Vauxhall Corsavan (07 on) - Review

Car-derived vans are a fun breed. They are small, easy to park and return good average fuel economy. Based on the regular Corsa car, the Corsavan is nimble and easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces, making it ideal for small businesses working in and around small towns and city centres. If you only have a couple of toolboxes and a stepladder to haul around then this could be the van for you. There’s also a choice of economical ecoFLEX diesel engines to help cut running costs. However, it has some tough competition in the world of small vans, and the Ford Fiesta van and Fiat Grande Punto van won’t make life easy.

Jump in and you’ll see that the layout of the cabin is familiar, with the dash resembling that of the Corsa car. The switchgear and the plastics feel hard wearing and should stand up to the bumps and scrapes of van life. Road noise is a little intrusive, especially on start-up. The cabin is very well laid out and driver focused. The front seats are supportive, but could offer more bolstering for your back, which is vital on long journeys. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake making the ideal driving position easy to find. Like most vans, you have to pay a bit extra for the regular creature comforts such as air-con.

Two engines are available in the Corsavan. There’s a 1.2-litre 16v Twinport petrol engine or a 1.3-litre CDTi diesel engine. The petrol engine produces 69bhp and 115Nm or torque. While this is a respectable power output for the engine and van size, it could struggle with heavier loads in the back. The larger 1.3CDTi diesel comes in four different guises. The entry-level diesel is a 73bhp version with torque rated at 190Nm. This model is also available with stop/start, which helps lower emissions and improve fuel economy while producing the same power and torque. The more powerful diesel on offer produces 93bhp and 210Nm of torque. This comes as either an ecoFLEX model with stop/start, which brings emissions down to just 95g/km and economy to 78.3mpg, or in a more performance focused Sportive trim. The Corsavan has almost car-like handling and will suit van drivers who need a practical, manoeuvrable vehicle for delivering goods in towns and city centres. It’s nimble and although there is a little body roll when cornering it feels like a well set-up vehicle. All models come with a five-speed manual gearbox apart from the 93bhp Sportive version, which gets a six-speed manual instead.