As you’ll have learn in Matt Prior‘s characteristic about his highway journey to among the UK’s lesser recognized automobile museums, there is a normal consensus at Autocar that the Vauxhall Corsa is one thing of an underrated automobile.

There is a fairly excessive probability that you simply drive previous a minimum of one day-after-day, it being as frequent as a give-way signal or a postbox, however more often than not you’ll simply look straight by way of it.

This supermini was the third-most-popular automobile within the UK final 12 months, falling behind solely a pair of crossovers – the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Puma – with greater than 40,000 examples offered. It has been doing much less effectively this 12 months, although – not having been seen within the UK’s prime 10 sellers checklist since March, which is a little bit of a disgrace.

I reckon this fifth-generation Corsa, launched in 2019, is a reasonably sharp-looking machine, particularly now that it has the Vizor entrance finish that Vauxhall likes to make a fuss about.

That was launched in final 12 months’s facelift, and 6 months after that, 48V mild-hybrid variations have been launched, becoming a member of two pure-petrol variants and an EV with 222 miles of vary.

The delicate hybrid pairs the ex-PSA Puretech 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol triple with a 28bhp electrical motor and a small lithium ion battery hidden away below the entrance passenger seat.

It combines to supply 99bhp or, in my automobile, 134bhp. The 0-62mph time is 8.6sec – greater than fast sufficient to merge fortunately onto fast-moving roads, which is basically all it wants – and the quoted prime pace is a frankly foolish 133mph.

All the things is fed by way of a six-speed dual-clutch computerized gearbox, which I predict will annoy me in the long term, as my preliminary impressions are that it’s jerky, it’s sluggish to shift and it struggles to decide on a smart gear to be in. Together with robust ranges of regenerative braking, this makes driving easily round city an actual problem at instances.

Kerb weight – most likely the primary determine on everybody’s thoughts each time electrification is talked about lately – is claimed to be 1202kg, 92kg heavier than the non-hybrid Corsa.

The primary time I opened the door, I used to be stunned by the extent of kit inside. Maybe I shouldn’t have been, given the clue within the title of this top-rung mannequin: Final. Adaptive cruise management makes an look, the sound system is surprisingly good and of nice novel curiosity is the motive force’s seat, which, though fitted with guide controls for adjustment, encompasses a therapeutic massage perform.

I feel if you happen to had instructed a Corsa purchaser in 2003 that this might at some point be included on the spec sheet, their head would have exploded. Thoughts you, they might most likely have the identical response when you instructed them the worth. My Corsa prices an eye-watering £29,630, with the one possibility being the very fetching Voltaic Blue paint (£600).

I do know that small vehicles aren’t £15,000 any extra, however £30,000 is undeniably lots of cash. Certainly, it is solely a smidge lower than the Volkswagen Polo GTI.

In equity, this price ticket places it bang on course for anybody who is perhaps fascinated about a Toyota Yaris Hybrid. A kind of in as shut a spec to my Corsa as doable, with the non-obligatory Security Pack and an identical metallic blue paint, works out at £29,715. The virtually similar Mazda 2 Hybrid may be very equally priced, as is the Honda Jazz Hybrid.

Then once more, a top-spec Renault Clio E-Tech Full Hybrid might be had for £25,495 and the brand new MG 3 Hybridt lops one other £4000 off the invoice even in its fancy Trophy trim.

You’ll hope that the Corsa would have the ability to distinguish itself as worthy of sitting on the higher-priced finish of the supermini spectrum, however my preliminary impression is that it comes throughout as a bit bland inside, with uninspiring black plastic in every single place and considerably cheap-feeling supplies.

At the least the usual 10in infotainment touchscreen, which in my expertise was sluggish, badly laid out and crash-prone, was as a part of the current facelift changed by a a lot nicer one, with a cleaner structure and a wider side ratio. Apple CarPlay stretches all the way in which throughout the display now, too – one thing that actually helps a automobile to look extra upmarket in my eyes.

The inside is spacious for front-seat passengers, and the 309-litre boot is fairly good for such a small automobile (albeit with an enormous loading lip), such that there is nearly sufficient room to lug round my images gear. It appears that evidently has been achieved to the detriment of rear passenger area, thoughts you: three adults collectively actually feels tight.

Vauxhall claims mixed WLTP gasoline consumption of 60.1mpg for my automobile, but that is a determine I’ve seen in a pure-petrol Corsa earlier than, so I am to find how simply how excessive I can push the economic system readout on my countless lengthy journeys across the nation.

Replace 2

A seek for a primary automobile for my sister turned up an fascinating titbit. I had gone to take a look at a Citroën C1 in Bournemouth for her, with the vendor flogging it on behalf of his daughter. “She’s simply began a brand new job in Southampton, and also you simply cannot try this in one thing this small,” he mentioned. “You want one thing greater.”

As somebody who used to do 500 miles per week in a Fiat 500, this baffled me no finish. It wasn’t only a one-off, both. A brief trawl of some model-specific small automobile Fb teams revealed a good few examples of individuals pondering alongside the identical traces. I can not actually perceive why.

I carry this up as a result of most of my journeys appear to contain massive motorway miles, and the Corsa comprehensively ignores the above mind-set. It virtually feels prefer it was designed to be a long-distance mini-GT within the fashion of an Aston Martin Cygnet. Okay, perhaps that is taking it a bit far (metaphorically talking), however this automobile is critically spectacular for, effectively, a Corsa.

The twin-clutch transmission is geared fairly effectively for the job. When you get by way of that preliminary punch of energy on the motorway slip highway – which, with 134bhp and 169lb ft, is greater than simple to do – it slips into sixth and is greater than content material to sit down at low revs and pull itself together with its torquey little three-pot.

What strikes you at a cruise is the noise – or fairly the dearth of it: it is spookily quiet. Regardless of being on 17in rims with 45-profile tyres, the highway roar is impressively subdued, and it is virtually whisper-quiet inside, save for some wind noise from the mirrors.

Engine noise is just about non-existent, too, so even if you happen to’re a kind of individuals who would not hearken to music or podcasts whereas driving, you are unlikely to be pushed to distraction.

Supportive seats rely for lots on lengthy journeys. The Corsa’s aren’t dangerous, with digital lumbar help proving to be a lifesaver on lengthy drives.

The therapeutic massage perform is one thing of a short-lived novelty: it feels extra like somebody unrhythmically urgent a pillow into your backbone than a professional masseur gently kneading your again.

Except for smaller, extra trivial points such because the absence of a 200mph prime pace or a wealthy leather-based and wooden veneer cabin, the obvious barrier to the Corsa presenting itself as an Aston Martin DB12 rival for a fifth of the worth is the lively cruise management.

It is extremely nervous and panics if it could actually see a automobile inside what looks like the space during which you can simply cease a totally laden oil tanker.

Concerningly, it is too readily confused by lanes on even the gentlest motorway curves, typically choosing up autos to its left and starting to brake fairly closely to cease what it sees as an impending collision.

It is particularly dangerous coming as much as cross lorries – presumably as a result of them being that little bit wider – and it brakes tougher to compensate for the pace distinction.

All this might be rather more bearable if you happen to might change between lively and common cruise mode, whether or not that be through a steering wheel-mounted button, as within the Toyota Corolla, or hidden in a menu, just like the Mazda MX-30.

However you’ll be able to’t, so far as I can work out. It is a disgrace as a result of in a world during which so many individuals choose to do 65mph fairly than 70mph, it looks like a lacking piece of the mile-muncher puzzle.

Even so, it is flawed to imagine that small vehicles cannot do massive miles. I am averaging about 700 miles per week within the Corsa in the meanwhile, and I have never felt the have to be in something greater but.

Replace 3

Life with a Corsa Hybrid to date has been fairly nice. It is about as quick as a traditional, non-performance small hatchback must be, it is economical and it is sensible sufficient for each day life, even when lumbered with a full load of digicam tools.

Individuals are complimentary about it, too. A buddy even remarked that it is “too good to be a Vauxhall”. A bit unfair to the model, I feel, however irrespective of.

There may be one factor about it that drives me completely loopy, although: the experience. I can rely on one hand the variety of vehicles I have been in which have handled lumps and bumps worse than this, and most of these have been hardcore sports activities vehicles.

The first experience is ok. For those who have been to drive this Corsa down a wonderfully easy highway, you’ll surprise what I am on about, as all could be effectively. The issue is that in Britain, a wonderfully easy highway is all however a fantasy.

The second the automobile finds a bump on the floor, you realize about it – not from seeing it however from feeling an ungodly crash as you go over it. It might make you really feel as if you happen to’re driving over a small pace bump when in reality you are merely traversing a small pothole.

Even minor bumps – bridge enlargement joints on a motorway, for instance – ship a shock by way of the automobile, and genuinely bumpy roads shortly turn out to be exceptionally irritating to drive down.

This experience is surelv hindered by the large, 17in wheels shod with solely 205/45-section rubber, however there’s extra to it than that. I bought maintain of a 100bhp unelectrified guide Corsa (within the one-step-down GS trim) with the identical wheel and tyre mixture and took the 2 vehicles on an similar route alongside the closely uncared for roads of Poole.

The petrol automobile rode noticeably higher, coping with the bumps pretty effectively and with out many of the crashiness that plagues the hybrid.

After all, the petrol GS is lighter than the hybrid Final, however solely by 100kg or so. Even with a passenger and a boot stuffed with my work gear, it nonetheless rode significantly better than its pricier counterpart.

It feels as if the suspension is sprung rather more firmly within the hybrid – too firmly. You’ll anticipate it to be extra softly sprung to take care of that further weight, however there’s seemingly no want for it to be on the stage it’s.

This appears to be a recurring theme with Stellantis merchandise: colleagues have reported related discrepancies between electrified and non-electrified merchandise from different manufacturers within the conglomerate.

My Corsa comparability take a look at revealed one thing else fascinating, too. The nine-mile route I drew up took me from my house within the suburbs proper into the congested centre of city, through some quick stretches of twin carriageway and plenty of sooner roads too.

Site visitors ranges have been about the identical on every run (there was a one-minute distinction in instances). The petrol recorded a 42.7mpg common, the hybrid 45.5mpg. An enchancment, certain, however is 2.8mpg round city price spending greater than £2000 further to realize?

It was an identical story on longer drives: the petrol sometimes hovered across the 57mpg mark, the hybrid about 3mpg larger. Once more, barely higher, however well worth the expense..?

Closing replace

The Corsa title turns 43 years previous in 2025, having first graced the mainland European model of the boxy hatch that we Brits usually tend to know because the Nova in 1982.

The primary UK Corsa – the spherical, cuddly hatch that just about defines the ‘blobiect’ faculty of design that turned so prevalent all through the Nineteen Nineties – hit our potholed roads in 1993 and few different nameplates are actually fairly so ingrained in our psychological picture of the British highway scene.

That mentioned, in apply most individuals merely look straight by way of the Corsa. Very similar to a first-generation Nissan Qashqai or, maybe extra appropriately, a Ford Fiesta, it is simply… there, merely part of the site visitors jam making your Monday morning worse or occupying the final parking area in your avenue, worthy of no additional thought.

The aforementioned Ford was all the time the yin to the Corsa’s yang, and a 12 months and a half into the post-Fiesta world, the Vauxhall silently troopers on, unappreciated by most.

It popped up on the highest 10 bestseller’s checklist a few instances throughout final 12 months however didn’t take even a step in the direction of the heights it hit in 2023 when the Corsa was the third-most-sold new automobile within the nation.

So are patrons lacking out on one thing particular by discounting the Corsa? Based mostly on my expertise, I will admit that the Corsa hasn’t completed an enormous quantity to enamour me over the previous few months, however it’s completed little to make me actively dislike it both.

Let’s begin with one necessary factor I preferred: the way in which it drove on the open highway. The 134bhp hybrid set-up in my automobile was all you can ever want in the actual world, with the 1.2-litre turbo petrol three-cylinder offering greater than sufficient energy all by way of the rev vary.

With its 0-62mph time on the proper facet of 9 seconds, I by no means needed to fear about choosing up sufficient pace to match the circulation of a fast-moving motorway, and the in-gear acceleration was higher than I had initially anticipated.

Overtaking was a decidedly simple expertise: you’d merely mash your foot to the ground to kick it down a gear or two and also you’d slide simply previous the truck/tractor/Honda Jazz doing 35mph in a nationwide pace restrict zone for no conceivable motive. It is a disgrace, then, that this powertrain has simply been eliminated

from sale, leaving solely the marginally gutless 99bhp hybrid and non-hybrid petrol engines on sale.

The automobile proved surprisingly good enjoyable in corners. Physique roll was effectively contained and lateral grip plentiful, which made it really feel secure sufficient for me to throw it about once I took the great distance house. It did not immediate me to go for a drive only for the sake of it, however neither did I continually want I used to be driving one thing else each time I discovered myself on an entertainingly winding highway.

The Corsa additionally proved a succesful motorway cruiser – one thing individuals appear to suppose a small automobile is incapable of being. Engine noise and highway noise have been splendidly quiet in contrast with different superminis, and the seats have been beautifully comfy.

That was nice as a result of, with a 45-litre gasoline tank, it was very happy to persistently journey effectively over 400 miles as soon as brimmed. Financial system was spectacular general, sometimes hovering slightly below 50mpg, albeit a lot lower than the official mixed 60.1mpg.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, although. As comfy because the seats have been, the driving place itself was about as unergonomic because it will get. A number of colleagues reckon it has to do with the automobile’s platform being designed primarily for the i-Cockpit structure utilized by Stellantis stablemate Peugeot.

It actually felt that approach, with the cheap-looking instrument display all the time seeming to be barely obscured. I’m a reasonably usually proportioned individual, however it doesn’t matter what I did – adjusted the column, modified the seat distance, sat decrease – there was all the time one thing off that no quantity of fiddling might repair.

The tiny windscreen aperture had a seemingly shallow rake, which made it really feel very far-off, and the rear-view mirror seemed to be about twice as giant because it must be, blocking what little you can already see ahead.

A black headlining and darkish, shiny plastics appeared to suck in the entire mild, making the inside a dim place to be. House was restricted too: five-up drives within the Corsa have been loved by none. The boot was as massive as you can hope for, thoughts you.

My fundamental drawback with the Corsa hybrid is straightforward: the existence of the non-hybrid. I ran one in decrease GS trim for some time to see the way it in contrast and made some fascinating discoveries.

Not solely did it repair the hybrid’s appallingly crashy experience, however it was simply as economical general. Actually, it was a mighty 0.1mpg extra environment friendly than the hybrid. And, in dishevelled however habitable guide guise, it’s £2k cheaper.

Are you lacking something particular by not being extra conscious of the Corsa? Probably not, however it’s a wonderfully succesful automobile nonetheless.

Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Turbo Hybrid 136PS Final

Costs: Listing worth new £29,030 Listing worth now £29,255 Worth as examined £29,830

Choices: Voltaic Blue Paint, £600

Gas consumption and vary: Claimed economic system 60.1mpg Gas tank 45 litres Take a look at common 49.0mpg Take a look at finest 50.2mpg Take a look at worst 47.8mpg Actual-world vary 485 miles

Tech highlights: 0-62mph 8.8sec Prime pace 133mph Engine 3 cyls in line, 1199cc, turbo, petrol, plus electrical motor Max energy 134bhp Max torque 170lb ft Transmission 6-spd dual-clutch computerized, FWD Boot capability 309 litres Wheels 17in, alloy Tyres 205/45 R17 Kerb weight 1192kg

Service and working prices: Contract rent fee N/A (£268 for the 1.2 Turbo Hybrid 100PS Final) CO2 106g/km Service prices None Different prices None Gas prices £910.16 Operating prices inc gasoline £910.16 Value per mile 13 pence Faults Mysterious crackling after lengthy journey, infotainment freezing

Again to the highest