct-injection 1.6 will come on stream, with an option of a double-clutch transmission. Self-parking is also on the list.

Never mind parking. We want to drive it, so stay tuned for our verdict in early November.

Paul Horrell

It's new territory for Vauxhall, but on first impressions we rather like it. The Adam, a customisable three-door small car in the mould of the Citroen DS3, was properly unveiled last night. It goes on sale early next year, from a reasonable £11,255.

A riot of curves and lumps, the sheet metal is busy, and makes merry with contrasting roof colours and splashes of chrome. But on the pugnacious proportions, it stops short of going OTT. Vauxhall says there are millions of trim and colour combinations. You can even have four-wheel spokes in black and the fifth in body colour...

Main news inside is a new connected entertainment. It's just a dumb radio until you connect your Android or iOS gadget. Then it'll run your phonebook, playlists and even (if you're stopped, dummy) videos. Better yet, you can download apps to the device that then run in the car: navigation, internet radio, podcasts and more.

The advantages of having this stuff embedded in the device rather than the car are huge. For instance, you can set a destination on the car screen, and when you get near, just park and carry on walking using your phone screen. Also, you don't need to go anywhere near a car dealer to get updates and new apps.

The cabin itself is cheerily designed with decent quality materials and fancy illumination, including the option of a multi-LED 'starlight headliner', not unlike the one on a Rolls Phantom coupe. Many of the interior colour parts can be swapped out during the car's life, so if you choose a bold scheme you won't be giving yourself a lifetime headache, or killing the trade-in value later.

Design chief Mark Adams assures us the cabin and the sheet metal are unique (which isn't true of the Citroen DS3 f'rinstance). They won't be used on the next Corsa.

Engines are all-petrol: 1.2 and two 1.4s of 87 and 100bhp. Soon after, Vauxhall's new high-tech direct-injection 1.6 will come on stream, with an option of a double-clutch transmission. Self-parking is also on the list.

Never mind parking. We want to drive it, so stay tuned for our verdict in early November.

Paul Horrell

It's new territory for Vauxhall, but on first impressions we rather like it. The Adam, a customisable three-door small car in the mould of the Citroen DS3, was properly unveiled last night. It goes on sale early next year, from a reasonable £11,255.

A riot of curves and lumps, the sheet metal is busy, and makes merry with contrasting roof colours and splashes of chrome. But on the pugnacious proportions, it stops short of going OTT. Vauxhall says there are millions of trim and colour combinations. You can even have four-wheel spokes in black and the fifth in body colour...

Main news inside is a new connected entertainment. It's just a dumb radio until you connect your Android or iOS gadget. Then it'll run your phonebook, playlists and even (if you're stopped, dummy) videos. Better yet, you can download apps to the device that then run in the car: navigation, internet radio, podcasts and more.

The advantages of having this stuff embedded in the device rather than the car are huge. For instance, you can set a destination on the car screen, and when you get near, just park and carry on walking using your phone screen. Also, you don't need to go anywhere near a car dealer to get updates and new apps.

The cabin itself is cheerily designed with decent quality materials and fancy illumination, including the option of a multi-LED 'starlight headliner', not unlike the one on a Rolls Phantom coupe. Many of the interior colour parts can be swapped out during the car's life, so if you choose a bold scheme you won't be giving yourself a lifetime headache, or killing the trade-in value later.

Design chief Mark Adams assures us the cabin and the sheet metal are unique (which isn't true of the Citroen DS3 f'rinstance). They won't be used on the next Corsa.

Engines are all-petrol: 1.2 and two 1.4s of 87 and 100bhp. Soon after, Vauxhall's new high-tech direct-injection 1.6 will come on stream, with an option of a double-clutch transmission. Self-parking is also on the list.

Never mind parking. We want to drive it, so stay tuned for our verdict in early November.

Paul Horrell