Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

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Vauxhall's Corsa Electric gets a sharper look - and an extra powertrain option. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

Vauxhall's Corsa Electric is our market's best selling small EV. But it needed a bit more technology and a more fashionable vibe. Both of which the Griffin brand claims to have brought us with this mid-term update, which gives a sharper feel inside and out, plus an extra longer-range powertrain option.

Background

Supermini-sized full-electric cars haven't generally been very credible to date, with one or two notable exceptions. But times are changing. Pretty soon, most volume brand manufacturers are going to be offering little EVs with the kind of driving range you once had to pay luxury money for. Vauxhall has found itself in the vanguard of this change, courtesy of Peugeot e-208-derived borrowed Stellantis Group technology. That was what first brought us an electric Corsa back in 2020, then badged the Corsa-e. Vauxhall changed the name to 'Corsa Electric' in 2022 and improved the driving range.

Then in mid-2023, brought us the much improved facelifted design we're looking at here, which gets a sharper design, a smarter, more digitalised interior, plus an extra powertrain option. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

In its original form, this electric Corsa offered a 50kWh battery powering a 136PS electric motor - and that powertrain combination continues in this updated model, offering 222 miles of range. But Corsa Electric customers can also now choose a more sophisticated 51kWh battery paired with a more powerful 156PS motor, this set-up boosting EV range to 246 miles. Either way, expect moderately rapid performance, with 62mph dispatched in under 9 seconds.

There's the usual single-speed auto transmission you get with EVs. And like all electric vehicles, this one develops all its torque at once and simply hurls itself away from rest (the 30mph mark is reached in just 2.1s and 60mph is crested in only 7.6s), disguising the fact that (also like all EVs) this Zero Emissions variant has a bit of a weight problem - that drivetrain adds over 300kgs of bulk. That extra weight arguably helps the Corsa Electric though, when it comes to ride quality; you'll feel things like speed humps keenly but at speed on the open road, it handles tarmac tears a little better than its combustion cousins.

Of course, you certainly won't achieve anything like the range figures we've quoted if you get anywhere near this EV's quoted 93mph top speed. Or if you habitually drive your Corsa Electric in the 'Sport' setting that'll be necessary to release to full 136PS power output just mentioned. Remember too that the quoted range figures require engagement of a somewhat restrictive 'Eco' mode that with the 136PS version drops power output right down to 83PS.

Design and Build

Visually, this electric Corsa is virtually identical to the combustion-engined version. Which means that like the petrol variant, this updated Corsa Electric now gets the brand's distinctive 'Vizor'-style front grille, a single solid black panel with a restyled Grifin badge. That panel's flanked by slightly more squared-off slimline LED headlights which on top variants can feature the brand's 'IntelliLux matrix pixel tech. As before, it all sits on Peugeot 208 underpinnings, which means the Stellantis Group's 'CMP' 'Common Modular Platform' and body panels fashioned from a range of high-strength steels.

Inside with this updated model, the infotainment system has been upgraded to a 10-inch screen that runs a more sophisticated user interface powered by Qualcomm's 'Snapdragon Cockpit' platform. Wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring is now included, as is 'Connected 3D' navigation, over-the-air software updates and "Hey Vauxhall" voice control. The 7-inch digital instrument screen has also been improved, with sharper graphics: and a wireless charging mat is being offered for the first time. Other cabin changes include fresh upholstery choices, a redesign for the steering wheel and gear selector - and a revised high-resolution wide-view rear camera.

As before, space is at a bit of a premium for those in the rear seat, but the curvature of the front seat backs is designed to improve knee room, there's a notably low centre transmission tunnel and there's lots of room to poke your feet beneath those front chairs. The boot is the same capacity as it is in the petrol model, 309-litres in size. It's quite a usable, squarically-sized space, with 885mm of length and 867mm of width. Folding the straightforward 60:40-split rear bench reveals 1,118-litres of capacity when you load to the roof.

Market and Model

For this Corsa Electric, as with the combustion model, there are three mainstream trim levels - 'Design', 'GS' and 'Ultimate' - and you'll be paying in the £34,000 to £36,500 bracket. With 'Design' trim, you can only have the old 136PS powertrain; with mid-range 'GS' trim, there's the option of finding around £1,500 more for the new 156PS powertrain; and with top 'Ultimate' spec, you can only have the new powertrain. Got that? Good. Both the Corsa Electric and its cousin the Peugeot e-208 make more sense as EVs than another key Zero Emissions small car rival at this price point, the MINI Electric. That MINI's priced at about the same level as this Vauxhall, but has a much lower operating range, a three-door-only body style and a tiny boot - plus it would probably cost around £3,000 more when equipped to a similar standard. There aren't really any other direct all-electric small hatch options. A battery-powered family hatch like a Kia Niro EV or the Renault ZOE would cost around £35,000.

Standard kit across the range is generous. Even base 'GS Line' gives you LED headlights, a 7-inch Multimedia Navi infornment screen with built-in navigation and 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. Plus there's a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, electronic climate control, sports alloy-effect pedals and 17-inch bi-colour alloy wheels. Top 'Ultimate'-spec gets you a 10-inch centre screen and a contrast-coloured black roof, plus 'IntelliLux' adapative LED Matrix headlights.

Cost of Ownership

If you're a Corsa Electric owner, you'll need to know that getting anywhere near the quoted WLTP-rated range readings will necessitate staying in the powertrain's provided 'Eco' mode - activating its 'Sport' setting will reduce your range by around 10%. We gave you the range figures in our 'Driving' section - 222 miles for the 50kWh model and 246 miles for the 51kWh version. What about charging times? Well, all the latest Corsa Electric models come as standard with an 11kW on-board charger, allowing for a 0-100% charge to be completed in 5hrs and 15 minutes. The same full charge using a 7kW home wallbox is estimated to take 7hrs and 30 minutes. Supporting 100kW rapid charging, a typical 10%-80% charge will take just 30 minutes.

Finally, you'll also need to know about warranties. In a class where Hyundai and Toyota offer standard five year warranties (and Kia offers a 7 year package), Vauxhall, like most of its other rivals, persists with the usual three-year, 60,000 mile package - which can be extended up to five years and 100,000 miles at extra cost. A year's free breakdown cover is also provided, along with a six-year anti-corrosion guarantee.

Summary

We're still at the stage at which you have to be pretty sold on the EV concept to choose a car like this. Vauxhall says its goal is to reach a stage where the overall full-life cost of a Corsa Electric (taking into account purchase price or leasing costs, plus charging fees) is approximately the same as what you'd pay to run a well-specified petrol automatic variant. Well we're some way off that at present but it'll happen sooner or later.

For the time being, this Corsa Electric is pretty much state of the art in terms of full-electric small cars, especially in this improved form. Yes, you can get the same technology in a Peugeot e-208 or a DS 3 E-TENSE. And yes, other compact EVs will take you a little further on a single charge. But this Vauxhall will reach a wider audience than any of the models just mentioned. It will continue to play a key part in democratising the idea of a supermini EV. And that makes it a very important car indeed.