VAUXHALL is finally entering the city car sector with the Agila, its version of a joint development project with Suzuki which produced its variant more than two years ago. The five door mini-MPV will go on sale next summer, a year after the Concept A vehicle on which it is based was unveiled on the Vauxhall stand at the Geneva Motor Show.

The reason for the delay has been the need to upgrade General Motors' plant in Gliwice, Poland, in preparation for production of the Agila. Suzuki's equivalent, the Wagon R+, has been on sale in the UK since September 1997 and 6,000 units have been sold.

A Vauxhall spokesman said: 'We have been going through the preparations for full production which has meant our car coming out so much longer after its Suzuki equivalent, the Wagon R+. The Agila is not a Suzuki copy. It has its own engines and interiors.'

The Agila is just 3,500mm long, but offers seating for four adults and a luggage capacity of around 250 to 600 litres, up to the top edge of the front seat backs. The 50:50 split rear seats can be folded down to create a completely flat load space. It will be powered by two ECOTEC petrol engines, a 1.0-litre 12v and 1.2 16v, delivering 58bhp and 75bhp respectively and delivering 47mpg and 42mpg in the combined cycle.