As EV competition increases, Vauxhall have updated the best selling Corsa Electric to make it more competitive. We spent a day driving one & here’s how we got on.
Whats new ?
The revamped Corsa Electric is s fitted with a new 51kWh battery for an output of 156PS/115kW & 260Nm of torque. It’s fitted with a heat pump & you can charge at speeds of up to 100kW D & 11kW AC, with up to a 4.3 miles per kWh.
Model range
There are just two Corsa Electric’s to choose from. Corsa Electric offers 136hp & a 222 mile range whilst the Corsa Electric Long Range comes with the improved Stellantis battery, 156hp & a 246 mile range.
Specification
Three specs are available. Entry level Design comes with 16″ alloys , a 7″ colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, keyless start, high beam assist, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, speed sign recognition, automatic emergency breaking with pedestrian detection, rear parking sensors & cruise control.
Next up is GS which increases the touchscreen size to 10′, adds wireless charging, 17″ alloys, electronic climate control, LED headlights with high beam assist, rear parking sensors, a black roof & dark-tinted rear windows, sports style front seats, a panoramic rear-view camera & keyless entry.
The range topper is Ultimate, adding SatNav, a 7″ digital instrument cluster, adaptive cruise control, Alcantara seat trim, a drivers seat massage function, heated front seats & steering wheel, a panoramic rear-view camera & IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights with LED tail lights.
Plug & Go
Vauxhall are simplifying electric car ownership. You get 8 years’ battery warranty & 3 years of roadside assistance. Octopus Electroverse is offered with one app, one bill & zero added costs to access over 400,000 public chargers across the UK & Europe. And to charge at home, you can choose from one of three wall box partners, British Gas, Podpoint or Octopus Energy, at a one of cost or part of your monthly vehicle finance agreement.
Exterior
The latest Corsa has a new front design that incorporates Vauxhall’s Vizor headlight & grille treatment, with new rear badging offering a more grown-up look including a new colour in Graphic Grey.
Interior
Updates include a new steering wheel & gear selector, new trims & fabrics plus a new 10″ touchscreen, that features Qualcomm Soupdragon. This comes with an adaptive interface, over the air updates, 3 USB C ports, Wireless CarPlay or Android Auto & a wireless charger. The imprivements make the cabin feel more upmarket with decent plastics & finishes throughout.
Interior comfort
Front passengers get good head & legroom whilst in the rear, headroom is adequate but taller passengers will struggle to stretch out, especially on longer journey’s.
Driving modes & regeneration
You can select from three. Eco feels slower than Normal which in turn feels slower than Sport. Select the ‘B’ regeneration function from the gear selection & this increases the regeneration further, but not enough for one pedal driving.
Charging
The Corsa comes with an 11kW on board charger & will charge up to 100kW on a fast charger. So a 20% – 80% charge would take just 25 minutes. Plug-in at home on an AC 7kWh wallbox like our own Rolec https://www.rolecserv.com/home-charging & a full charge takes approximately 8 hours.
Boot
The boot is the same size above the carpet as the petrol Corsa, with the batteries hidden in the spare wheel space, so luggage capacity is slightly down at 267 litres. There’s no designated space for your charging cable which just has to sit in the boot in a tidy cable bag.
In the cabin
The starter button is located to the left of the steering wheel, so you can leave your keys in the small cubby behind the automatic gear stick. Talking of which this is where you can activate the regeneration function. When you’re in Drive, you pull the stick back & to go into B, which creates the cars regeneration. The light regenerative braking is well balanced. It’s not really that heavy so one-pedal driving it’s not, but if you do use it, it will help you eke out a few extra miles from the battery.
The cabin itself, is nicely laid out & it’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel. The touchscreen is simple to use & easy to understand & you can also access the phone & various modes via switches on the steering wheel. Underneath the screen sit easy to use heating & ventilation controls, beneath these are a USB input & 12v socket.
Driving
As with many small electric cars, the Corsa Electric is great fun to drive. With a 0-60mph time of 7.6 seconds in Sport mode & a top speed of 93mph, it actually feels quicker especially with the instant pull that electric cars specialise in. It’s go-kart handling on winding lanes is also impressive. More good news is the suspension which does a very good job of snuffing out road imperfections & covering up the cars battery weight.
Pros
The addition of a Long Range model means a more competitive 246 mile range. Interior & exterior updates have sharpened the Corsa up.
Cons
Entry level Corsa Electric is fitted with the old Stellantis battery & only offers a 222 mile range. With prices starting at just over £32,000, there are other small electric cars that are cheaper.
Verdict
The updates to the Corsa Electric have undoubtedly made it a more attractive proposition, especially with the Long Range model now offering a 246 mile range. It now looks good, handles well & it’s fun to drive. Vauxhall’s Plug & Go is handy as it offers EV customers some extra help to make their electric journey easier. On the downside, with Chinese competition arriving almost monthly, it’s expensive & there’s limited rear cabin space. Despite that, it’s going to remain a best-seller.
Better than before 3.75/5
