Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is the fully electric version of one of the most popular cars in Britain. Indeed, the Corsa is frequently at the top of the sales charts. 

The electric version follows the familiar Vauxhall Corsa concept that so many people love. The only changes are a slightly longer wheelbase to accommodate the big battery under the seats, and some suspension and steering tuning, to cope with its extra weight.

A recent facelift should bolster that appeal even further, adding smart new styling, a cheaper Yes trim level and new Long Range trims that get a more powerful motor and a slightly bigger battery.

But is this recipe enough to help the Vauxhall Corsa Electric take on the best small electric cars, including the Renault 5 (our current Car of the Year), the closely related Peugeot e-208 and the slightly larger MG4? Let's find out…

What’s new?

• April 2025: Corsa-e updated for 2025, gaining vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities and improved 266-mile range

• Griffin trim level added to Corsa-e, which comes with semi-autonomous safety features, 7.0in digital touchscreen and smartphone connectivity as standard

In terms of acceleration, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric is among the quickest models in the range. In our tests, the standard 134bhp version managed 0-60mph in 8.0 seconds, so it's comfortably quicker than the Renault 5, although not as nippy as an MG4 or Mini Cooper Electric.

On paper, the slightly more powerful 154bhp option has the same official 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds, but if you drive them back-to-back you’ll notice a slight difference getting off the line. There’s plenty of punch for overtaking and getting up to motorway speeds, especially when you have access to the car’s full power in Sport drive mode.

We’d stop short of calling the Corsa Electric "sporty". That’s because, despite having firmer suspension than a petrol Corsa, it leans significantly through corners – a side effect of lugging around a heavy battery.

What’s more, while the steering has been tuned for the extra weight, it’s still rather vague. Its natural response means it’s easy to place on the road, but the Cooper Electric and the Peugeot e-208 are more fun through corners, thanks largely to their sharper and more accurate steering set-ups.

The Corsa Electric's ride edges towards the firm side. It’s more fidgety than an e-208 and Renault 5 over abrasive surfaces, and not as good at taking the sting out of sharper intrusions. That said, its ride never becomes uncomfortable, and overall it's more agreeable along bumpy roads than the Cooper Electric.

While you drive along those bumpy roads, you’ll hear some suspension noise but wind and road noise is well contained until you reach motorway speeds. The brakes, meanwhile, feel curiously spongy and can make it harder to slow down smoothly than on most petrol cars, and even many electric cars.

Officially, the Corsa Electric Long Range can travel the furthest, with a range of up to 266 miles between charges. That's slightly more than the closely-related e-208 and a little more than the Renault 5 52kWh, but a fair way down on the similarly-priced MG4 SE Long Range.

The standard battery isn’t far behind, with a range of 221 miles that’s competitive against the entry-level MG4 (218 miles). The problem is that, in the real world, you'll be lucky to get more than 180 miles out of the Corsa – and that's in warm weather. In the depths of winter, 150 miles is more realistic.

"I found the Corsa Electric a fine car on my 100+ mile commute, but there’s no avoiding the fact that the Renault 5 would be even better." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Inside, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric looks very different to the Peugeot e-208, despite the two cars being closely related. The Corsa Electric's lay-out is far more conventional and conservative, although that does bring some benefits.

For example, you're likely to have fewer issues viewing the 7in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel. In the e-208 the instruments are mounted above the wheel, which doesn't suit everyone.

Plus, the Corsa Electric has physical controls and buttons to control its air-conditioning. Some functions outside of fan speed and temperature require digging into the climate control menu on the centre touchscreen, but it’s far less of a faff than the e-208’s touchscreen-only set-up.

Speaking of which, every Corsa comes with a 10in infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, which is handy because only the top trims come with sat nav. 

The touchscreen is crisp and the software responds to your prods and presses pretty quickly. Even so, the Google-based software in the Renault 5 is still one of the best infotainment systems in the class, with simpler, more intuitive menus.

Setting up your driving position in the Corsa Electric is easy enough, with plenty of steering and seating adjustment. If you want adjustable lumbar support you’ll need to fork out for top-spec Ultimate trim, although that does include a massaging function.

In terms of seeing out of the car, the Corsa Electric's thick windscreen pillars obscure some of your view through corners. Likewise, the rear pillars and tapering roofline reduces your field of vision when looking back over your shoulder, too.

Nervous parkers shouldn’t be put off, though, because it comes with rear parking sensors as standard. For extra help, front sensors and a 360-degree camera are both added if you go for the mid-range GS trim or above. 

All models come with bright LED headlights with automatic high beam so you’ll be able to see plenty at night. Meanwhile, top-spec Ultimate adds front fog lights and upgrades the headlights to clever matrix LED units, which adjust the shape of their high beam to avoid dazzling other road users.

Interior quality isn’t anything special, but is decent enough given the Corsa Electric's price. You get glossy trim finishers and some suede-like material on higher trim levels, but the majority of the interior is covered in cheap-feeling, scratchy plastics. It falls slightly short of the Renault 5 and Peugeot e-208.

"I really like that the Corsa Electric still has physical controls, while most rivals have removed them. It just makes it way less distracting to use on the move." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Although the Vauxhall Corsa Electric is a relatively small car, even tall drivers aren't likely to grumble about the amount of space in the front. Head and leg room are decent, and the interior is wide enough that you won't risk an elbow fight between front-seat occupants.

In the back, the Corsa Electric compares favourably with the Mini Cooper Electric and Renault 5, with more head room than either rival can offer. There’s enough space for children and anyone of modest stature, but two larger adults won't want to spend too long in the back because of the limited leg room.

If you're looking for an electric car in this price bracket that can more comfortably carry around four tall adults, check out the MG4.

The Corsa Electric and the closely related Peugeot e-208 both have relatively small rear-door apertures that can make it a bit awkward to climb aboard. Mind you, at least there are rear doors: the Fiat 500e and the Cooper Electric are available in three-door form only.

The Corsa Electric’s boot is smaller than in a petrol Corsa, with 267 litres of volume (rather than 309) and no space for a spare wheel. That’s more space than in the Cooper Electric but less than the Renault 5, which has a 326-litre boot and managed to swallow four carry-on suitcases in our tests. 

For more boot space you’ll want to look at the MG4 and Volkswagen ID 3 – they each managed to swallow five carry-on cases. 

"While the MG4 will better suit those who value rear space, I found the Corsa Electric more than big enough for a couple of shorter weekend trips with three friends." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Thanks to its new entry-level Yes trim, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric is one of the cheapest small electric cars you can buy, undercutting the MG4 and Peugeot e-208 but costing more than the entry-level Renault 5. Meanwhile, the Long Range versions cost around the same as rivals with larger batteries and better ranges, including the MG4 SE Long Range.

You have four different trims to choose from: Yes, Design, GS and Ultimate. We recommend sticking with the entry-level version because it keeps the cost down and (strangely) gets more kit than the more expensive Design trim. The kit list includes 16in alloy wheels, electronic climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated seats and cruise control. 

For more equipment, you’ll want to go for the GS trim, which adds 17in wheels, keyless entry and start, wireless phone-charging and some tweaked styling inside and out. Top-spec GS, meanwhile, adds adaptive cruise control. 

The Corsa Electric has a maximum charging speed of 100kW from a rapid CCS public EV charger so a 10-80% top-up can theoretically take around 27 minutes in ideal conditions. An e-208 or Renault 5 will be similar, while the MG4 will take slightly longer. 

Charging up from 0-100% using a 7kW home EV charger will take around seven hours and 30 minutes.

The Corsa Electric was awarded four stars out of five for safety by the experts at Euro NCAP back in 2019, which is a bit disappointing. It lost points for doing a poor job of protecting front and rear seat passengers against whiplash. Thankfully, you get automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and a driver drowsiness monitoring system as standard.

Reliability isn’t a strong area for the Corsa Electric, with the model placing right near the bottom of the electric car category in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. Vauxhall as a brand didn’t fare much better either, finishing in 29th place out of the 31 manufacturers, above only Alfa Romeo and MG. 

The model is covered by a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, while its battery gets an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

"I can’t quite get my head around the cheapest trim getting more equipment than the Design trim, but it makes the Corsa Electric really good value." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here