Vauxhall AGILA 1.2 TWINPORT
If Driving Fun Is Equal To Practicality, Vauxhalls Agila 1.2 Might Well Be The Best Citycar Of The Lot. Andy Enright Reports
We get a lot of very desirable vehicles through the road test department. Porsches, Maseratis, Ferraris and the like come and go yet theres always an unseemly scramble for the keys whenever a
Vauxhall Agila arrives. At first it seems ridiculous. What could a cheap car that looks like a shoebox possibly offer a bunch of motoring hacks weaned on some of the finest cars money can buy? In short, fun and lots of it.
Whereas some cars are so polished that they become a little po-faced, the Agila is a riot from the moment you twist the key. If you can drive one without cracking a mischievous grin theres no hope for you.
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The version featured here offers a 1.2-litre Twinport engine thats good for 79bhp, giving the Agila some meaningful zip. Geared down for city driving, itll get off the mark with genuine verve, the negligible inertia of those tiny wheels helping to get things going. Prepare to get your stubby bonnet in front of some serious tackle away from the lights and if youre really heavy with the throttle, the Agila will get to 60mph in 12.
2 seconds. The
Audi A4 1.6, the
Ford Fiesta 1.4 Zetec, the
Land Rover Freelander 2.
0Td4, the Mercedes A140 and the
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 will all be left trailing in your wake. Not too shabby for a tot. The engine is fully Euro IV compliant, which means that even if your fleet manager is the thriftiest tightwad, you can still land yourself a company car that has some spirit to it.
True, a top speed of 100mph doesnt make plying our motorways the most serene experience, but that really isnt the Agilas strong point. Instead it majors on keen value for money (the Enjoy variant is priced at just £8,300) and the pragmatic offering of plenty of interior space. The sit-up-and-beg styling pays enormous dividends in this respect, offering room that more swoopily styled rivals can only dream of. In case you were wondering, Twinport technology builds on the standard four-valve technology of Vauxhalls ECOTEC engines.
Fuel savings are achieved by a special intake manifold in combination with a high rate of exhaust gas recirculation. The advantages of twinport technology are achieved through a combination of fuel injection and exhaust emission control by a three-way catalytic converter. This reduces technical complexity and consequently the cost to the customer, making the Twinport solution particularly attractive for inexpensive cars like this Agila, as power output and efficient fuel consumption are maintained.
"Just about the most fun its possible to cram into 350 centimetres"
If the shape of the Agila looks a little familiar, its largely because its based on Suzukis Wagon R+. Note the word based, for the Agila isnt merely a badge-engineered version of Suzukis phenomenally successful city runabout, but instead a model in its own right. Whats more, its been revised in recent times to offer a little more sophistication to those who could never quite square the concept of this strange confection of Oriental and Occidental cultures. The Agila hasnt quite been the success
Vauxhall had hoped, many buyers instead preferring the cuddlier styling of vehicles like the Ford Ka, the Volkswagen Lupo and the
Smart Fortwo.
Yet on a purely practical basis, the Luton marques smallest model has them all scotched: certainly the revised line-up ought to entitle the Agila to a reassessment from those who might previously have dismissed (or never considered) it as a Citycar option. That said, the oily bits locked up under that tiny bonnet arent going to catch the eye. Most prospective buyers will instead notice a revised grille at the front that features a bigger V grille and chubbier front and rear bumpers. A combination of funky exterior colours and a big options list offers Agila customers quite a bit of freedom for personal expression.
The range opens with the Enjoy model and tops out with the plusher Design variant. Safety equipment has improved further in the current Agila. Along with optional side airbags for driver and front-passenger, the Pedal Release System (PRS), ensures greater safety and theres ABS on all models. Two rear head restraints (except in Expression) electronically adjustable exterior mirrors and tinted glass are also standard.
The ingeniously simple seating-concept (which puts Agila ahead of its competition) remains unchanged. The 60:40-split rear
seat backs simply fold down onto the seat cushion, which then sinks forward to create flat load surface in a matter of seconds. For those not so well acquainted with all things Agila, a little perspective is perhaps in order. This little car, just 138inches in length, slots into the Luton companys line-up just below the Corsa. Curious and serious omissions on such a cost-conscious urban runabout include the lack of a diesel option or an automatic gearbox (theres only a
Suzuki-sourced 5-speed manual).
As already suggested, the upright, boxy stance creates far more interior space than youd find in a conventional European Citycar. So much in fact that you could even see your Agila as a kind of tiny MPV People Carrier. This of course assumes youre not travelling four-up (in which case theres only a paltry 8.7cuft or 248 litres - of luggage space).
With the rear bench unoccupied however and the 50/50 split back seats folded flat, that area can be increased five-fold to 1250 litres. Theres plenty of oddments space too, with drawers under the front seats, cup and bottle holders and knee-height shelves for both front passengers. The Agila 1.2 Twinport is a car that youll look forward to driving and goes to prove that cheap neednt always be equated with nasty.
Getting the message across to buyers seduced by sassier shapes has always been Vauxhalls problem. Get them behind the wheel and their job would become a whole lot easier.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Agila 1.2 Twinport range
PRICES: £8,300-£8,755 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 3E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 156g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 100mph / 0-60mph 12.2s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 3500/1620/1695mm
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