Vauxhall Agila hatchback

Drive

Power in the Agila comes from a range of two petrol engines. We'd say though that the entry-level 1.0-litre petrol engine only really suitable for town use because it feels too underpowered to keep up with fast moving traffic. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is best for all-round ability. The Agila makes more sense in town than it does  out of it, with light controls making low speed manoeuvres easy, and the car's small footprint is perfect for nipping in and out of traffic. Outside of city limits the baby Vauxhall feels agile but lacks any real driver involvement on twisty roads. 

Comfort

The Agila's high roofline does wonders for cabin space– there's easily enough room in the back seats for two tall adults. The ride itself could do with being a bit softer but as it stands it's comfortable enough. Refinement isn't bad, but drivers wanting to go quickly will be working the small engines hard, and they often feel strained. The good news though is that the Agila is surprisingly quiet at motorway speeds.

Reliability

With the Suzuki Splash underpinning it, the Agila should prove to be reliable in the long run. If you're not convinced just take a look at Vauxhall's lifetime warranty which they offer on all new passenger cars since August 1st 2010. That'll cover the car right up until it reaches 100,000 miles. Although the Agila hasn't been through Euro NCAP's crash safety test, the almost identical Splash has and scored four out of five stars. The downside though, is that there's no ESP as standard.

Practicality

Don't forget that the Agila is a city car, it's not designed for carrying a family and their luggage over long distances. With that in mind the boot measures in at 225 litres which is actually one of the most spacious in the class. The Suzuki Splash, for example only boasts 178 litres. All models come with four doors so passengers shouldn't have too much trouble accessing the rear seats. The raised roof-line helps also helps improve head room for occupants in the back. 

Value for money

The Agila will always draw comparisons with the Suzuki Splash on its price, as the two are almost identical. As it stands, the Splash is the cheaper of the two and the Vauxhall misses out on some key equipment that the Suzuki gets as standard, like ESP. One thing to remember though is Vauxhall's lifetime warranty, which comes included in the Agila's higher price-tag.

Running costs

It's a small car so running costs are kept reasonably low, although looking at other small cars the Agila's running costs are nothing special. For instance, there's no model that emits less than 100g/km. Instead, the 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre petrol engines both boast CO2 emissions of 119g/km and economy of 55.4mpg. These do worsen if you opt for the automatic gearbox, though with CO2 emissions rising to 133g/km and economy falling to 49.6mpg.