With the new, rather striking, Vauxhall Corsa launched back in January 2015 and with prices starting at £9265 for the basic models I thought it was time to revisit the previous edition and see if it still offered good value for money. A quick look on the internet shows decent second hand models priced between £4300 and £10000 with a variety of engines and trim levels and I think we can safely assume that Vauxhall will have produced a model that fits into most lifestyles.
Walking around this Vauxhall Corsa your eyes are immediately drawn towards the striking black alloy wheels, wing mirrors and roof which are exclusive to this Energy Special Edition from JCT600. To my eyes these are handsome additions and contrast well with the white paintwork covering the rest of the car adding to a quite impressive profile and overall, I like it.
Opening the front door you are greeted with a feeling of weight and solidity as the door is heavy and can easily slam shut in the wind, those of us with young children would be wise to hold the door open for them as they clamber into the back seats, stopping the chance of small limbs being caught when the inevitable occurs.
Sitting in the driving seat it is easy to get comfortable as this model Corsa includes a steering wheel and seat adjustable for height with a range of movement that allows all drivers to get the controls where they want them. For me (at a rather average 5’10”) I like to lower the driving seat by 10 pushes on the handle positioned conveniently down by your right thigh, move the seat as far back as it will go whilst leaving the steering wheel in its standard position as this allows for you to be more ‘in’ the cabin and a feeling that is more positive for driving as with the seat at its highest you feel rather ‘perched’ on top.
Once comfortable you are greeted by a smart, functional dashboard with the speedometer and rev counter taking pride of place in your eye line and a fuel gauge nestled neatly in between. If I were being overly critical I would have to say that I personally like to have a temperature gauge for peace of mind but its omission doesn’t take away from the driving and ownership experience at all. The large, silver effect central column includes all the controls you would expect including air conditioning and a larger central screen than the standard, basic Corsa with the added bonus of USB and aux in for the modern driver and Bluetooth connectivity. I must add a note of disappointment here as the Bluetooth does not allow for music streaming and can only be used to connect your phone to the car, an error in my opinion and a trick missed by Vauxhall.
With a lot of positive thoughts about the cabin and equipment levels my main concerns are the positioning of the fog light controls down by your right knee which are hard to see and awkward to reach and a desire for a bit more flair to have been used in the overall design. With the controls having a nice, positive touch and feel to them and the plastics in the cabin having been improved over the lifetime of the Corsa I think it’s safe to say that first impressions are positive overall and I look forward to finding out how this Vauxhall drives.
