Vauxhall Corsa Review (2024)

Introduction

If you’re old enough to remember the Vauxhall Nova of the 1980s and early 90s, you may not realise that this was the original Corsa. It was just given a different name in the UK.

And, if you saw the Corsa of today, you’d hardly believe that the humble, angular hatchback of 40 years ago was related.

The Vauxhall Corsa went through a more bulbous phase in the 90s and 2000s, but now it’s a hybrid of the two, boasting sporty and fashionable looks with a few rounded edges and some straighter lines.

'Hybrid' is also a very appropriate word because Vauxhall has finally added hybrid power to the small hatchback.

It is about time, too, as it's five years since it announced an all-electric version, originally known as the Corsa-e.

Nowadays, it shares plenty in common with the Peugeot 208, as the French manufacturer is now a sister brand, with both being owned by parent company Stellantis.

Like the rest of the Vauxhall range, the Corsa is a desirable car to lease nowadays. Given that over 40,000 Corsas were snapped up in the UK alone in 2023, there’s likely to be plenty of demand for this new hybrid model.

But how good is the hybrid?

That is what we’re aiming to find out.

At a Glance

Although the Corsa looks markedly different to the Peugeot 208 on which it's based, you can see the similarities in the car's overall shape.

That is no bad thing, though, as the 208 is a lovely car to look at, and, in our view, the Corsa is even better.

The 'Vauxhall Vizor', the centrepiece of Vauxhall's design language, is presented as a strip of piano black running between the headlights. There is no grille here – instead, it’s positioned lower down towards the bottom, where you’ll see the black mesh cutting into the bodywork.

Two thin slots sit at the sides as air intakes, giving it a surprisingly muscular and athletic appearance.

Around the sides, the doors feature an indentation towards the bottom and a crease at the top, adding definition to the Corsa’s character.

At the back, more convex slots act as air intakes, creating a sharpened bulge of the bodywork. The boot lid features wide, spaced-out lettering spelling out the car's name in uppercase.

It is by far the most impressive-looking Corsa there’s ever been.

Key Features

The latest Vauxhall Corsa is available in three main trims.

Entry-level Design grade gets 16-inch alloys, a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB radio and a 3.5-inch digital instrument cluster (electric models get a 7.0-inch cluster).

LED headlights, air conditioning (upgraded to electronic climate control in the electric model), a flat-bottomed leather-effect steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, electric windows and a body-coloured roof are also standard.

The GS trim offers 17-inch alloys, electrically folding door mirrors, electronic climate control, tinted rear windows, liquid palladium decor, LED front fog lamps and taillights, and a black roof.

The top-of-the-range Ultimate grade gets adaptive LED matrix headlights, a multimedia Navi infotainment system with SatNav, a heated steering wheel, and Alcantara-trimmed heated massage front seats with lumbar support for the driver.

There is a fourth trim, called Yes, although it's technically separate from the other trim levels and isn't available as a hybrid. It comes only in petrol and all-electric forms, but it's more of an entry-level spec with a few minor additions.

In terms of powertrains, there’s no shortage of options either.

There is a 1.2-litre petrol which produces 75PS with a five-speed manual gearbox, while a turbocharged variant outputs 100PS with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, or 130PS with the eight-speed transmission.

The hybrids have the same 1.2-litre mill, producing 100PS or 136PS, with a dual-clutch six-speed automatic.

Alternatively, there are two all-electric variants, producing 136 and 156PS.

Not all powertrains are available in all trims, and no hybrid is available in the Yes trim.

Performance & Drive

We are testing the higher-powered hybrid – the 136PS variant – in Ultimate trim.

The top-of-the-range model isn’t available with the lower-powered 100PS hybrid powertrain.

Our test car has a reasonably slick six-speed automatic gearbox, and it feels sprightly. It can go from 0 to 62mph in a respectable 8.6 seconds, which is perfectly adequate for a small hatchback.

The engine, thanks to the assistance of a small electric motor, rarely feels under strain and handles everyday situations with ease.

If you want to cut costs, there’s a 100PS variant, although it’s only available on the lower Design and GS trims (the hybrid isn’t available at all in Yes trim).

Of course, the petrol-only versions are cheaper still, offering 75, 100, or 135PS depending on trim. But the lowest-powered of these three feels too sluggish to recommend unless you're exclusively steering clear of faster roads.

The mid-range 100PS is arguably the one to go for. It feels punchy, making the 135PS variant an unnecessary expense.

As for the hybrids, our 136PS model is admittedly in the same boat, as the 100PS version does a good job.

So, unless you need the extra power (or specifically want the Ultimate trim, which doesn’t offer the 100PS hybrid powertrain), we'd stick with the 100PS version.

The Corsa isn't bad to drive in terms of handling, but it lacks the excitement of some of its rivals.

It grips the road well into a corner, but the body roll isn't as well-controlled as it is in some sportier competitors. The steering doesn't weight up sufficiently when you take a bend at speed, but it's superbly light around slow tight corners, like those of a town centre.

Precisely threading the Corsa around twisty B-roads isn’t as exact a science as some challengers can offer, though.

Our Ultimate-trimmed test car offers driving modes, so we can put the car into Sport (you'll get the same feature on the GS trim if you avoid the 75PS petrol). But while this adds some extra weight to the wheel, it feels a tad artificial.

It is a similar story with the exhaust note, which can sound raspier at the touch of a button but, again, this sounds rather fake.

The hybrid in Ultimate trim feels quite heavy, which doesn't help the handling. But in truth, even the lighter petrols in the range don't feel especially athletic.

Ride comfort is decent, although some of its opponents can deal with potholes well. While our flagship trim gets the largest 17-inch wheels, we'd prefer the added comfort of the smaller 16-inch wheels. These are only available on entry-level Yes trim, which, as we said earlier, isn’t available with the hybrid powertrains. The car can also take longer to settle than some of its foes.

The six-speed automatic with the Ultimate hybrid we’ve been driving felt smooth. What’s more, the hybrid can move away without the engine on at all, and the all-electric range, despite the tiny 0.9kWh battery, was impressive.

If you’re already on the move, when the engine latterly starts up, the transition between all-electric and engine isn’t quite as seamless as we’ve found in other hybrids, as it can take the car a second or two to work out what gear it needs to be in and get going.

Running Costs & Emissions

Our test car, the higher-powered 136PS hybrid, returns 60.1mpg, emitting 106g/km of CO2.

Opting for the lower-powered hybrid with 100PS will get you 61.4 to 62.7mpg, producing 102 to 104g/km of CO2, depending on trim level.

If you go for the petrols, the 75PS variant returns 51-54mpg (117-123g/km CO2), while the 100PS unit manages 53-54mpg (117-123g/km CO2) with the manual gearbox, and 51mpg (125g/km CO2) with the automatic.

The 130PS petrol returns 49.5mpg (127g/km of CO2).

If you're after a company car, though, you'll not want to touch any of the above with a barge pole, as opting for the all-electric variant is the most sensible choice to maximise savings on Benefit In Kind tax.

The 136PS electric car has a 50kWh battery with a claimed range of up to 221 miles, while the 156PS variant has a marginally bigger 51kWh battery with a range of 248 miles. Both have a maximum 100kW charging speed.

Unfortunately, Vauxhall doesn’t have the best reputation for reliability, though, coming in near the bottom of some dependability league tables.

Interior & Technology

The Corsa’s interior is nothing groundbreaking, but for a reasonably priced family car, it's about what we expected - besides, it does look quite smart.

However, the exact look depends on which trim you have – and this is where we have an issue.

Our Ultimate test car has sportier seats, a light grey stripe along the front, grey stitching on the doors, silver bottoms on the air vents, and a central steering wheel spoke (plus chrome around the gear lever in petrol-only versions).

But, apart from that, it’s an otherwise all-black colour scheme, which looks rather bland – and the next trim down, GS, is much the same (although while it has black stitching on the doors, it does at least have white stripes down the seats).

Admittedly, we like these two schemes the least.

The Yes trim (which is petrol or electric only) gets a large racey red patch on the seat backs, two red and white stripes, and some silver décor on the dashboard.

Design trim gets a different portion of the dashboard in silver, plus light grey and black seats.

Alas, the interior colour schemes aren’t interchangeable, so you’re stuck with whichever comes with the trim you pick. And we'd argue Vauxhall has got them the wrong way around. We'd very much like the red 'Yes' interior in the Ultimate version.

All models have a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, although in hybrid form, only the Ultimate trim gets SatNav (it is included on the all-electric GS, however).

Regardless, all trims can operate a SatNav app using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto via your phone’s navigation if you wish.

The screen is responsive and clear, offering plenty of features. However, the menu layout isn't the most intuitive we've encountered, and there's no rotary dial to make things easier on the move.

Voice control is included on models with the Multimedia Navi infotainment system, which is in our Ultimate test car and the GS trim if you choose the all-electric Corsa.

The 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster displays the navigation map, and happily, the air conditioning controls are still operated by physical dials and buttons, making them easy to use on the move.

The Ultimate trim we’re testing also gets matrix LED headlights, meaning you don’t need to worry about turning the main beam off, as it won’t dazzle oncoming motorists.

Overall, the build quality feels good – it seems solidly bolted together, and the cabin materials don't feel cheap. But some of the controls, such as buttons and switches, feel a bit too plasticky for our liking.

It is about what we’d expect; it is the brand's smallest and cheapest car – and it's lovely – but it's a shame Vauxhall hasn't been a little more daring.

Boot Space & Practicality

Finding a comfortable driving position in the Corsa is easy, as there’s a good range of adjustment in the steering wheel and seat, including height adjustment for the driver’s seat.

Our Ultimate-trimmed test car also gets height adjustment in the front passenger seat, plus adjustable lumbar support and massage function, which is nice.

Visibility out of the front is hampered somewhat by rather thick windscreen pillars, which are even wider at the back of the car. The roof spoiler intrudes into your view from some angles, adding to the inconvenience.

Rear parking sensors are on all models, though. GS and Ultimate get front parking sensors, too. GS also gets a rear-view camera, and our Ultimate test car (plus the GS electric Corsa) comes with a panoramic rear-view camera.

For a small car, there's a good amount of space in the front, and even taller drivers will have no problem with the above-average legroom and headroom.

The Corsa comfortably fits a couple of fully grown adults in the back, although no small vehicle will be a haven of luxury for back-seat grown-ups. Three is very ambitious unless your journey is very short.

The cabin has several storage spaces, including a tray beneath the climate control dials. However, the door bins aren't huge, the glove compartment isn't exceptionally accommodating, and the centre console cubby isn't the largest.

Vauxhall lists the boot’s capacity as 309 litres, expanding to 1,118 litres with the back seats folded down in a 60:40 split, although it's 267 litres, expanding to 1,081 litres in the electric version.

The lack of a more convenient 40:20:40 configuration isn't surprising in this class. There is also no height-adjustable boot floor, meaning you have to live with the load lip.

Safety

The Vauxhall Corsa was tested by Euro NCAP in 2019, earning a four-star rating.

That is alright, but Vauxhall will be disappointed not to have earned the full five-star rating, given that most manufacturers can achieve it.

Furthermore, the testing criteria have become more stringent over the years as Euro NCAP keeps raising the bar.

Nevertheless, it achieved an 84% score for adult occupants, 86% for children, and 69% for safety assists.

All models come with rain-sensing windscreen wipers, LED headlights, high beam assist, automatic lighting control, lane keep assist, cruise control, and rear park assist.

You also get a driver assistance pack, which includes a forward collision alert, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning and speed sign recognition.

Adaptive cruise control and a lane positioning assistant are standard on the Ultimate trim, but only with an automatic transmission, as the system can't be used with a manual.

Options

There is a handful of optional extras available to choose from.

The Yes model has no options apart from the body colour (a choice of white as the default colour, graphite grey, red, or black if you pay extra). As we said earlier, this trim isn't available with the hybrid powertrains.

The other grades can also be ordered in silver (or bright blue if you choose the all-electric model).

Different designs of alloy wheels are available, and the GS model can be equipped with a pack that provides front heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and centre console storage.

The GS and Ultimate trims can also specify a body-coloured roof (rather than the standard black roof) as a no-cost option.

The Ultimate trim also offers a panoramic glass sunroof with sliding sunblinds.

Rival Cars

Despite the decline in the family hatchback market due to the prevalence of SUVs nowadays, there’s still lots of competition facing the Corsa.

The Ford Fiesta might be gone now, but the Peugeot 208 offers a very compelling case – and, of course, it's based on the same platform as the Corsa.

There is also the Citroen C3, Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20, Renault Clio, and Toyota Yaris to consider.

The Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, and Seat Ibiza are also worth contemplating.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Vauxhall Corsa is a respectable small car – and it’s without doubt the best Corsa to lease yet.

However, while it’s a good all-rounder, it doesn’t excel at anything, and some rivals can still beat it in some areas.

Still, it's well-equipped and reasonably practical, and the range of powertrains should suit all tastes and budgets.

Furthermore, this is the most sophisticated and coolest-looking Corsa to date.

Where to next?

View latest Vauxhall Corsa Lease Deals - from just £173 per month inc VAT**.

Call us on 0118 3048 688 or hit the green 'Enquire' button for more details.

Looking for a great leasing deal? Check out our incredible range of Special Offers and Lease Deals. 

New Hatchback ? Read our latest Reviews and find the right model for you.

Want to know more about leasing? Take a look at our comprehensive Leasing Guides.

Interested in everything motoring? Why not catch up on all the latest Car Leasing News.

**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Vauxhall Corsa.

**Correct as of 24/07/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 24 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £1,555.11 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.