Vauxhall Corsa-e Electric version of Vauxhall’s new small hatchback borrows from Peugeot e-208
Vauxhall’s small hatchback is now available in all-electric form with an of cial range of almost 210 miles On sale Now Price from £30,665
FIRST DRIVE
THE VAUXHALL CORSA has long been a sensational sales hit for Vauxhall. Oh, what the British brand would give for a similarly seismic impact in the electric car market with the new Corsa-e.
Vauxhall’s new electric small hatchback has had a bit of a head start in life, because it shares its mechanical bits with the five-star Peugeot e-208 (which is compared with the new Mini Electric and Renault Zoe on p62), in much the same way that petrol and diesel versions of the Corsa and 208 are alike. The main difference between them is, obviously, the styling.
Compared with the conventionally powered Corsa, the Corsa-e has slightly more space between its front and rear wheels, with its rear axle pushed farther back to help accommodate the sizeable, 50kwh battery that’s packaged in an H pattern under the front and rear seats.
Start the car and, at low speeds, you have that now-familiar yet eerie electric hum as it moves off. Vauxhall quotes a 0-31mph time of 2.8sec, which illustrates this car’s punchy electric shove in the back away from the traffic lights. A 0-60mph sprint in 7.6sec makes it significantly quicker than the Zoe, but it’s still slower than the Seat Mii Electric.
The steering feels nicer than it does in the petrol Corsa. It has more weight to it, so it avoids that model’s limp, lifeless feel, and the car is really easy to drive, much like the e-208. The ride of the Corsa-e edges towards the firm side, but all of its body movements are well controlled, it never feels concerningly uncomfortable and it generally comes across as more hunkered down than the petrolpowered Corsa. That’s largely down to the extra 355kg of the battery pack and the suspension having been tuned accordingly to accommodate it. So, while a trip down a cobbled street would have you bouncing around in a Zoe, the Corsa-e is more controlled. This also translates to handling that feels pretty agile by electric car standards, with minimal body lean through corners.
20 May 2020