VAUXHALL has given the Adam a big boost with the announcement of a new direct-injection 1.0-litre three cylinder turbo engine turning out 115 horsepower.
The company’s Small Gasoline Engine (SGE) is part of a new family of three and four-cylinder petrol engines that will be extended across the rest of the Vauxhall range over the coming years.
The SGE seems to have what it takes to mix it with the best
When Vauxhall pitched the Adam against the MINI, the Fiat 500 and the Citroen DS3 last year, the new arrival drew plenty of praise for its imaginative styling and the enormous scope it offered buyers to personalise their cars with sometimes outlandish colour schemes and unusual options.
Less impressive were the slightly lacklustre engines carried over from its sister model, the Corsa. They looked a bit past it compared with the lively, characterful, high-output small power units to be found under the bonnets of some rivals, such as Fiat’s two-cylinder TwinAir engine or Ford’s three-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost.
Now, though, Vauxhall is hitting right back.
As always, of course, the proof will be in the driving, but on paper, at least the Vauxhall Adam SGE seems to have what it takes to mix it with the best.
High levels of refinement by three-cylinder standards are promised too. Another bonus – with the arrival of the new engine, the Adam will get a six-speed gearbox as well.
Vauxhall says the 1.0 SGE matches existing 1.6-litre engines for power while offering a lot more low-end torque. Precise figures haven’t been published yet, but expect improved economy and company car tax friendly CO2 emissions below 100g/km for some members of the Vauxhall Adam SGE family.
The new engine will be shown in public for the first time at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show and will start turning up in customers’ cars next year.
