Vauxhall ADAM GRAND SLAM

Following my review of the Vauxhall ADAM is this article introducing the new ADAM GRAND SLAM.

Details

• It’ll cost £16,995
• It’ll be in British showrooms in March
• It has a 4-cylinder 1.4 litre turbo-petrol engine with a power output of 150PS
• As well as a VXR braking system, it has a specially tuned chassis
• It sits above the other three trim levels in the range as the performance model
• It has a top speed of 124mph
• It does the 0-62mph sprint in 8.5 seconds

Competitors

With the ADAM competing against the likes of the Fiat 500 and Citroën DS3, the GRAND SLAM hopes to be a rival for the 500 Abarth and (discontinued) DS3 Racing.

The Abarth 500 – its main rival – comes with a variety of engines capable of 135, 140, 160, 180 and 190PS. They all use a 4-cylinder 1.4 litre engine, just like the ADAM GRAND SLAM. Up to 43.5 mpg can be achieved, but emitting 150-155g/km of CO2 does make this a little less friendly to the polar bears. £130 and £180 are the annual road tax prices for the ADAM and 500 respectively, so with a bit better economy and a lower tax band, the GRAND SLAM is definitely the cheapest of the two performance variants to run.

Information

With 125,000 sales in the UK alone since its release some two years ago, Vauxhall decided it’s due time that it releases a performance model. Personally, I think this is a good move. Combining the fact that the Corsa, Astra and Insignia having VXR models and the ADAM is a big seller, I think this is a winning formula. But most people aren’t going to be driving like maniacs 365 days a year. So that’s why the ADAM GRAND SLAM will be able to achieve up to 47.8 mpg, emitting 139g/km of CO2. However the short throw 6-speed ‘box does encourage you to get the most out of it on those days where traffic won’t beat you.

Standard Kit

Along with the 18″ alloys mated with red painted calipers and a VXR body styling kit, expect a button to turn off the ESP, a rear roof spoiler and one for the rear bumper for good measure. Tech includes cruise control, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted controls and a tyre pressure monitoring system.