2015 Opel Adam
Named after the company’s founder, the Opel Adam has been touted by its marketing agency as the most customisable car currently on sale in South Africa. To now encourage its buyers to tick a whirlwind of visually dramatic accessories is a somewhat high stakes gambit for a brand that has traditionally been rooted in its conservative offerings. Such a radical departure from their usual corporate identity could be unscientifically gauged by the number of perplexed onlookers (those still left in Johannesburg over Christmas) as they hunted furiously for the badge before nodding in approval.
Much has been promised of Opel’s resurgence since falling under General Motors but there’s been nothing of the against-the-grain catchiness that the Adam so vibrantly represents. The next generation Corsa will to some extent try mimic this but will predominantly leave the Opel Adam to lure sales away from Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 while it guns after the Polo and Fiesta.
The Adam epitomises everything cool about downsizing. Ours in a shade of dark blue with splashes of white appeared positively plucky with the wide, squat stance enabled by the considerably over-tyred 17-inch wheels. Here’s a package that doesn’t rely on cartoonish graphics or chrome garnish to get noticed; instead created by a team with their finger firmly on the pulse with what today’s young and trendy buyers demand. Our middle-spec Jam model – Glam being the flagship with panoramic roof and interior mood lighting – left very little to be desired inside and out.
Besides vast personalisation, and the chance to be the mastermind behind it, technology scores highly on any young and savvy person’s mind which is why the Opel IntelliLink system can be described as a 7-inch smartphone integrated with the centre console. Aside from the normal entertainment and convenience features, in principle it allows users to link applications from their phone to the car’s touchscreen, thereby adding the latest third-party features and software for far less money – unless you deplete your data bundle that is.
Seating position is somewhere between the lofty position forced upon by the Fiat 500 and the chassis-hugging backbone afforded by the Mini Cooper. More steering wheel adjustment would have been welcomed and getting behind it requires one to clamber their way across the heavily-bolstered seats. A City mode promises to lighten the steering effort required but with it off the Opel Adam is hardly what we’d label as cumbersome with parking sensors being more of a beeping nuisance than a necessity.
Judging from outside dimensions, maximising interior roominess between the axles was always going to pose a challenge. Even with the front seat positioned quite a long way forward on their rails, rear space will be met with a grimace from fellow passengers until both driver and passenger are squashed up against the windscreen. We’d accept this as a trade-off for an adequately-sized boot but the Adam’s tiny 170-litre boot will require frequent use of the 60/40 folding split.
Although we didn’t have a chance to sample the 1.4-litre normally aspirated engine fitted to the base Adam the figures emphatically imply that the motor of choice is the more powerful, more efficient, 1.0-litre turbo triple. Bigger not being better. This capacity and cylinder count is fast becoming the power unit of preference for city mobility and what it concedes in kilowatts to the Ford’s similar sized unit it glosses over with a smoothness that defies the typical 3-cylinder lumpiness. Like all small engines it requires a burst of revs and a slow clutch release from standstill but when on the move it breezes through the six forward gears with ample tempo. Foot pressed hard down on the aluminium throttle pedal and the Opel Adam will convert all of the available 85kW and 170Nm into a 0-100km/h time in a fraction under 10 seconds and continue onto a top speed of 196km/h.
We’re also pleased to report that the revised Opel gearbox, a usual gripe, now seems to snick through cogs with more precision. Less convincing was the fuel consumption which despite leaving it in default ECO mode (the only discernible difference being Start/Stop) we averaged a sadly wayward-of-claim 7.2l/100km.
There’s much to like about the new Opel Adam’s feel-good nature that instantly endears itself to the nonconforming socialites of the world who are looking for a car that stands apart from the similarly-priced mainstream rivals bound to rental services. Perhaps more importantly the Adam brings a sprinkle of optimism to the Opel brand as the debut of the 1.0-litre turbo engine will surely increase the feasibility of new models as Opel attempt make up lost ground on its rivals. Not perfect but Mr Adam Opel would be very proud indeed.
Pricing is expected to start from R190 000 up to R225 000
Read SACarFan earlier insights on the Opel Adam here: http://www.sacarfan.co.za/2013/08/opel-adam-to-join-three-cylinder-turbo-club/
