New Vauxhall Corsa review: Has Britain’s best-selling small car become better?

Vauxhall’s Corsa hatchback is Britain’s best-selling supermini (and electric supermini) and I’ve been driving the latest model, both petrol and electric, in its 40th anniversary year.

Surprisingly, more than five generations [if you count the Nova launched in 1982, that is, it’s been around for a third of the entire life of the Vauxhall brand, which is this year celebrating its 120th birthday.

Bosses have treated the nation’s favourite small car with a mid-life facelift – be it a fairly comprehensive one to make some big changes since it was launched back in 2019.

But do these upgrades and tweaks keep it at the top of the pile for Britons wanting a solid five-seat compact hatchback? And is the Corsa Electric really worth the huge premium over the basic petrol version?

The mid-cycle update has seen the Corsa range become simplified with three trim levels – entry-level Design, GS, and Ultimate – and a choice of three petrol engines and two electric motors. 

It’s also been made chrome-free, has a new fully digital cockpit and refreshed alloy wheel designs.

The touchscreen infotainment screen size has been upped to 10-inches, while the tech powering it has also been given a revamp.

What’s the petrol Corsa like to drive?

What proved a particular unexpected delight was getting behind the wheel of the perky new Corsa GS 1.2-litre Turbo petrol.

For reference, Vauxhall has ceased selling the Corsa with a diesel engine, so that’s no longer an option for UK buyers. 

After spending so much time driving many of the latest modern hi-tech cars with whizzy ‘start’ buttons to fire up the engine or electric motor and engage automatic transmissions with steering wheel paddles to change gear, it took me a moment to re-orientate myself with controls that return to something resembling convention.

For my car had…a key. A physical key. One that you slot into the ignition switch on the dashboard and turn to start the car. What a delight! And a relief to potential buyers scared witless about the ongoing keyless vehicle crimewave!

Then it was my foot on the clutch to put the manual stick-shift into first gear. The joy of six gears left me in fourth-generation Corsa heaven and brought a real smile to my face.

Now I appreciate there are many people out there still driving older or entry-level vehicles for whom this is quite a normal everyday experience. 

Well, savour it. Like I did. Because the trend is away from that. 

Few new cars have a manual gearbox – especially with the move towards electric. 

So, the act of physically changing gear may soon become a lost art. In fact, the latest DVSA stats show that one in five driving tests are now for an automatic-only licence – that’s compared to just one in 20 a decade ago.

And it’s not just new motorists who want autos; searches for cars with automatic transmissions have risen from 9.9 per cent in 2014 to 18.6 per cent this year, the AA recently found.

The fact that it took me a few seconds to find myself was warning enough. 

But what great, tactile fun. It really is engaging with the car in a way that driving an automatic – or even a paddle shift – cannot deliver.

The mid-spec GS trim riding on 17-inch wheels with its fuel-sipping 100 horsepower 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine cost £23,605 – including £700 for the fetching Crimson Red premium two-tone metallic paint with black roof.

It’s a enjoyable, simple and relatively raw to drive, with acceleration from 0-to-62mph in an adequate 9.9 second up to a top speed of 120mph – which is more than you could ever need.

CO2 emissions are relatively low at between 114g to 117g/km with cash-saving fuel economy of up to 55.4mpg.

An 8-speed automatic version is also available at a premium, in this case pushing the retail price (which hardly anyone ever pays, given how discount-happy Vauxhall dealers are) to £25,606.

The petrol range starts from £19,625 for the 75 horsepower 1.2-litre Corsa up to £28,385 for the bells-and-whistles 130 horsepower 1.2-litre turbo automatic.

A hybrid model will arrive in time for the new year, Vauxhall says. 

Is the Corsa Electric just as impressive then? 

Vauxhall also put on a selection of the battery-only Corsas for me to try.

I took to the wheel of the zero-emission 156 horsepower (115kWh) Corsa Electric in top of the range Ultimate long-range trim.

You notice immediately a significant boost from the extra oomph of power. 

It accelerated briskly and silently from rest to 62mph in a whizzy 8.2 seconds, which felt dramatically faster than the 1.7 seconds gulf to the 1.2 petrol I drove before it. 

Top speed – where legal [essentially he German Autobahn] – it’s 93 mph.

However, the most important performance status of all is its claimed range of 246 miles. This should be good for long-distance trips, as well as local tours or urban commuting; In the latter two cases, the Corsa operates most frequently in the hands of its British owners.

Charging to 80 percent takes just 30 minutes with a 100 kW DC fast charger. However, expect 5 hours and 15 minutes for a full charge with an 11 kW home AC charger and 7 hours and 30 minutes with a 7 kW version.

While it certainly has its performance and frugality benefits over the gasoline model, this comes at a cost. And a big one!

The price of the car I tested was £39,285, including £700 for the metallic paint. Oh! That’s about the same as a basic BMW 3 Series saloon. [which starts from £40,205 for the 320i petrol].

Vauxhall says this can be mitigated with the competitive PCP (personal contract purchase) finance deals on offer, and the savings made by switching to electric can offset the additional cost of the purchase.

There’s also the fact that dealers are slashing thousands of pounds off the price of new electric vehicles these days; with Stellantis, Vauxhall’s parent company, offering the biggest discounts. It means there’s little chance of anyone paying the RRP of almost £40k for a battery-powered Corsa.

The cheapest model in the electric range starts from £32,445 for the less powerful 136bhp version, which is still a considerable price for a small vehicle.

Cars & Motoring Verdict: Are the changes enough to keep the Corsa at the top of the UK charts?

The revised Corsa certainly has a sharper look both inside and out, which in my opinion is a drastic improvement over the previous drab looking car.

It has taken on the modern ‘Vizor’ face that now graces the Vauxhall range, and this has made it even more attractive.

The simplified range makes it a much less confusing option for buyers. Their average age is also decreasing.

The entry-level price makes it a good option for those who are on a budget, looking for a second car that won’t cost them a lot of money, or looking for a new car for a son or daughter that won’t make them feel embarrassed among their peers.

Inside, Vauxhall says it has “detoxified” the interior styling, with a cleaner dashboard and less clutter. There are screens. But it still retains buttons and knobs for vital and safety-critical functions, which is very nice.

Meanwhile, competition will not stop and there are many well-priced rivals entering the market, particularly from China, which is aggressively targeting the electric car sector.

Therefore, the option to spread the load with PCP finance contracts starting at around £250 plus deposit is a smart move to target retail buyers.

Once the new facelifted car starts rolling off the production lines and into showrooms, it will certainly have a good chance of retaining its crown.

But as with many rival claims for motor industry monarchy, it will be a battle royale.