VAUXHALL AGILA HATCHBACK FULL REVIEW

Vauxhall Agila Hatchback full 9 point review

Performance

3 out of 5 stars

The engines - a three-cylinder 1.0-litre and a four-cylinder 1.2-litre, both petrol - come from Suzuki, which builds the car for Vauxhall. The 1.0 makes the car really good fun to drive, while the 1.2 offers a bit more flexibility for motorway driving. Models with the smaller engine carry Vauxhall’s Ecoflex badge, meaning that they are particularly good on economy and emissions.
Ride & Handling

4 out of 5 stars

For a humble family runabout, the Agila exhibits real personality. It does all the sensible stuff well, riding all but the roughest roads comfortably and feeling calm and composed on motorways, but it can also be a real hoot to drive, with a degree of finesse not expected in a car at this level.
Refinement

3 out of 5 stars

Small engines need working hard at times, and hard-worked engines can sometimes be a bit noisy. That said, those in the Agila are no worse than in most rivals and not difficult to live with. Road- and wind noise are barely present, too. Smooth controls make the car easy to drive.

Buying & Owning

2 out of 5 stars

Compared with the near-identical Suzuki Splash, the Agila is pricey. However, day-to-day running costs will be low, and the car has the reassurance of a lifetime (limited to 100,000 miles) warranty, but resale values are nothing special.
Quality & Reliability

4 out of 5 stars

Vauxhall has tried hard to smarten up the interior with a textured finish on the dash top and a few bright highlights on the switches and controls. Mostly, the Agila disguises that it is a budget car in all but price. It is built by Suzuki, so mechanical reliability is pretty much guaranteed.
Safety & Security

3 out of 5 stars

Where Suzuki provides six airbags and stability control as standard on the Splash, Vauxhall fits only four and asks £400 for stability control. Considering the Agila's pricing, this is disappointing. Remote locking with deadlocks is fitted to all but the base Expression version.

Behind The Wheel

3 out of 5 stars

There's more than enough seat and steering adjustment to allow most people to make themselves comfortable, and the controls are where you want them and easy to use. However, thick pillars can hamper your view when turning or reversing, and the rev counter (on models that have one) is perched on a stalk like an afterthought.
Space & Practicality

4 out of 5 stars

In a car less than four metres long you get plenty of space for four people and a boot that, although hardly big, holds more than you'd think. The rear seats fold down if you need extra space (but not in the base model), and some versions have extra space beneath the boot floor.
Equipment

2 out of 5 stars

At best, equipment on the Agila is no more than adequate and at the bottom of the range it could be viewed as mean. Entry-level Expression models don't even get a split rear seat, and you have to move up to S (AC) trim to get air-conditioning and alloy wheels - but you'll pay pretty heavily for them.