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The Vauxhall Ampera’s naked figures of 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds and a 100mph top speed may not place it top of the performance stakes, but there’s more to it than on-paper pace. For starters, 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds is on a par with most 2.0-litre turbodiesel models from the family car class, so the Ampera is on equal terms with its most direct competition from the internal combustion camp. It’s also brisker than a Nissan Leaf at every marker, so the electric vehicle crowd don’t pose any threat to the Ampera. Better still, the electric motor delivers its peak power from the moment it starts working, so there’s seamless, strong shove from the get-go. The motor produces the equivalent of 147bhp, so again it’s very much on a par with the best of the current diesel crop. A 1.4-litre petrol engine is used in the Ampera as the range extender engine, but it does not drive the wheels. Instead, the petrol engine is purely there as a generator to charge up the battery. With 85bhp, the petrol engine works ideally in this capacity and it doesn’t have to climb up and down the rev scale as it works at a constant speed when in operation. The electric motor doesn’t require a gearbox in the normal sense, so there are no gears to shift and all the driver does is select forward or reverse. On the move, the Ampera is eager and pulls strongly, quietly and smoothly, overtaking slower traffic with ease and cruising on the motorway as calmly and competently as any rival you care to mention.

If you’re looking for the nth degree of handling agility, you’d be better serves by Vauxhall’s recently upgraded Insignia VXR. On the other hand, if you want a car that will deliver you to your destination with composure and in superb comfort, the Ampera is the car for you. Its suspension is soft-set to soak up the worst insults the road can throw at it, yet it’s never wallowy or allows the car to float or pitch. No, the Ampera is just very well balanced and stable, even in strong crosswinds or on twisty roads. The handling is equally well judged, offering plenty of grip, but we’d love it even more with a bit more steering feel to make full use of the Vauxhall’s fine set-up. Still, this is a small gripe and the Ampera rewards in other ways, such as the brilliant refinement. Even when the 1.4-litre range extender engine is working, there Ampera’s cabin is hushed in a way only the Nissan Leaf can rival and it makes you realise just how much background noise an internal combustion engine creates. Thanks to its slippery shape, the Ampera is also pleasingly free of wind noise, while road noise is also sealed out of the cabin to great effect. When noise is one of the biggest causes of driver fatigue, the Ampera is at a distinct advantage over most of its obvious rivals when it comes to delivering its occupants feeling fresh and relaxed.

Vauxhall has built the Ampera to the same standards as its other models, so it’s sturdy and tough but some of the plastics can feel a little too hard to the touch. No matter, the Ampera’s cabin looks stylish and solidly made and our experience gives us no doubt it will last many years of use. The mechanical package of the Ampera is an unproven quantity, so we’ll have to wait and see how this pans out, but Vauxhall has the confidence in it to provide an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty. The whole car is covered by a 100,000-mile warranty with no limit on time, which is the same cover offered with the rest of Vauxhall’s models.

There are no compromises on the safety front with the Ampera and ever model will come with eight airbags, including twin front, side and curtain airbags and twin front knee airbags to protect the lower legs of front occupants in an accident. Adjustable anti-whiplash front head restraints are also fitted, along with three point seat belts for all four occupants – there’s no fifth seat in the Ampera due to the central spine of the car housing the batteries. Isofix child seat mounts are standard, while a warning beep can be activated by the driver to let pedestrians know the car is close by. Vauxhall says this is necessary due to the extreme quiet running of the Ampera and, fortunately, the driver can switch this off with a button on the steering column. Anti-lock brakes and ESP traction and stability control round out the safety equipment list, while security is taken care of by an alarm, immobiliser and deadlocks.

The Ampera is strictly a four seater as the battery pack is placed in the central spine of the car and just behind the rear seats. Even so, there’s plenty of rear seat space for adults and the Ampera’s cabin is surprisingly airy given the high window line. Up front, the driver has masses of seat and steering wheel adjustment to fine tune the driving position. Rear vision is restricted due to the size and slant of the rear screen pillars, but rear parking sensors help negate this as a problem. The dash is a little daunting on first acquaintance but is soon deciphered to be a logical and easy-to-use environment. At the back of the Ampera, the boot can hold 300-litres of luggage with the rear seats in use and offers up to 1005-litres of space with the rear seats folded. This means the Ampera is not the most generous cargo carrier for a car of this size due the space taken up by the battery pack, but it’s sufficiently useful for most owners’ needs.

This is the area where potential Ampera buyers will have to do their sums and look further into the future than simply driving off the dealer’s forecourt. The Ampera is expensive to buy, even with the government chipping in with a £5000 grant for electric vehicles. However, the high list price is instant offset against fuel economy of 175mpg and a realistic range of 310 miles before you need to fill up again with petrol. The battery is charged by the 1.4-litre petrol engine or it can be plugged in at a domestic socket to top up when electricity is cheap. On battery power alone the Ampera can travel up to 50 miles depending on use and terrain, so it easily outdoes any hybrid-powered rival. With Vauxhall’s 100,000-mile warranty, the Ampera looks set to be a much surer bet in the used market than the likes of the Nissan Leaf and its 40g/km carbon dioxide emissions also make it a sound choice for business drivers. Its low emissions qualify the Ampera for free entry into London’s Congestion Charge zone, so anyone commuting into the capital will save themselves that fee every day. Vauxhall says the Ampera will need a service every 20,000 miles, so this is as good as, if not better, than most of its internal combustion-powered rivals. Lastly, the Ampera comes generously fitted out with all of the usual accoutrements you’d expect of an upscale family car. There’s climate control, CD stereo with MP3 connection, electric windows, cruise control, rear parking sensors, leather seats and alloy wheels, which helps to redress the balance of cost compared to the Vauxhall’s competitors.

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