“Good? Of Corsa itza
  good! Vauxhall’s
  new Corsa exhibits all
  the right ingredients
  to attain best-seller
  status. But does that
  make it the right car
  for you?”

SINCE THE VAUXHALL CORSA first appeared in 1993 it has never dropped from the UK's Top Ten sales charts. And neither did its predecessors, the Nova and the Chevette.
But the new Corsa range has stiff competition from the latest generation of larger superminis such as the Peugeot 207, Renault Clio, Fiat Grande Punto and the Toyota Yaris. And it has other rivals, too, in the shape of old favourites like the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Nissan Micra.

Superminis and small family cars now account for two out of three
new cars leaving showrooms, and competition is extremely fierce in
a market that is still, overall, in decline.

The all-new Corsa is built in three- and five-door body styles in Spain and in three-door form in Germany. Vauxhall says the Corsa's unique selling point is its styling. This, also, is their main media theme as they try to reclaim the interest of buyers aged 'twenty-something' rather than the over 40 average age of those owning the outgoing but not-so-loved Corsa models.

Increased in size and specification, and with lower insurance group ratings on petrol models, and an expected high NCAP safety rating, the distinct improvement in styling and quality both inside and out should — at least in Vauxhall's eyes — enable the Corsa to again become the UK's best-selling supermini.

From 2001 to 2005 the Vauxhall Corsa was the UK's best-selling small car. However, demand — in particular from younger buyers — has slipped away as new, larger and the more visually exciting superminis have come along.

Andrew Cullis, Group Product Manager (small and compact cars) for Vauxhall said this week at the international press launch of the new Corsa range: "In 2005 we sold over 80,000 Corsas in the UK; this
year we will sell around 70,000 units of which 10,000 will be the new models. Next year we need to sell 80,000 vehicles again and by then the range will also include a VXR version which is due in the Spring.

"If we don't get the new Corsa right in terms of it appealing to younger buyers again, it will significantly reflect on our overall profitability.
The Corsa range represents 30 per cent of Vauxhall sales in the UK and 35 per cent of our retail sales. The outgoing model has been bought
by around 45 per cent of retail customers but with the new range this
has to increase to 55 per cent. We are pulling out of the rapid cycle business (daily rental) to ensure better residual values.

"The three door models are expected to account for 60 per cent of all Corsa sales and 90 per cent of customers will opt for one of the three petrol engines. These are 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4-litre 16-valve units with 60, 79 and 89bhp power outputs respectively and which are carried over from the outgoing range. For diesel customers we will have the choice of a 1.3-litre CDTi unit with 74 or 89bhp power outputs and we expect both to account for an equal share of diesel sales. We are also offering a 1.7-litre CDTi 124bhp engine which will be a minority selling unit."

From November, customers who want a new Corsa with an automatic transmission will need to buy one of the 1.4-litre petrol models —
and it will cost an extra £1,000. Vauxhall's EasyTronic automated manual transmission is available at launch for 1.2-litre versions for an added £375. Next year the 1.3-litre diesel 74bhp models will also become available with EasyTronic transmission.

Five trim levels are on offer depending on which engine is chosen. These are Expression, Life, Club, SXi and Design. Forty-five per cent
of customers are expected to choose the Club specification; 31 per cent SXi versions and 8 per cent will go for Design models with Express with Life variants jointly taking the rest.

Vauxhall expects the 1.2-litre models, in all specifications, to account for 70 per cent of total new Corsa sales in the UK, with the likely best-seller of the range being the 1.2 Club 3-door, costing £9,195.

Prices for the Corsa start at £7,495 and top out at £13,795. Yet to
be announced is an attractive PCP finance package. Insurance group ratings are from 1 to 6 but the majority of models will fall in the range
1 to 3.

At four metres, the new Corsa is longer, wider and more muscular looking than the outgoing models. It catches the eye immediately,
and looks like the offspring of the Astra Sport Hatch.

The three-door model has a coupé-like roofline and a high shoulder-line, giving it the air of a sporty car rather than an ordinary hatchback.

Large, dominant headlamps enhance the Corsa's sporty character, while the steeply inclined A-pillar visually shortens the look of the bonnet while at the same time lowering the roof height. The pillars
are quite chunky and do restrict front quarter visibility somewhat.

At the rear, butch wheelarches and a distinctively-tapered rear window give the new Corsa three-door a unique look, enhanced by the clam-shell tailgate.

By comparison, the new Corsa five-door is markedly dissimilar. While it shares the three-door model's front wings, bonnet and bumper, from the scuttle panel back it is completely different. The rear window des-cends at a much steeper angle to make the best use of interior and luggage space. It was designed with practicality in mind — so whereas the three-door is 'sporty', the five-door is more family user-friendly.

The trendy design continues inside the cabin, with neat touches that include translucent backlit dials for both major and minor controls and, on selected models, a piano-black lacquer effect for the interior panels.

Overall quality marks a significant step forward for Corsa, especially inside, where the consistently high-grade materials create a decidedly upmarket feel. A range of vibrant interior colours and door trims, coupled to a large glass area, give the cabin a bright, modern and airy feel.

Practicality is important to all supermini drivers, and it's an area where Corsa scores highly. The steering wheel is adjustable for both height and reach, while the clearly laid-out dash and wide choice of storage compartments and cubbyholes offer plenty of space for both small and large items.

There's more space than before, too — there's greater legroom, shoulder room and headroom front and rear, and the ergonomically-designed seats have been produced to offer the best in comfort
and support.

New Corsa introduces two new features to the market, the likes of which have not been seen before.

The first is a DualFloor boot, which offers a double load floor. In
normal form, the boot is level with the lip of the rear bumper, making the luggage bay especially easy to load and unload. Alternatively, the DualFloor can be lowered to the bottom of the boot to allow larger items to be carried.

What's more, the rear parcel shelf has been designed to allow easy stowage if you need to use the full height of the load bay. Instead of unclipping it and wondering where to stow it, you can store it vertically against the back of the seat on special clips — which also means it is unlikely to sustain damage. Even better, it's never in the way.

Perhaps the most significant feature of the new Corsa is the optional £500 Flex-Fix system. This is an integrated rear carrier which is neatly housed inside the back bumper. When pulled out, Flex-Fix can carry up to two bicycles, while the additional rear lights required to use it are stored with the system itself, simply clipping into place whenever needed.

Vauxhall believe Flex-Fix sets new standards for on-board functionality, much in the same way as Zafira's Flex7 seating did when it became the new benchmark model for the MPV market in 1999.

There we have it — the new Corsa is smartly styled, offers a better specification than ever before, is significantly roomier and has a number of innovative features. It also drives much better. True, most of the 'mechanicals' have been carried over from the outgoing model, but it performs as a totally different car. The handling and cornering
is sharp and nimble, and the suspension's ability to absorb jolts caused
by very poor surfaces and still remain settled was most impressive.

During the 'first-drive' media event of pre-production left-hand drive models in Dresden this week, over a mixture of very smooth and heavily cobbled road surfaces, none of the petrol engines were what you would call potent, but so long as you keep them in the 'power-band' they perform well enough. I suspect the culprit is the new Corsa's 50kg increase in weight — more than enough to dull the acceleration performance somewhat.

Even so, in the 3-door 1.2 Club, the 16-valve 4-cylinder engine will reach 104mph and get from a standstill to 62mph in a respectable 13 seconds. It will also return 48.7mpg! The 1.3-litre diesel engine offered a better overall drive because it has more torque, while the larger
1.7-litre diesel unit was the best of all. It showed how good the new Corsa's body design is, as it handled the power and performance very well. All left me eager to get to grips with the right-hand drive versions due here shortly.

The new Corsa has to be considered a very strong sales proposition, no matter what age the owner might be. Criticisms are few: the wide pillars which limit front quarter visibility, and petrol engine performance that is no more than adequate. On the plus side there is a lot: it's
a very stylish, roomy and competent supermini, well priced with low insurance costs and an expected high safety rating. Five-door versions are obviously more spacious and easier to live with than the three-
door models. But if it's the right size for you, it is more than likely the right car at the right price. — David Miles

Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 16v Club 3-door | £9,195 Maximum speed: 104mph | 0-62mph: 13 seconds Overall test MPG: 48.7mpg | Power: 79bhp | Torque: 82lb ft Visit Vauxhall's website