Taking a ride in all-electric Corsa-e
Developed in half usual time Big improvement in quality
THE latest Corsa, and in particular the all-electric Corsa-e, is one of the most important cars in Vauxhall’s history. And before this crucial new supermini arrives in showrooms at the beginning of next year, Auto Express has been invited into the passenger seat to take a closer look.
Our driver for the day is Thomas Wanke, Corsa global lead development engineer. “This is the most challenging car I have ever worked on at Vauxhall, it was very difficult,” Wanke tells us. Work only started on the Corsa in 2017 as Vauxhall/Opel was bought out by PSA, the owners of Citroen, DS and Peugeot. As such, engineers had only half the usual time they are usually granted to develop a car. “I hope I never have to go through that again,” Wanke added.
Far from being half a job, this latest Corsa is the most technically advanced Vauxhall there has ever been; it’s the first from the brand to be offered as a petrol, diesel or fully electric model.
And it’s the Corsa-e we’re riding shotgun in here, although you wouldn’t know by looking at it. Aside from the aerodynamic 17-inch alloy wheels and smattering of ‘e’ badges, it’s been designed intentionally to look like the conventional models.
From the passenger seat, it must be said, there is very little to learn about how the Corsa feels on the move, hampered chiefly by the ice-like flooring of our location.
However, it does give us an opportunity to inspect the finished cabin, and first impressions are pretty good. There are a few cheaper bits of plastic lurking on the tops of the doors but overall quality is a big step on from the current Corsa’s, and gives the supermini a much-needed ‘premium’ lift.
The 10-inch display on the dash is well integrated, rich in detail, and very slick to operate. Plus, as you’d expect, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on offer, too.
The one thing that we can pick up from the passenger seat is the notable difference in performance the driving modes offer; the car starts off in Normal mode, limiting the power to 110bhp and torque to 220Nm. Only when you toggle through to Sport is power upped to the 134bhp and torque to the 260Nm Vauxhall claims. Our surroundings limit how fast we can go but the immediacy of the throttle response is noticeable.
Dropping to Eco mode cuts power even further, to 82bhp. This helps maximise the 205-mile range, or even exceed it, but the trade-off is rather lethargic performance.
Elsewhere, taking a seat in the back reveals space for two adults but less than in a SEAT Ibiza or Volkswagen Polo. The boot has the same usable space as a petrol or diesel Corsa but misses the under-floor storage, which is hardly a deal-breaker.
We’ll be getting behind the wheel of the all-new Corsa ourselves in November.
“This is the most challenging car I have ever worked on at Vauxhall. It was very difficult“
THOMAS WANKE Lead development engineer