Vauxhall Corsa GS long-term test: comfortable and big on practicality

Verdict

The Vauxhall Corsa has been a reliable and comfortable workhorse so far and now has approval from pets and parents alike. As the summer holidays get into full swing, we look forward to testing the car’s limits on longer road trips. 

• Mileage: 4,569
• Economy: 51.3mpg

Our Vauxhall Corsa has been hard at work since it arrived on fleet in April, covering 4,569 miles in the months since. But it’s time to put it into neutral, stick the handbrake on (yes, it’s got an old-school physical lever instead of a button) and soak up the Corsa’s updated look. 

To my eyes at least, automotive facelifts rarely work. I’m purely talking about subjective visual elements here rather than the technical side, and when it comes to design, surely the original is always best? Well, not when it comes to the facelifted current-generation Vauxhall Corsa. And yes, I know we’re not exactly talking about a masterpiece in automotive design, but bear with me.

We reported recently on the new Lancia Ypsilon (sadly not destined for the UK), and while the old version shared a platform with the Fiat 500, the new one is actually a close sibling of the Corsa. I don’t think the Vauxhall is as good-looking as its Italian counterpart, but the new ‘Vizor’ front end that the firm is giving all of its cars these days suits the supermini well – it’s certainly better than my attempt at recreating it anyway. The rear, which only really gets new ‘Corsa’ lettering is a bit of a let-down in comparison. 

I spoke with Jo Stenuit, Mazda’s Design Chief in Europe, earlier this year about the facelifted Mazda 2 Hybrid, and he pointed out that updates can be incredibly difficult to pull off successfully. In the case of the Mazda, a restyle was doubly difficult because of the underlying Toyota Yaris design language. 

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The Corsa also has to play the game of standing out amongst its many Stellantis siblings. It certainly has a unique look to it (unlike the badge-engineered Mazda) and on the whole it has a premium feel – something I don’t think could be said of any previous Vauxhall Corsa. That’s just as well because while the petrol model we have here starts at £22,915 in GS trim, the electric equivalent is over £35,000 and looks no different on the outside. 

The Corsa has my seal of approval in terms of looks, but I wanted to get the opinion of my parents, who have owned several Corsas in the past. I’ve taken plenty of cars to theirs over the years that have garnered varying levels of interest, but the Corsa caught their eye immediately. “It doesn’t look like a Corsa” was perhaps the most flattering of their remarks. 

We’ve touched on this before, but the latest model is a lot bigger than the previous one, and it’s now almost the same size as an Astra from 20 years ago. The interior also received praise in terms of its quality, although my folks did ask what the ‘Sport’ button did on the centre console, to which I replied “not a lot”. That’s because there’s no noticeable change in the Corsa’s character, although Vauxhall claims it quickens throttle response and changes the steering weight. 

While the responsiveness of the central touchscreen impressed, it did receive some criticism for something that I hadn’t noticed from the wheel. It often reflects glare on the passenger side which, when coupled with the dark background, makes it hard to see. 

Spaciousness got a thumbs up from the parents however, who were clearly eyeballing how much garden waste they could take to the dump. With the rear seats up, there’s a 309-litre boot – a little off a Skoda Fabia or SEAT Ibiza, but about average for the class. The 1,118 litres you get with them folded is much  more impressive. 

One thing that could have scuppered their plans is the lip on the boot, which is pretty high and makes loading hefty objects a bit of a chore. Speaking of which, my parents’ elderly labrador, who is growing fussier with her automotive transport as the years go by, seemed to be able to jump in and out of the Corsa’s boot and was pretty happy on a short journey. However, the massively thick C-pillars don’t allow for much natural light back there.

As for my dogs, well I promise to get their highly-regarded thoughts on the Corsa soon, but I think I may need a separate report to collate their notes. 

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Vauxhall Corsa GS: first report

Thumbs up for economy as humble hatch joins our fleet

• Mileage: 1,627
• Economy: 50.3mpg

If you’re like me, then the first thing you do with a new car is to see how efficient it is. It’s a good sign of the engine’s health and how much the car will cost to run. With just 278 miles on the odometer, there hadn’t been much running-in for my newly arrived Vauxhall Corsa, so managing more than Vauxhall’s impressive claim of 53.3mpg seemed like a tall order. 

But if you’ll forgive me cutting to the chase, the car immediately served up nearly 63mpg over 45 miles of back road and dual-carriageway – with a passenger. Even after many more miles of my inefficient driving style, its economy only dropped to 50.3mpg – still not far off Vauxhall’s claim. 

The importance of the Corsa’s average economy is even more obvious when you look at its rivals. The Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris managed 56.2 and 58.5mpg, respectively, in a recent Auto Express twin test and the latest MG3 returned 55.4mpg. 

All of those were hybrid cars, however, which shows just how slowly the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine sips fuel. Having a manual gearbox certainly helps – 1.9mpg more efficient than the automatic, says Vauxhall – while thanks to a healthy 99bhp and 205Nm of torque (compared with 74bhp in the less efficient, less powerful, non-turbo model) means you’re not leaning heavily on the throttle to get anywhere. 

In the month that I’ve had the Corsa, I’ve racked up over 1,600 miles – a lot of these coming in two-and-a-half hour schleps to Heathrow – something I was previously concerned about. Like most of the UK’s population, I have prior experience of Corsas – mine coming from the car I learned to drive in. I certainly wouldn’t have looked forward to regular long journeys in that fourth-generation car, but the current model can eat up motorway miles with ease. 

That’s thanks, in part, to its more refined cabin, with less road and wind noise. But what I appreciate is the wider (by 22mm) track and longer (by 27mm) wheelbase. They give this Corsa much more stable road-holding, resulting in fewer corrections with the steering wheel. Despite weighing almost the same as the old model, it has the feel of a far larger car – not surprising, given that its body is larger than the old version’s.

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A strange quirk of the Corsa that possibly only afflicts people such as myself with disproportionately long legs, is that it took several hours to get settled behind the wheel. The pedals are close to the seat, so I’ve had to adopt a rather laid-back driving position. There’s also no central armrest or raised centre console to lean on – which would go a long way to improving the car’s overall comfort for me. At motorway speeds I’ve also noticed there’s a whistle coming from the top of the windscreen. It all looks perfectly neat on the outside, but I’ll try to locate the source of this noise. 

Otherwise, the Corsa is performing as expected. It’s superbly easy around town, thanks to light steering, great visibility, and enough suspension travel and tyre sidewall to soak up the decaying local roads. 

Our car has no options fitted, but all that’s offered is a ‘Winter Pack’, which includes heated seats and steering wheel, and I really hope I won’t miss these. The mid-range GS trim comes with a bunch of handy features which we’ll go into depth in future reports, but one strange decision Vauxhall has made is to fit it with a grainy narrow-view rear camera, while the all-electric Corsa GS is fitted with a panoramic display. 

With mostly gentle motorway miles, the Corsa has had it easy so far. However, the summer holidays are coming up, so it’ll have to cater for more random trips and luggage, not to mention my dogs, who are ready and waiting to give their verdicts too. 

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.