Insurance Group: 7
MPG: 39.8
CO2: 170
0-62 Mph: 12.6 secs
BHP: 110 BHP
Range: 438 miles
PROS: The GEN-2 is cheap and relatively good to drive. The 1.6-litre engine is also more than capable.
CONS: The GEN-2 feels very poorly made indeed. All of the interior plastics feel cheap and the GEN-2 is very noisy.
The GEN-2's 1.6-litre petrol engine develops 110bhp and 109lb-ft of torque which is enough to propel the car from 0-62mph in 12.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 118mph.
The Lotus-developed chassis is pretty good and the handling is relatively sharp. Depsite this, the suspension also provides a comfortable ride.
Unfortunately, the GEN-2 is extremely noisy. The engine feels very coarse indeed and at high speeds both wind and road noise are excruciatingly audible. You really don't want to be driving this car long distances.
The GEN-2 is actually quite a good looking car although it can't match its Korean and European rivals. The interior, on the other hand, is absolutely awful. It's fairly stylish but the quality of the interior plastics is terrible and the whole cabin has a flimsy feel.
You do get a decent amount of standard kit including air-con, electric windows, rear parking sensors and a CD player. Leather trim can be added for an extra £100.
There’s a decent amount of legroom in both the front and rear, but the steeply sloping roofline compromises the available headroom. Even average height passengers sitting in the back will find themselves craning their necks. There is 460-litres of boot space on offer with the rear seats up and 850-litres with the seats down.
You get driver, passenger and side airbags, which should protect you in the event of a crash, and electronic brakeforce distribution. Stability control is not available.
The GEN-2 1.6 GSX 5dr is very cheap at just £11,195 although this cheapness shows. Residual values are likely to be very poor indeed.
It's not particularly economical either, managing just 36.2mpg (combined) and CO2 emissions of 170g/km mean it falls under a relatively high tax band, H. Group 16 insurance, however, is fairly reasonable.
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