• Yet to be tested by Euro NCAP
• All cars come with plenty of airbags
• Lane-departure warning optional

The Vauxhall Viva Rocks (and regular Vauxhall Viva on which it’s based) is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, meaning it doesn’t currently have an official safety rating.

All cars come with an array of airbags and lane-departure warning (the only piece of high-tech safety kit) available as an option. This lags behind rivals such as the Kia Picanto X-Line and Suzuki Ignis, both of which offer autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as an optional extra.

How many Isofix car seats can I fit in a Vauxhall Viva Rocks hatchback?

With two Isofix mounting points on the outer rear seats, the Viva Rocks should be able to accommodate two child seats with relative ease – although don’t count on getting anyone larger than an infant in the middle seat at the same time. 

• Average passenger space
• Storage space tight in the back
• Two Isofix points 

Up front there’s enough space for two reasonably large adults despite the Viva Rock’s compact dimensions. Just beware that if the person in the passenger seat is particularly tall their knees may stray close to the gearlever, creating some potentially awkward moments of physical contact…

Room in the back is enough to accommodate two average-sized males or three smaller children. Headroom is fine for those under six feet tall, and while legroom will be inevitably tight if the passenger or driver has their seat far back, it’s still competitive for this type of car.

Overall storage space is ok, with two front cupholders, a space under the centre console to store your phone, a decent-sized glovebox and door pockets just about capable of swallowing a half-litre bottle of water.

There’s also a shelf above the glovebox, although we found that items slipped out of this when cornering or under hard acceleration. Things aren’t particularly spacious in the back, with only the one cupholder and no door pockets. 

There shouldn’t be any major issues parking the Viva Rocks, with its compact dimensions meaning it can fit in even the smallest of spaces and garages. Optional rear parking sensors are available for a small fee. 

The Vauxhall Viva Rocks’s 206-litre boot capacity (with the rear seats in place) lags behind key rivals such as the Suzuki Ignis, Fiat Panda City Cross, Kia Picanto X-Line and Skoda Citigo. There’s also a large drop between the loading lip and boot floor, while the opening is awkwardly shaped.

You can fold the rear seats down – in a 60/40 split – to create a more competitive 1,013 litres of luggage space. However, beware that the seats don’t fold completely flat, making it tricky to load long items.