Vauxhall Adam review

The Corsa is getting on but isn’t a bad car, meaning it’s a good base to start the Adam from. It’s more than competent enough, and a sight better than the at-times uncouth Fiat 500. A Mini is still a better though, thanks to that BMW-derived rear suspension. The Adam has sensibly been tuned for ride comfort rather than out-and-out handling (it means even 18-inch alloys are tolerable) but, with quickish steering and good front-end grip, it’s neat enough. 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engines are familiar too. They’re a bit raw now, but work well enough in their natural environment. Peppy rather than powerful, we’d take the 1.4 87, which strikes the best price-power balance, but there’s not much in it.

There’s no diesel: Vauxhall isinstead has a whizzy new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol producing up to 115bhp, but also emitting as little as 114g/km CO2. It's well worth the price premium.