FIRST UK DRIVE
Our verdict as popular supermini gets electric power
THE Vauxhall Corsa has been one of the UK’s top-selling cars for a generation, and a favourite with driving instructors, first-time drivers, commuters and fleet managers. But Vauxhall’s hatchback has just taken its most revolutionary step yet.
This is the Corsa-e, and as the name suggests, it’s an all-electric version of this popular supermini, positioned as a zeroemissions alternative that is directly targeted at the usual Corsa buyer.
The Corsa-e is part of a growing crowd of small electric vehicles on sale in Britain, but unlike many of them, it has the advantage of having a very familiar name. It’s based on the latest version of the Corsa and takes its place right at the top end of the line-up.
There are two high-spec versions for buyers to choose from, priced from (after government grants) £27,665 for the SE Nav model, and £30,310 for the Elite Nav-spec car driven here. That’s a hefty amount for a model that’s built a reputation on being no-frills and value for money, but the Corsa-e is the first real example of what new Vauxhall owner PSA can do to reinvigorate the brand.
With that new ownership comes a fresh platform, called CMP, which is used across the whole group on the Peugeot 208, the 2008 SUV and the DS 3 Crossback. The platform also underpins the upcoming, second-generation Mokka and Citroen C4, too, and is the key to unlocking the Corsa’s all-electric potential.
The CMP platform allows the Corsa to run down the same production line in petrol, diesel and fully electric forms, which gives Vauxhall flexibility when it comes to building them and meeting customer demand. A 50kWh battery pack is positioned beneath the floor; a single 134bhp electric motor powers the front axle, while weight increases by just over 300kg compared with three-cylinder petrol versions of the Corsa. That weight makes quite a difference; we’ve praised the latest car for being light on its feet, but the additional heft of the battery is felt in the way the Corsa-e rides and handles.
Vauxhall has changed the suspension set-up to compensate for the additional weight, and the Corsa-e’s wheelbase is fractionally longer. It’s only really jittery at low speeds on pockmarked streets, but ride quality does suffer noticeably when you up the speed.
The initial acceleration might make you smile, but you’ll not have as much fun through bends. The centre of gravity drops because of the underfloor batteries, and body lean is kept well in check, while the Corsa-e keeps the regular car’s low seating position. But