Vauxhall AGILA
Vauxhall Is In The City Car Business With Help From The Japanese. June Neary Tries One For Size...
People are taller and larger than they were just a few decades ago and, it seems our cars have followed suit. Certainly, todays Corsa seems a lot larger than its Nova predecessor or, come to that, Vauxhalls original 1960s Viva which, of course, Im too young to remember. Increasing Western influence means the Japanese are getting bigger, too. Yet their crowded cities and draconian parking regulations have long ensured that their car makers are expert at getting quarts into pint pots, producing some amazing, if bizarre looking city cars over the years.
Vauxhalls owner, General Motors, also owns a small slice of
Suzuki and worked with them to develop the Agila which competes with the Japanese firms similar model. With parking and traffic snarls, bus lanes, over-zealous traffic wardens, ludicrously taxed petrol prices and all the other attacks on the UK motorist, it seems were all going to be forced into smaller cars sooner or later. If theyre all like the Agila, that shouldnt be too painful. Looking a bit like Postman Pats little red van (kids should love it), the baby Vauxhall holds two adults and two children with ease with enough room for the stuff that goes with shopping, partying commuting or school run trips.
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For all but holiday travel, it would do me just fine.
This little car, just 138inches in length, slots into the Luton companys line-up just below the Corsa. Visually, its all but identical to the
Suzuki Wagon R+, alongside which it was developed though there are some key differences, mainly under the bonnet. The boxy look and upright seating creates far more interior room than Ive ever found in a conventional European Citycar. You could even see an Agila as a tiny MPV People Carrier assuming youre not going anywhere four-up (in which case theres only a tiny 8.
7cuft or 248 litres - of luggage space). Leave the rear bench vacant and fold the split back
seat flat and you can increase that area five-fold. Full marks for all the bits n pieces space drawers under the front seats, cup and bottle holders and knee-height shelves for both front passengers. Remember, though, that this car is narrow.
Thats great for parking and sneaking around your neighbourhoods interminable road works but think before making any long journeys or ambitious school runs. Hey, there isnt even a centre seatbelt. Children will like sitting 83mm higher than they can in a Corsa and theyll get a great view through the vast glass area. Air conditioning will be a very desirable option but its a pity you can only specify it on the 1.
2-litre model. A drivers airbag is standard along with height-adjustable front seat belts and the nifty
Vauxhall system that pulls the pedals away from your feet in a smash. But a passenger airbag and anti-lock brakes are extra.
The baby Vauxhall is offered with a choice of 60bhp Twinport 1.0-litre and 79bhp 1.2-litre Twinport engines, each borrowed from the larger Corsa. In a car that will be bought for economy and convenience, the lack of a diesel option or an automatic gearbox is disappointing.
Standard equipment includes power steering, electric mirrors, an engine immobiliser, tinted glass, body-coloured bumpers and mirrors, a radio cassette player and Vauxhalls excellent dash-top information display. Central locking and deadlocks are excluded and you have to pay extra for a Comfort Pack to get them (along with power front windows). Theres also an Exterior Plus Pack which adds alloy wheels and front fog lamps. Most experts have praised the cars responsive power steering, agile change of direction and lack of body roll.
Sixty is around 12 seconds away from rest in the 1.2-litre model on the way to close to 100mph, so motorway travel is well within this Vauxhalls ability. It gets a bit noisy when you rev the engine, though so you wont want to do too many long trips. Around city, town or village, the Agila will turn through 180 degrees in less than 10 metres which should be handy in multi-storey carparks and tight streets.
Both engines should return well over 40mpg in ordinary day-to-day use and service and insurance costs should also be very low. Prices are competitive with rivals like the
Hyundai Amica and
Daewoo Matiz but I do think at least the central locking and electric window pack should have been included as standard. I can see an Agila pricetag well over £8,000 once desirable comfort and safety items included by the Koreans are added from the Vauxhall option list.
Corsa items such as the familiar round heater knobs will help a previous Vauxhall owner feel right at home in this newcomer. I think it will be ideal as a familys second car and the high seating positions may also appeal to the Eastbourne retired set getting in and out of a tall car is so much easier.
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