Stuart Johnston rented an Opel Adam while on holiday in Germany. Seeing as the Adam is coming to SA, he treated it like a normal press car and reviewed it for Cars.co.za.

I had signed up for an Opel Adam rental car via the net for a holiday in Germany, and been pleased to note just before I left on my trip that General Motors was indeed bringing this car to South Africa in 2015, despite saying back in 2013 that it had no specific plans for doing so.

Opel Adam is coming to SA

It’s good to know the Adam is coming to South Africa. The Opel brand was one of the strongest of all amongst the youth market in the early ‘90s and sadly has been allowed to dwindle into obscurity here, despite the marginal presence of some potent cars like the OPC versions of the Corsa and Astra coupe.

The Adam has won countless style awards in Europe since its debut at the Paris Show back in 2012, and, importantly, readers’ choice awards in its home country, Germany, beating out the likes of Volkswagen’s Up! in the city-car segment.

The man at the counter, almost as sleepy as I was, said he didn’t have an Adam on his books and I got grumpy so he made a phone-call and, yay, he had one in their wash-bay, and if I were to wait an extra 20 minutes I could indeed have an Adam. There it was, looking stylish in the bay, yellow with a black clam-shell roof. It had the 15-inch alloys (18-inchers are an option on the Slam Version) and a boot that was just big enough for my luggage.

I plugged my Garmin in, suckered it to the windscreen (at my bargain-basement budget level, my Adam didn’t come equipped with the optional touch-screen) and set off for Dossenheim, a spot which gave me access to all sorts of motor-related museums and the Heidelberg Castle, which I wanted to visit.

Performance and Economy

My car was fitted with the 74 kW version of the 1.4-litre petrol engine, and a five-speed gearbox. I found this quite surprising as six-speeders are pretty common these days. And on Germany’s autobahns, you need a six-speeder to save fuel.Cruising speeds can run up to 160 kph when allowed, while the fast boys and girls flash by in BMWs,Audis and Mercs, and even big vans at 200-plus.

I set the fuel consumption meter to zero, interested to see how it would fare. I have to say, it was pretty good. I started off in the 7.2L/100 region and eventually, with smooth, light throttle applications, massaged this down to an overall 6.8L/100 km for my entire trip.

Opel Adam Ride and Comfort

Once I’d checked into my flea-bag hotel, I took the Opel Adam around the Baden Wurtenburg region, visiting the Speyer Museum, which specialises in military stuff, and testing my Garmin, which took me on some very strange routes until I had mastered it. The steering, like the systems fitted to just about every Opel I’ve driven, feels a bit disconnected and mute, but the build quality on the chassis is great on the Adam. The seats are very comfortable, the driving position is fully adjustable thanks to a telescopic steering column, and there are six airbags.

What amazed me about the Adam was the admiring glances it received. Even when I visited the legendary Hockenheim race track and museum, the little Adam attracted attention. When parking down in the old town to reach Schloss Heidelberg, I was amused to find a parking bay reserved specifically for Smart cars. It even had a Smart graphic painted on the wall. I was delightedto discover that the little 3,7-metre long Adam fitted in, justifying its cred as a city car that is both “happening” and practical.

Quick Summary

The Adam continued to please me with its eye-catching dash display, and high-quality interior cladding throughout my tenure, which lasted for four days before I had to head for Italy. The motor was silky-smooth when I revved it past 6000rpm on occasion, and its directional stability was good at speeds of up to 190 km/h (it’s so nice to write that, knowing that it is legal in Germany).

I must say, if I was a young guy or girlin the 20-something age-group I’d consider the Adam. Judging by the splash it made in small-town Germany some 18 months after it went on sale, this little car pushes all the right “desirability” buttons. The Opel Adam should arrive in SA in 2015.