Vauxhall Adam 1.0 DIT Rocks Air

THE ADAM ROCKS Air is, says Vauxhall, a premium A-segment crossover hatchback with a folding cloth roof and, as such, doesn’t have a single natural rival. Put another way, it’s an Adam with plastic bumpers and wheel arches, an ‘allroad’ chassis makeover and a big sunroof.

It’s also the first Vauxhall to use General Motors’ 1.0-litre turbo petrol triple. Good for 113bhp and 125lb ft, it allows the car to achieve a 0-62mph dash in under 10 seconds, as well as sub-120g/km CO2and 50mpg-plus.

The new engine is most striking for its refinement. Whisper quiet and smooth at idle, it’ll issue a threecylinder warble when pressed into a sweat but only then. Accelerator response isn’t as crisp as it might be, but the turbo still serves plenty of torque from under 2000rpm and performance is accessible and elastic.

Adding 15mm to the Adam’s ride height and recommissioning the springs, shocks and roll bars hasn’t hurt its handling. The Rocks corners flat and grips keenly but still suffers from a shortage of feedback in its steering. The ride is a bit more pitchy and abrupt than a standard Adam’s, but it’s neither irritating nor intrusive.

When all’s said and done, we’d recommend the engine first and the Rocks makeover a distant second. A £13,500 Adam Jam with this powerplant seems competitive next to a Fiat 500 TwinAir or a Citroën DS3 but the argument for spending almost £17k on the limited extra capability of the Rocks seems sketchy at best.

VAUXHALL  ADAM 1.0 DIT ROCKS AIR

• Price:     £16,695
• 0-62mph:     9.9sec
• Top    speed:     121mph
• Economy:     55.4mpg (combined)
• CO2:     119g/km
• Kerb    weight:     1088kg
• Engine:     3 cyls, 998cc, turbo, petrol
• Power:     113bhp at 5000-6000rpm
• Torque:     125lb ft at 1800-4500rpm
• Gearbox:     6-spd manual