The new trendsetter – ADAM

The sales manager have not even driven it. And well first impressions are – delightful and a valued addition to the supermini segment. Here’s my short two cents’ worth.
The ADAM is, according to Opel, a new personification of the brand’s product onslaught in the market and, with many options to personalise the car to suit your style and preferences, I am of the opinion that market will buy into this car – not necessarily in large numbers, but it will. It is a niche product – not unlike the Fiat 500 and others.
It will be available in three derivatives – ADAM, ADAM JAM and ADAM GLAM and each model will offer a comprehensive list of factory-fitted customise options and exterior paint colours. So – if you consider yourself a trendsetter – young, single and the rest – then you have to consider inviting ADAM to partner with you. If ever there was an ADAM with a spunky and vibrant design, and one that will allow you to fine-tune him even more – this is it. He is willing to wear more than one tone on the exterior and will also not object to you fitting him with a different colour underwear (interior) fittings either. Can a girl ask for more?

Performance
The entry-level model comes with a 1,4-litre Ecotec engine delivering 74kWand 130Nm linked to five-speed manual gearbox. The JAM and GLAM are kitted with a 1.0-litre turbocharged ecoFLEX three cylinder which boasts 85kW and 170Nm, which will power the little car from 0-100km/h in 9,9 seconds – which, in my book, is not shabby at all. The complete acceleration experience will have you thinking that you are in fact, accelerating faster than this. It will, immediately, once seated, impress you with its solid and quality feel – from the steering right down to you rear end which sits comfortable in a bucket-like seat.

The interior is distinctly upmarket and the coloured inserts on the fascia immediately lift one’s spirit to remind you, if you are as matured as I am, of the days when you sprayed your Datsun 140Y with dual colours – yes, we did – Opel will, however, now do it for you when you order the car.

Usually with these small cars, the A-pillar offers somewhat of challenge in terms of inhibiting visibility but not on the ADAM though – so congratulations to the designers for their forward-thinking when designing the little car. Both front and rear-end is quiet attractive but the butt-end, is certainly more cheeky than the rest. With the wheels right in the four corners of the ADAM, expect serious nippiness in tight driving and corners.
The ADAM offers a “festive” of technology. The latter includes ecoFLEX Drive Assist (this monitors energy consumption by on-board equipment), City Mode Steering, Opel’s Intellilink infotainment system (standard in all models), which features a high-definition touch screen, BringGo navigation, and much more inclusive of ABS with EBD, BAS, ESP, HILL Start Assist and Side Blind Zone Alert. He is truly loaded… this one.

My test drive certainly left me impressed and getting back in my Figo was like not, Back to the Future although, I do prefer the spaciousness of my little five door. Let me me tell you that there is, like, no legroom in the rear of the ADAM. So, once it has convinced you that he/she/it should be your partner, you can choose between options The Greyfather, James Blond, I’ll be Black, Silverwalker and others to differentiate your ADAM so as to never get lost among all the other blondes or whatever.
ADAM – delightful, lots of vroom-vroom and character – test drive it today!

Photos: www.quickpic.co.za