Vauxhall CORSA RANGE
If Youre After A Modern Supermini, You Cant Afford To Ignore Vauxhalls Latest Corsa. Andy Enright Reports
As a sobering testament as to how quickly things move in the supermini sector, take a look at Vauxhalls latest Corsa. This car was introduced at the end of 2000 but facelifted as recently as the Autumn of 2004, proving that in the supermini market, you cant stand still for long.
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 current generation 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 has given the Corsa a little more attitude with which to combat a crop of serious supermini contenders.
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Prices start at £6,995. 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.
"The restyle gives the Corsa a little more attitude with which to combat a crop of serious supermini contenders"
No fewer than six engines are available four petrol units and a pair of common rail diesel powerplants. The 70bhp 1.3 and 100bhp 1.7-litre diesel engines are comparatively new to the Corsa, Vauxhall proclaiming the 1.
3-litre powerplant the smallest four-cylinder common rail diesel engine in the world. As claims go, its pretty modest and the same can be said for the engines thirst. Itll average 62.8mpg although the 1.
7-litre unit isnt far behind in the abstinence stakes, sipping fuel at a rate of 58.9mpg. With a variable geometry turbocharger, the larger engine generates a hefty 240Nm of torque which is identical to that of a supercharged Mercedes E200K. Whats more, both of these engines comply with stringent EURO4 emissions regulations: that means three per cent knocked off benefit-in-kind taxation for company users. A newly developed 90bhp 1.4-litre ECOTEC petrol engine is also 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. A 60bhp 1.
0-litre twinport petrol unit is also offered which notches up a 53.5mpg average, up three per cent on before. Alternatively, theres now a 1.2-litre twinport with 79bhp and a 48.
3mpg average. Opt for the 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre twinport petrol engines and you can mate them with the excellent Easytronic automated transmission.
Leave this system in automatic mode and electronics determine the ideal gear ratio for the actual operating conditions and control 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. Despite the improvements, the Corsa has continued to appeal to much the same clientele, those at the more conservative end of the supermini buying spectrum. Still, dont underestimate Vauxhalls baby. Its great fun, technologically adept and is a good deal more focused than its cutesy looks may suggest.
Vauxhall have shown they are well up to speed with rapidly evolving conditions.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Corsa range
PRICES: £6,995-£13,355 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 1-9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 122-185g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2] 0-60mph 11.8s / Max Speed 109mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.4] (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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