2015 Vauxhall Corsa preview

When someone mentions the word Supermini you can’t help but think of the Ford Fiesta and the Vauxhall Astra. These are by far two of the best-selling models in the UK who constantly battle it out for the top spot.

So, what is there to talk about with the latest generation Vauxhall Corsa? Well, all the body panels are new for a start, the suspension setup is new and everything forward of the A-pillar is new too and this includes the Vauxhall Adam inspired face.
The similarities with the Vauxhall Adam can also be seen in the interior with glossy finishes and touch screen multimedia. It’s all of these touches which make the Corsa seem more useful than ever before. Vauxhall doesn’t expect to sell many of the entry level Life models. Instead they expect the public to opt for the second trim up which is the Sting as this model has features such as air conditioning, alloy wheels and some vital connectivity features such as USB and Bluetooth.

Layout-wise, the one thing we will say is that the new Corsa has much better ergonomics than the Fiesta. Sitting in the Fiesta can sometimes feel a little too cluttered. There’s also plenty of glass around providing the driver and all passengers excellent visibility.

You may not expect the latest incarnation of the Corsa to be that much different to drive than the old one, however you’d be pleasantly surprised. Vauxhall have done some fine tuning to the electric power steering so it’s more precise. The suspension is also much improved making the ride both smooth and comfortable. Overall, these small changes have made the car more enjoyable to drive.

Unfortunately, it’s not all good news when it comes to handling. In fact, it doesn’t quite eat up the corners as well as the Fiesta but it’s the closest the Corsa has ever come to the challenge. The Corsa is surprisingly good at cruising on the motorway although you do get a bit of wind noise at higher speeds. Although buyers are unlikely to be totting up motorway miles, it does come with the option of blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning for that added piece of mind.

With regards to engines, the Corsa comes with a wide variety of different petrol units. The two worth mentioning are the 1.4 litre turbo which gives an adequate 99bhp and the 1.0 litre 3-cylinder turbo where the latter rivals Ford’s Ecoboost units. It comes in either an 89 bhp or 113bhp guise. Performance from the 1.4 litre turbo is exceptional where you get loads of low down pull, however we would suggest opting for the 1.0 litre units which also have plenty of low down pull. In fact the 113bhp 1.0 litre unit completes a 0-60 mph sprint in almost an identical time to the 99bhp 1.4 litre turbo. For those who are dead set on opting for a diesel engine, Vauxhall offer a 1.3 litre unit which comes with either 74bhp or 94bhp. The latter emits just 85 grams per kilometre and will give you around 80 miles to the gallon.

So, the drive is good and it’s a good place to be but what about space? Well, two passengers of six foot will be happy enough at the back. However, there will be a bit of a squeeze if you try and fit a third passenger in the middle. Boot-wise the Corsa is just 5 litres smaller than the Fiesta coming in at 85 litres. However, if you fold the seats down then this is where the Corsa gets its own back on the Fiesta.

So, after driving the Vauxhall Corsa it’s clear to see that it’s certainly grown up a lot since the last generation. It’s also never been so close to pipping the Ford Fiesta when it comes to enjoy-ability. When you consider that the Vauxhall Corsa is in fact £1000 less than the Fiesta the gap between the two rivals has never been so small.