Little car makes a big Splash

The Opel Agila is a splendid car that provides great value for money -- the Suzuki Splash, however, has just that little bit extra, writes Campbell Spray

PRETTY FUNKY: The Suzuki people have pulled it off again with the quite splendid Splash

A couple of weeks ago there was a family birthday party and five of us -- all very adult-sized despite two being notional teens -- had to drive from Leixlip to Dublin's Temple Bar.

There was initial consternation among my passengers when I announced that we would be travelling in the Opel Agila I had on test. But it was shortlived; the three youngest piled into the back and there was ne'er a mutter from them.

In fact the head and leg room is excellent in the mini-mpv, the rear seats are raised to give better visibility and the false floor in the luggage area gives a really good place to store handbags, laptops and the like. The 1.2 petrol engine is perky and very responsive and gives brilliant economy that with care could return around 60miles/100kilometres to the gallon.

The emissions are also low, putting it into the €150 a year tax band. It was a great little car that was as at home belting around the M50 as it was squeezing into the tightest parking spaces in the city.

The only oddity was the carbuncle housing the rev counter which sticks up above the main dashboard. It seems like a design afterthought. I was also disappointed that the Club version of the Agila I was driving didn't have air-conditioning, a facility that is becoming more of a necessity with the muggy conditions that the rampant rain is bringing about.

It wasn't the first time I had met the Agila. I had driven it around Nice some months ago when we were being introduced to the Suzuki Splash on its European launch.

The Agila and Splash are really one of the same and come out alongside each other from a factory in Hungary, which is owned by Suzuki. The Splash -- what better name for our present weather conditions -- was being touted as a funky car with a great choice of bright colours which would specifically appeal to young families and single people. However the Agila beat the Japanese model.to these shores by some months and so with it already up and running Suzuki certainly had to do something special and, as it were, make a Splash for its introduction last week.

Unfortunately the weather got in the way and a power boat trip from Malahide to Dun Laoghaire was cancelled so the assembled hacks had to contend with some urban test driving and lunch in the Royal Marine Hotel.

It wasn't to be sniffed at because the Splash story is good on its own. Sure the 1.2 engine and body is the same as the Agila but Suzuki has upped the ante by putting air-conditioning as standard as well as the life- saving electronic stability programme. Suzuki have also got a three-year 100,000 km warranty programme.

The Suzuki seems all round that bit better, although prices for the Opel start at an impressive €11,495 for the three-cylinder 1.0 model.

However that model is light on specification and the engine isn't really up to lugging around a family.

The 1.2 Agila with the Club spec is at €13,945 but that rises to €15,495 for the Design spec, which does have air-con but not ESP which is a fairly hefty extra. That's the clincher for me.

The Suzuki Splash is the same price, has the ESP and air-con and an all-round better safety and comfort spec. That I have known and liked the Suzuki people for years, and the husband of a relative works in one of their showrooms, shouldn't influence me, but probably does, just as much as the name Splash is better than Agila.

Of such things decisions are made. Either way the Agila/Splash is a grand little car that, in these frugal times, does the business.