The resurgence of the Opel brand continues with the local introduction of the Adam, a premium supermini that happens to share its name with the company founder. It’s also Opel’s first go at the boutique hatch segment. Will it achieve mainstream success like the regulars in this category?
The Russelsheim-based manufacturer seems to have got the size right, as the Adam fits right between two standout sellers in this segment – the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper in terms of its exterior dimensions. On the local launch in Cape Town I was rather relieved to find that it’s not as compact as I feared it might be. Actually it’s not too far off the new Corsa, which I recently drove in Germany and that is shortly headed to SA.
On the styling front, the Adam is completely fresh. Unlike the Mini, which we’ve now had three generations of, and the Fiat 500 (which based a lot of its looks on the 20th century original) the Adam was designed from the ground up. Opel’s gone for a rather interesting front end, with the grille and company emblem really low on the nose and flanked by turn indicators. Small headlamps are mounted left and right of a clamshell bonnet.
The key design element along the profile is a line of chrome trim that starts at the base of the A-pillar and follows the roofline until it kinks off abruptly just before the base of the C-pillar. That, along with a blacked out B-pillar, creates one of the best examples of a “floating roof” I’ve come across. The only bit of retro appreciation I could find, were the round fog and tail lamps – an ode to the rocket-powered vehicles that Fritz von Opel used to promote the family business.
Inside the Adam, it’s a similarly smart affair. It features a soft touch upper section of the facia that’s complemented by contrasting trim along the centre, as well as on the door panels and floor console. The Jam specification model I drove also came fitted with Opel’s Intellilink touchscreen infotainment system as standard.
There’s also a deep-dish multifunction steering wheel with brushed-alloy finish trim. The Intellilink system comes with pre-loaded apps, but requires a smartphone for connectivity, so the launch vehicles came equipped with iPhones to make use of the BringGo navigation app. Other cool features include Opel’s new Advanced Park Assist 2, which takes over steering of the vehicle during parallel and perpendicular parking manouevres.
The Adam also employs Opel’s new 1,0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol engine. It’s fitted to the Jam, and range-topping Glam – while entry level Adams use the firm’s normally aspirated 1,4-litre four-cylinder engine. About town, the powerplant proved very efficient, and pokey enough to allow for decent bursts away from the rest of Cape Town’s slow moving traffic.
On the N2 outbound, the Adam’s 85 kW and 170 N.m of torque was more than up to the task of overtaking at the national limit and the three-cylinder layout provided a throaty sountdtrack in the lower ratios when overtaking. During more relaxed driving in sixth gear however, the Adam used about 5,0-litres/100 km.
The Adam’s pricing will be crucial to how well its does locally. At the moment, GMSA suggests that the range, consisting of Adam, Adam Jam and Adam Glam will all cost between R200 000 and R250 000 – which puts Opel’s boutique hatch right between the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper.
Specifications*
Model: Opel Adam 1,0T Jam
Engine: three-cyliner, 1,0-litre, turbopetrol
Power: 85 kW at 5 000 r/min
Torque: 170 N.m at 1 800 r/min
0-100 km/h: 9,9 seconds
Fuel consumption: 5,1 L/100 km
CO2: 119 g/km
Top speed: 196 km/h
Price: TBA
Service plan: 3 year/60 000 km
Warranty: 5 year/120 000 km
*Claimed figures
