Thanks to this, the relatively small displacement 1.4-litre engine now makes a very healthy 121 bhp of peak power. More impressive is the torque figure, which stands at 20.4 kg of peak torque. This comes in from a low 1500 rpm and stays all the way to 4000 rpm. So basically, you can keep it in gear and just ride the wave of torque.

In the city, at lower speeds, the suspension absorbs most of the impact of a pothole and all you’re left with is a faint thud. The steering gives you a good amount of feedback and is well weighted to boot. The engine responds quite nicely from low rpms and it manages to pull away cleanly in higher gears. There is a very small amount of lag, but you will be tempted to shift down just to get into the meat of the powerband. The 1.4-litre might sound like a relatively small displacement engine for a car in this class, but with turbocharging, you don’t have to worry about it feeling underpowered. Sure, it’s not going to win you any races, but to properly move the car at fairly brisk pace, the engine does just fine. Cars like the Laura petrol, Corolla or even Fluence will definitely be pulling away from you at the lights, but fret not, you’ll get to your destination just fine.

MORE ON PAGE 4>>