The Vauxhall ADAM is a stylish and highly customisable city car, designed to take on the likes of the Fiat 500 and MINI Hatch. But, while it has always enjoyed hundreds of colour combinations and accessories, the one thing missing has been an engine with decent shove.

Well, no longer, because the ADAM S gets a 1.4-litre turbo petrol with 148bhp, making it around 50 per cent more pokey than the next version below it. A body kit with a functional spoiler adds to the visual drama, and should make the ADAM appeal to a few more male buyers, which have made up just a quarter of sales.

Performance

The ADAM S feels night-and-day different to other versions, with urgent acceleration as soon as you touch the throttle. Its 0-62mph time is officially 8.5 seconds, but the car we tested felt quicker. Perhaps short gearing is to blame, as you’ll need to change into third to hit this speed, and even in sixth gear the engine sits at fairly high revs on the motorway. The MINI Hatch Cooper has just 134bhp, but counters with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds.

Still, there’s power when you need it, with the ADAM S able to overtake slower traffic with ease and zip between corners at a decent pace. The engine isn’t particularly tuneful, but the exhaust emits a deep burble, and with the radio off you can hear the turbo come to life as it squeezes more air into the engine.

Ride and Handling

With such a surfeit of grip, you’ll rarely trouble the traction control in the dry, and corners are there to be attacked with relish

The ADAM’s ride was already pretty firm, so the front suspension has only had to be stiffened by 12 per cent, but perhaps the biggest difference comes from unique 18-inch alloy wheels with 225-width tyres and brakes taken from the outgoing Corsa VXR. At first, these both seem like overkill fitted to such a small car, but they actually make the ADAM S quicker along a twisty road than you might expect. With such a surfeit of grip, you’ll rarely trouble the traction control in the dry, and corners are there to be attacked with relish. The steering – which was too vague before – has also been thoroughly improved, with good weight and precision. It doesn’t feel as sophisticated as the MINI, with its more advanced rear suspension layout, but the ADAM S does have an ‘old school’ hot hatch feel, which can be great fun. Once up to speed it also has a better ride quality than you might expect, but there’s no getting away from bumps at lower speeds, so you will need fairly sympathetic passengers.

Interior and Equipment

This lifestyle-conscious city car is named after the founder of Vauxhall’s parent company, Adam Opel.

Over the standard model, the S gets some sporty interior touches, the most serious being the option of Recaro bucket seats. These are the real deal, pinning you in place and giving the cabin a motorsport vibe, but at £1,040, we’re not sure how many people with take the plunge. Choosing the IntelliLink infotainment system is far easier at £275, while the Winter Pack (heated front seats and steering wheel) is temptingly good value at £215. We’re not normally ones to recommend a colour, but metallic grey with the exclusive ‘Red ‘n Roll’ red roof looks tremendous. You can also change the colour of the door mirrors and front grille, with carbon fibre available for a racing look.

Cost

On merit alone, the ADAM is probably a bit of a stretch at this price

Here’s the rub. With a starting price of £16,995, you’ll easily be looking at £18k for an ADAM S with some well-chosen extras, and this places it amongst some serious hot hatch rivals. You could even get your hands on the larger, more powerful and highly coveted Ford Fiesta ST. On merit alone, the ADAM is probably a bit of a stretch at this price, but as a stylish and fun car, and something a bit different, we wouldn’t be surprised if people are prepared to dig deep. We’d also expect some attractive offers and finance deals to tempt buyers.

Our Verdict

When the ADAM launched, it had the right sense of style and great kit levels, but there was a sense of fun missing for people who love driving. The tough-looking ADAM Rocks Air improved the recipe, and now the ADAM S has taken it to the next level.  With 147bhp and a tweaked chassis, the ADAM has come alive, while the styling additions give it a more grown-up appearance. It’s not quite as well-resolved as the MINI, but the ADAM S has its own character, and should appeal to style conscious buyers after a pocket rocket.