Extremely high. Owners have reported engines lasting over 100,000 miles, with some even surviving "boy racer" driving habits.
Excellent fuel efficiency was a hallmark of the 1.2, often achieving high MPG figures (over 40-55 mpg in some reports). Nova 1.2
The 1.2-litre overhead-cam engine typically produced around 55 brake horsepower (bhp). While this sounds low today, it was considered very flexible and energetic for a car weighing only around 800 kilos. Extremely high
The 1.2 engine is robust and often modified by owners to increase performance, or used as a clean shell for engine swaps, though many purists appreciate the stock efficiency. Reliability & Running Costs "unfussed" performance for its time.
Described as "sprightly" around town, with decent, "unfussed" performance for its time.