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First Drive: Vauxhall Corsa Elite
THE Vauxhall Corsa is a household name and has, throughout the years, come to represent frugal and value-formoney motoring at its most effective. Now, there’s a fifthgeneration Corsa – and it’s the first all-new Vauxhall since the French PSA Group took ownership of the company.
It means the hatchback is underpinned by a new platform, with fresh engines and technology – all shared with the Peugeot
208. It means the Corsa offers more space than before but crucially, the driver sits lower than they would’ve in the older model – so that should equate to a more involved, more sporting-led feeling from behind the wheel.
Our test car featured a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet, sending 99bhp and 205Nm of torque to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s likely to be one of the most popular powertrain options, owing both to its relatively sprightly 0-60mph time of 9.3 seconds and, more importantly, it economy figures of up to 52.3mpg combined and 96g/ km CO2 output.
A single diesel unit sits in the range along with a non-turbocharged petrol unit. And, of course, this is a platform which has been created with electrification in mind, which is why an all-electric Corsa-e is set to join the ranks shortly.
The 1.2-litre turbocharged engine is a great fit too, with that healthy amount of torque meaning that it never feels breathless. The gearshift itself is a touch wooly (and this is what we’ve come to expect from PSA cars) but it’s light and easy to use, so it’s not too much of a bother to operate.
The design represents a big step forward for the brand. It’s not too fussy but not lacking in interesting features, either. Vauxhall’s pushed hard to increase the perceived quality of the Corsa’s interior, with soft-touch materials used for areas such as the dash and door cards. There’s plenty of visibility up front, too as well as a decent amount of boot space. A three-door version is planned.
The new Corsa gets plenty of equipment as standard, with our £20,350 Elite Nav
Premium car (£21,000 after options) getting a 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as electronic climate control, automatic headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels all included in the vehicle’s base price.
With over 2.1 million Corsas sold in the UK since it launched in 1993, you can understand why Vauxhall has brimmed this latest model with technology while improving efficiency and practicality in one fell swoop.
It’s all paid off, thankfully, while PSA’s ownership has meant that crucial areas – such as the powertrain, for one – feel more refined than they ever did before.