Welcome to a car in a million.

At least, that’s what the ads say for the interesting new Adam, Vauxhall’s answer to MINI, Fiat 500, Audi A1 and a host of other fashion-led city cars.

The truth is more impressive. It’s actually a car in four billion. That’s how many variations Vauxhall reckon are possible for Adam when you try the combinations of trim, equipment and style features. You see, personalisation is the latest buzzword, albeit a clumsy one, to take hold in the motor industry. Car companies are no longer interested in just being builders of automobiles. Now they want to be part of the fashion industry.

MINI started it but others have followed with a vengeance. So, Adam marks Vauxhall’s first venture into the fashion-led market. Corsa, Astra and co are sound cars, but not half as interesting as Adam.

There are around 60,000 different combinations for the exterior and about 80,000 for the inside, but since some combinations aren’t allowed for either stylistic or manufacturing reasons, the 4.8 billion theoretical possibilities gets cut back a bit.

As you sit in the dealership or at home on the website, you can choose to change more than you can on any other car, like the dashboard finish and colour scheme, the head lining style, coloured clips on the wheel spokes, steering wheel trim colour, door trim colour, front grille cross-member colour, wheel style, wheel colour, roof colour, body sticker style and colour, gear lever and handbrake lever finish and then colour, body paint colour, seat fabric type, engine choice, trim level and so on.

Ultimately there will be 40 styles of wheel alone, before you move into wheel colours and clips. Expect the 12 funkily-named exterior colours like Papa Don’t Peach, James Blonde, Buzz Lightgreen and I’ll Be Black to be expanded as well. Before too long there might just be an Adam for literally every person on the planet.

So, how does Adam measure up? It’s just a little shorter than the Corsa but has more of a premium flee. Vauxhall say it will sell slightly more to women than men (60:40) and the vast majority will be private sales rather than company cars. But don’t be swayed into thinking Adam is a car without substance. True, it comes with the option of starlights (LED lights in the rooflining which imitate stars at night) but it’s also a very good car.

It rides well, handles beautifully and looks good. It comes with a choice of three petrol engines, but no diesels which makes sense. Diesels would cost more and not offer much benefit over competitive petrol units.

Adam comes in a choice of three trim levels, Jam (entry), Glam (glamorous) and Slam (sporty). Tested here is Glam which comes with sophisticated features like electronic climate control, glass roof panel, CD and MP3 player with USB connectivity, DMB digital radio, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, Bluetooth connection and anti-lock brakes. It also has lashings of chrome, body-colour trim and minor leather trim.

That’s an impressive specification list for a car which costs £13,270 on the road, with the standard Adam costing from £11,255.

It is in a burgundy-purple colour properly called Purple Fiction with a white roof (called White My Fire). You can see the market they’re aiming for: 20-somethings rather than middle-aged men like me, but I can see the appeal.

The engine is impressive, part of the ecoFLEX family. It takes the car to 60mph in 12.5 seconds and returns almost 70mpg on a run. Around town, where most Adams will live, it manages 42.8mpg.

If you prefer you can just choose an ‘Extreme Pack’, which gives you a ready-made design built from a combination of the choices into a cohesive look.

On more familiar ground there are three trim levels, but none will have identifying badges so no one will know whether any individual Adam is the cheapest but still well equipped Jam, fashionable Glam or the sporty Slam.On more familiar ground there are three trim levels, but none will have any identifying badges so no one will know which model you chose. The engine will stay a secret too; from a choice of 1.2 and 1.4 petrols. There’s no diesel and there never will be according to Vauxhall. There’s just no demand for it in a car this small. And small it is, based on a shortened and modified Corsa chassis.

The larger engine is much more responsive than the 1.2, which feels a little slow at times compared to the genuinely sharp and lively character of the 1.4.

It comes in two power outputs, but either will do the job nicely. The 1.4 is still lightweight too, which gives the Adam a lovely lightweight and nimble feel at the front wheels. It bites into turns as keenly as a vampire bat; all the more so with larger, wider wheels and tyres fitted.

There’s not much body roll either. Strengthening work around the suspension has done wonders to keep it flat and stable without denting its poise.

Even if you only potter gently around in it there’s a certain sense of joie de vivre that’s partly thanks to the interior style and partly down to the well judged balance between the way the steering, pedals and slightly notchy five-speed gearbox feel. It’s easy to drive and easy to enjoy, although on the motorway the revs spin too high and it buzzes along a little out of its comfort zone.

Adam might be late to the party but it’s learned from its rivals and it moves the game on in a very impressive way.

Vauxhall Adam Glam 1.4i 16V VVT ecoFLEX PRICE: £13,270. The range starts at £11,255 ENGINE: A 1.4 litre ecoFLEX engine generating 87PS PERFORMANCE: Top speed 109mph and 0 to 60mph in 12.5 seconds COSTS: town 42.8mpg; country 67.3mpg; combined 55.4mpg EMISSIONS: 119g/km INSURANCE: Group 6E WARRANTY: Lifetime, 100,000 miles