Vauxhall Corsa review

If you haven’t owned a Vauxhall Corsa, it’s a solid bet that you’ve been a passenger in one. And it’s all but guaranteed it’ll be a familiar sight to you on the road – perhaps covered in L-plates with an enthusiastic youngster at the wheel. Why? Because Vauxhall sells bucket loads of them, and to every age range, from teenagers to pensioners.

Yes, even in such a hotly contested class as small cars, with rivals like the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo, the Corsa has always been near the top of the new car sales charts, while used examples have found their way onto countless more driveways. Being keenly priced and cheap to insure aids its appeal, but for this fifth-generation iteration, change is afoot.

Vauxhall’s now part of the French PSA Group (made up of Peugeot, Citroën and DS), and for the first time the Vauxhall Corsa shares its underpinnings with the latest Peugeot 208 and DS 3 Crossback. That includes its petrol and diesel engines, plus the workings of the very first all-electric Corsa, which has the same battery and motor as the e-208. You can read about the pure electric Corsa-e in our separate review – just click the link.

But no matter which Corsa you go for, it’s definitely not just a cut-and-paste job from within the PSA Group. Vauxhall has specifically calibrated its steering and its suspension to give the Corsa a feel of its own. And, dimensions aside, it bears little visual resemblance to the 208, inside or out.

So, is the Vauxhall Corsa a triumphant hit for the Bedfordshire brand? How does it compare with the best small cars in the class? Read on for our detailed review and, whether the Corsa ends up as your pick or not, do visit our New Car Buying pages for the very best, hassle-free deals on nearly every new car.