Vauxhall Adam

Vauxhall’s Adam takes the fight to a new breed of premium superminis like the Fiat 500 and, of course, the MINI – but crucially, it’s cheaper than both. It’s the first to come with the brand’s intelliLink technology and sports a cute and compact chassis that sets it apart from its retro competitors – at least in the style stakes.

Its key USP is the kit on the dashboard – the Adam is possibly one of the most tech-friendly motors we’ve ever gotten our hands on. And the best thing is it won’t cost you an absolute fortune, with prices starting from just £11,225 for the basic model, which gives you air conditioning and DAB radio.

There are some downsides, though, most of which become apparent the moment you step on the accelerator. Performance is far from thrilling - it’s a bit on the firm side - while the steering lacks feel and inside space is limited. If you have a brood to boot, we recommend avoiding this car – it’s best suited to urban city dwellers who're less hungry for space, and more focused on looks.

There are more than 30,000 variations of Adam, according to Vauxhall. That includes 15 types of seat trim and 12 different body colours, each with a rather amusing moniker, such as 'The Greyfather' and 'A Star is Brown'. God only knows what the bods in Vauxhall’s marketing department were thinking when they Christened each one. We drove the bronze/orange model, or as Vauxhall likes to call it; ‘Pappa don’t Peach’. Jokers.

The current engine choice is limited to 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol engines but a new three-cylinder engine is on its way (reportedly at the end of the year) and several four cylinder engines. But a bigger engine doesn't necessarily make a monster out of the car - that's certainly the case with Adam.

It’s so small and puny that we didn’t have the confidence to overtake and we couldn’t help but feel intimidated each time a crossover or 4x4 was crawling up our backside.

Ultimately, however, its size is its saving grace. We had no trouble fitting into small spaces and weren’t in the slightest bit concerned about clipping parked cars while driving through narrow roads, proving that ultimately, Adam's stature makes it the perfect city car.

Tech? Oh yes. IntelliLink is the custom software which uses your iOS or Android phone to supply media, such as music, and also a string of apps which you can interact with on the stunning 7-inch touchscreen.

Connecting via Bluetooth or USB, you can download a dedicated Maps app onto the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 and then use that app as a sat nav for the car. When you're done you can park up, disconnect the smartphone and continue using the app on foot.

The only downside to this, however, is that the system uses the 3G connectivity on your smartphone, which can be a pain if reception is low. However, we experienced no problems while driving the Adam in London. We would have loved to have seen a wider choice of apps though - the system is a remarkably new one, so we're interested to see how it's developed come a year's time.

All in all, the Adam is a great city car. It isn’t the best drive but it’s great value for money and makes the most out of one of the most important devices in your life – your smartphone