Warm hatch is out in the cold

THIS week’s road test features a very rare car. But it’s not a limited edition €2million Ferrari or a one-off concept car that runs solely on rotting vegetables.

No, today’s test car is rare in that it is truly bad. It is not unusual to test a car that falls short in a few areas, sometimes seriously, but it is uncommon in the 21st century to drive a new car that is, er, rubbish.

So without further ado, let me introduce the Vauxhall Corsa GSI. Its purpose is straightforward – to fill a gap left open by the demise of the Corsa VXR, Vauxhall’s weapon to take on Ford’s Fiesta ST and other hot hatches.

The GSI name will be familiar to Vauxhall fans as it goes back a long way and has also recently been introduced on the Insignia.

The Corsa GSI is what you’d describe as a warm hatch, having the looks of a full-fat hot hatch but with more modest power. The GSI pinches many of the visual cues of the VXR, including its bonnet intake and aero add-ons, but under the Vauxhall Corsa GSI five-door hatchback

1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo, 148bhp

8.9sec 49.6mpg

bonnet instead of a 200bhp motor there’s a 148bhp 1.4-litre turbo.

Having only 148bhp is not this car’s problem. The Suzuki Swift Sport has only 138bhp but is a great little car. So what’s wrong with the Corsa then? Well, for starters, it has the worst tyre noise of any car I can remember driving. The standard fit tyre is the