Vauxhall’s popular Corsa is now available as an EV, but is it worth choosing?
Introduction
The Vauxhall Corsa has played a hugely important part in the automotive scene for almost 30 years, offering affordable, practical and fun motoring to the masses. Now in its fifth generation, it’s just as popular as it’s ever been, currently being the UK’s best-selling car.
And, though still available with a range of petrol and diesel engines, this latest Corsa is even more important as it’s available as an EV – the Corsa-e. With only some special badging and revised alloy wheels setting it apart from the regular supermini, it’s one of the more subtle EVs on the market.
With Vauxhall being owned by Groupe PSA – and now Stellantis – it shares the same powertrain as other electric Peugeots and Citroens, namely the Peugeot e-208. But is it worth choosing? Let’s take a look.
Performance
If you’re familiar with other electric Peugeots, the Corsa-e’s powertrain will come as no surprise, as it combines an electric motor producing 134bhp and 260Nm of torque to a 50kWh battery.
Vauxhall Corsa-e (Image: Vauxhall.co.uk)
Thanks to the zippy motor, the Corsa-e is the quickest version of this hatchback available, taking just 7.4 seconds to get from 0-60mph and reaching a top speed of 93mph.
Once the battery is charged, Vauxhall claims it can manage 209 miles on a single charge, which is competitive for a car of this size, if slightly behind the Renault Zoe’s 245-mile range. On the plus side, it can charge quickly, as using a 100kW rapid charger, its battery can be charged to 80 per cent in just half an hour. The firm is also currently offering a free home charging unit for the car, which means the battery can be charged fully in around 7.5 hours, which is plenty of time for an overnight charge.
Ride and handling
For most of the time, the Corsa-e is very good to drive. In everyday motoring it’s quiet, responsive and even impresses at higher speeds – meaning a motorway commute will be no trouble at all. There’s also a ‘B’ mode in the gearbox that allows for extra regenerative braking, meaning you can drive the Corsa-e largely with just one pedal if you so choose.
It’s not all perfect, though, as due the extra weight of the Corsa-e’s battery, Vauxhall has had to stiffen the suspension to be able to accommodate it. It means the ride can be a bit unsettled over rough surfaces, and more so than both the regular Corsa and also its Peugeot e-208 sibling.
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