Vauxhall CORSA 1.4 ECOTEC RANGE
The Latest Corsa May Look Reassuringly Familiar But With A Smooth And Economical 1.4-Litre ECOTEC Twinport Engine Under The Bonnet, Its Close To The Its Close To The Cutting Edge. Andy Enright Reports
The Corsa is such an established part of the automotive scenery that its easy to take Vauxhalls baby for granted at least if youre a motoring journalist. The Corsas like the wallpaper on your PC; always there but very rarely acknowledged. Theres a good reason why theyre so commonplace. The Corsa has metamorphosed from a mediocre car to a very good one in a relatively short space of time, recently ending the
Ford Focus 40 month unbroken reign as Britains best selling car.
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Through a policy of continual improvement,
Vauxhall have honed the Corsa to a fine edge and the latest 1.4-litre engine is a welcome addition to the Corsa line up.
No fewer than six engines are available across the Corsa range - four petrol units and a pair of common rail diesel powerplants - but the 90bhp 1.4-litre ECOTEC petrol engine is one of the highlights, utilising twinport technology to give unparalleled economy. By using a variable length intake manifold and high rates of exhaust gas recirculation, the twin demands of engine breathing efficiency and low emissions are met. Under partial load, the engine receives an additional 25 per cent of its fuel air mixture from the already burnt exhaust gas recycled back into the mix.
The advantages of twinport technology are achieved through a combination of fuel injection and exhaust emission control by three-way catalytic converter technology. This reduces technical complexity and consequently cost, making the twinport solution particularly attractive for superminis. As a result, the 1.4-litre twinport-equipped engine uses a full 13 per cent less fuel than its 1.
4-litre predecessor, managing 47.9mpg on the combined cycle.
"The restyle gives the Corsa a little more attitude with which to combat a crop of serious supermini contenders"
Fire the engine up and the advances will probably pass you by. It still sounds much the same as its predecessor slightly buzzy at idle but not intrusive. The throttle response feels a little different when you get underway but otherwise youll incur no penalty for achieving that markedly superior fuel economy figure. If there is such thing as a free lunch, this Corsa 1.
4 ECOTEC serves it up with some panache. Youll feel a little more urge in the midrange but you would need to drive the old and new cars back to back to notice this. The latest Corsa reminds us just how quickly things move in this corner of the supermini market. A fundamental restyle of a car that was introduced at the tail end of 2000, the Corsa reminds us that in this dynamic market, a 36-month lifespan represents the equivalent of a long service award.
Wed hesitate to call this latest car a third generation Corsa as despite the revised front and rear ends and new engines on offer, its really more of a version two and a half. Its easy to understand why Vauxhall styled the all-new Corsa in such a conservative way prior to its 2000 launch. Buyers had cited the first generation cars cheeky good looks as one of its key strengths and Vauxhall were unwilling to mess with a winning formula. Unfortunately, what was seen as a strength became, in a surprisingly short period, something of a liability, hence the restyle which now gives the Corsa a little more attitude with which to combat a crop of serious supermini contenders.
The first thing many will notice is the more aggressive underbumper air intake that bodes well for future sportier Corsa variants. The headlights are fashionably complex jewel effect units that Vauxhall dub 3D lamps due to the trio of cylindrical housings for low beam, high beam and indicators. All models feature colour-keyed front and rear bumpers and these are fitted with impact-absorbent inserts to reduce the cost of typical supermarket car park knocks and scrapes. Revised upholstery and brighter colours give the interior a classier feel and a number of big car electronics functions such as follow-me-home lighting have been included.
Electric speed sensitive steering and a shorter rack also quickens up the steering feel considerably. In a rare display of meritocratic buying, the public have responded to the best ever Corsa with its best ever set of sales figures. The 1.4-litre ECOTEC engine is possibly the best choice in the Corsa range if you want your baby to drink petrol and again reminds us that Vauxhall is most definitely a marque on the up.
As recently as five years ago, this brand looked doomed but cars like the Zafira, the latest Vectra, the VX220 and the Meriva have totally rehabilitated Vauxhalls image. With cars like the Corsa 1.4 ECOTEC coming on stream, the griffins going from strength to strength.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 ECOTEC range
PRICES: £10,545-£11,655 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 1-9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 122-185g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2] 0-60mph 12.0s / Max Speed 106mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.4 Twinport] (combined) 47.9mpg
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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