Up and Adam

The Adam Energised keeps things simple in the showroom, but what’s it like on the road? Paul Acres finds out

Choice is good. Unless it’s too much choice, of course. Fiat, Mini, DS (Citroen to thee and me) and Vauxhall all offer models with a mind-boggling list of personalisation options.

What if you don’t want to wade through a list as long as several arms? What if you’re more an off-the-shelf buyer, a convenience shopper?

That’s where Vauxhall’s Adam Energised waltzes in.

It’s based on the Adam Jam but with some of the most popular options included as standard. That means you get 17-inch gloss black alloy wheels, black roof and black exterior detailing plus LED daytime running lights and LED tail lights on the outside and part-leather seats, sports pedals and the Intellilink infotainment system on the inside.

If you’re a fan of the Adam – and how could you not warm to that impish little grin and bubbly character – then the Energised will prove a tempting proposition.

The lack of options – you can add Vauxhall’s OnStar system – extends as far as engine choice. Under the bonnet is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder unit producing just 69bhp.

What’s obvious after a few minutes at the wheel is that this is a car best suited to city driving. The stop-start nature of urban driving masks the motor’s lack of outright performance. It’s perfectly equipped to nip in and out of slow-moving traffic but motorways should be approached with a degree of fortitude and patience.

It’s not much better if you fancy a punt across country. You have to work the engine so hard that it quickly saps all the fun out of the drive and that’s a shame because this car feels like it desperately wants you to have fun. There’s a nice balance to the handling and, while the steering could be a bit more feelsome, it’s easy to place the car in corners.

The ride is reasonably well sorted too. The Energised sits on slightly softer springs than the sports suspension on top models and, consequently, handles rough surfaces with some finesse.

The seats are nice and snug, providing more lateral support than you’re ever likely to need. The top of the dashboard resembles embossed fabric – a nice touch – while the fascia is colour-coded to the exterior. There are also body-coloured door inserts.

The Intellilink infotainment system is simple, but works beautifully. Pairing my phone over Bluetooth was easy and as well as handsfree calling also provides audio and video streaming.

It is a small car so don’t expect huge amounts of passenger space but I’m over six feet and I had no trouble getting perfectly comfortable. It’s a different story in the back, of course, where legroom is almost non-existent unless you’ve got folk up front willing to compromise their own comfort.

The boot will hold just 170 litres of your bits and bobs.

The Adam Energised is aimed at people who want something chic, something with a little character, but without having to trawl through a long list of options to create something unique and, for the most part, it works. It’s great-looking with a high-quality interior, represents good value and possesses reasonable dynamics. It’s just that engine...

If your daily commute rarely takes you beyond the city limits, however, the Adam Energised makes a very strong case for itself.