Overview

The Corsa is Vauxhall’s greatest success story in recent years – this humble supermini has regularly topped the UK sales charts – and will continue to do so now that its closest rival, the Ford Fiesta, has been axed. As a small car, it’s entered the national psyche, no doubt powered by a thousands of Corsa-driving learners over the years.

The current Corsa hit UK showrooms in 2019, but it’s been updated a couple of times since then, with a facelifted version going on sale later in 2023, detailed below. The most welcome change has been Vauxhall’s decision to simplify its confusing range of trim levels. There used to be 11 specifications to choose from, but that’s now been reduced to just three options called Design, GS and Ultimate, bringing the Corsa into step the rest of Vauxhall’s vehicles.

You get a good amount of standard equipment for your money, even with the entry-level Design model, such as 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, lane-keeping assist, cruise control, automatic emergency braking and a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The mid-range Vauxhall Corsa GS is pitched as the ‘sporty’ model in the range. You get a few racy styling tweaks, such as 17-inch alloys, more aggressive front and rear bumpers, a chrome exhaust tip, a black roof and rear privacy glass. Inside, you also get aluminium pedals, a black headliner and a seven-inch digital gauge cluster.

Sitting at the top of the line-up, there’s the Corsa Ultimate. It features an arsenal of technology such as Matrix LED headlights, a panoramic rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, climate control, adaptive cruise control and a 10-inch infotainment system with built-in sat-nav. You also get the same styling pack as the GS, albeit with a set of unique 17-inch alloys.

The engine range is equally simple. There’s a choice of three 1.2-litre petrol engines and the Corsa Electric EV version. The entry-level petrol model develops 75hp, while the middling option produces 100hp thanks to the addition of a turbocharger. Both feature a manual gearbox as standard, although the latter unit can be optionally specified with an automatic.

Spend a bit more money and you can have a 130hp version of the turbocharged 1.2-litre engine. However, this unit is only available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and can only be specified on GS models and up, which means it’s quite expensive.

Watch our exclusive video of the Corsa Electric to learn more about the smart new look – the biggest change is the front-end styling with Vauxhall’s eyecatching ‘vizor’ headlamp/grille arrangement. If you want the latest-looking car, you might want to wait for this model.

Over the next few pages we’ll review each aspect of the Vauxhall Corsa, taking into account its practicality, technology, running costs and driving experience, before offering our final verdict on the car.