Overview

This is the facelifted version of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric – and it has quite the reputation to uphold. If you include the figures for the petrol-powered model, the pre-facelift Corsa was the most popular car in Vauxhall’s European line-up, accounting for around 40% of the company’s total sales. The supermini also topped the UK’s sales charts in 2021 and reached second place in 2020.

Vauxhall is confident the facelifted Corsa will continue this winning streak, partly because of how extensive its revisions are. In addition to the obvious cosmetic tweaks at the front end, the new electric car gets a larger 10.0-inch infotainment system, a refreshed cabin and a new ‘Long Range’ electric powertrain with a larger 51kWh battery pack and a more powerful 156hp electric motor.

Despite the current popularity of SUVs, there are a growing number of electric superminis to compete with the Corsa. The Honda e is an obvious rival, although the cheapest version of that car is around £5,000 more than the least expensive Corsa Electric – and it has a much shorter range.

There’s also the quirky BYD Dolphin which, despite being considerably cheaper than the Corsa, isn’t quite as polished. The MINI Electric is also vying for your attention, but you’ll need to be comfortable making some practicality and range sacrifices to bag its stylish looks and sharp driving experience.

Vauxhall’s plan for the facelifted Corsa Electric was to make the buying experience as simple as possible. The company’s marketing manager told us that buyers will simply need to choose their motor, choose their trim and choose their colour – and this entire process can be completed online.

The previous Corsa’s 136hp motor and 50kWh battery pack have been retained for the facelifted model, becoming the new entry-point to the line-up. Buyers have three specifications to choose from called Design, GS and Ultimate. The 136hp motor is available on Design and GS cars, while the 156hp unit can be specified with the GS and Ultimate trims.

Vauxhall has improved the amount of standard equipment offered on each trim to boost its appeal. Design models feature LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, automatic windscreen wipers and rear parking sensors. Buyers are also armed with an arsenal of standard safety technology, including lane keeping assist, cruise control and traffic sign recognition.

GS models build on this specification with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lamps, LED taillights, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. The cabin also receives a few upgrades, such as sports seats, a front centre armrest and a built-in sat-nav system.

The range-topping Ultimate model is packed with the sort of equipment normally reserved for top-spec cars from the class above. Upgrades over the Corsa GS include adaptive LED Matrix headlights, a wide-angle rear-view camera, a wireless smartphone charger and adaptive cruise control. You pay handsomely for the extra tech, though. Prices for the Ultimate model start from £38,585.

Over the next few pages, we’ll assess each aspect of the facelifted Vauxhall Corsa Electric, considering its practicality, interior quality, technology, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict on the car. Click through to the next page to learn more.