Vauxhall CORSA 1.2-LITRE TWINPORT RANGE
Supermini Buyers Like A 1.2-Litre Engine And In The 1.2-litre Twinport Unit, Vauxhalls Corsa Has A Particularly Good One. Steve Walker Reports
Vauxhall have found that a 1.2-litre petrol engine fits rather well into their Vauxhall Corsa. Conferring on the car just the right amount of zippy performance without unduly bumping up insurance premiums or having too detrimental an effect on fuel economy, the 1.2 has long been a stalwart constituent of the Corsa range.
There was nothing catastrophically wrong with the Corsas original 1.2-litre powerplant: it was a perfectly workable unit, but the irresistible forces of progress have seen it replaced by something thats better on most of the counts that matter. Its the 1.2-litre Twinport engine.
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If we take it that the key requirements of any engine are performance, economy and cleanliness, the Vauxhalls 1.2-litre Twinport unit is a worthy successor to the 1.2 that went before. Its faster, more economical and cleaner but, perhaps most crucially of all, its offered at the same price.
Where a Corsa with the old engine arrived at 60mph from a standing start in 12s, a Twinport-equipped model requires just 11.8s. You might think that 0.2 of a second makes very little difference but try telling that to Britains Olympic 4x100m relay team.
We are talking about measly amounts of time here but the average motorist wont need a stopwatch to appreciate that the 79bhp Twinport engine brings home the gold medal for all-round performance ahead of the old 74bhp 1.2 even if it is a close-run thing. Average fuel consumption in 1.2-litre Twinport Corsas is over 48mpg while the older 1.
2 only managed 46mpg and CO2 emissions are down from 146g/km to the current 139g/km. The differences are small but they are there and with
Vauxhall electing not to tamper with the 1.2-litre Corsas prices, customers are getting something for nothing - which cant be bad. At this point, some of you may be wondering about the technicalities that make the Twinport 1.
2-litre better than the superseded 1.2. Others wont be the slightest bit interested but were going to take a look at it all the same. Twinport technology is now found in a number of Vauxhalls smaller engines and it works on the basic premise that a variable length intake manifold and high rates of exhaust gas recirculation allow the twin demands of engine breathing efficiency and low emissions to be met.
Under partial load, a Twinport engine receives an additional 25 per cent of its fuel air mixture from already burnt exhaust gas which is recycled back into the mix. The various advantages of Twinport are achieved through a combination of fuel injection and exhaust emission control by three-way catalytic converter technology. The system actually reduces the technical complexity of an engine and consequently cuts costs, making the Twinport solution particularly attractive for superminis.
"Vauxhalls 1.2-litre Twinport unit is a worthy successor to the 1.2 that went before."
Another factor that will tempt buyers in the direction of the 1.2-litre Twinport petrol engine is that you can mate it with Vauxhalls excellent Easytronic automated transmission. Leave this system in automatic mode and electronics determine the ideal gear ratio for the actual operating conditions, controlling the shifting process. Which is why youll use less fuel with Easytronic in auto than you would in an equivalent manual Corsa.
As with conventional automatic transmission, Easytronic lowers engine torque slightly during the shift, to give a softer, more comfortable gear change. If you want to shift gears yourself, its as simple as moving the shift lever out of the auto setting and pushing it forward (to change up) or pulling it back (to change down). Easytronic is based on a fully manual set-up which is why the fuel consumption penalties are so nominal though there are a few reservations. For a start, when you kickdown to overtake, the system does indeed change down a gear or two for rapid acceleration.
The problem is that once thats happened, unlike a conventional automatic, the system doesnt resume its previous high gear which quickly becomes annoying. The second drawback is more predictable: 0-60mph times suffer by around a second in comparison to a full manual but few will complain. Whether you choose the Easytronic option or the 5-speed manual gearbox, the 1.2-litre Twinport Corsas are reasonably adept on the road. There are no serious problems with the ride quality and the engines refinement, within normal operating parameters, is good.
The Corsa isnt the sharpest handling supermini on the market and some rivals borrow MPV styling devices to offer more versatile interior space but its a tough customer with strong build quality and safety provision is particularly impressive. If you decide on the 1.2-litre Twinport option from the wealth of engines that comprise the Corsa range, you must then pick a trim level. That means Life.
Energy, Design or the slightly sporty SXi and once youve settled on one of those, theres the little matter of 3 or 5-door bodystyles. Prices begin at £9,080 for the Life 3-door and rise to £10,705 for the Design 5-door, so whatever your preference, a 1.2-litre Twinport Corsa is never going to get exorbitantly expensive. This engine is definitely a step on from the old 1.
2-litre petrol unit that it replaced and, judging by the success achieved by that long-serving powerplant, its likely to prove a big hit. An affordable blend of performance, cleanliness and economy is exactly what many supermini buyers are looking for and if they come across the 1.2-litre Twinport Corsas, theyll have found it.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Corsa 1.2-litre Twinport range
PRICES: £9,080-£10,705 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 139g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 11.8s / Max Speed 109mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 32.2mpg (urban), 61.4mpg (extra urban) 48.7mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Drivers airbag, seatbelt pretensioners, side impact beams.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 3817/1646/1440mm
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