Overview

The Corsa is Vauxhall’s greatest success story in recent years. The humble supermini has regularly topped the UK sales charts and will continue to do so now that its closest rival, the Ford Fiesta, has been axed. As a small car, it’s entered the national psyche, no doubt powered by the thousands of drivers who got their license in a Corsa.

The current, fifth-generation Corsa arrived in UK showrooms in 2019 and has been updated a couple of times since then, most recently a facelifted version launched in 2023. We’ve tested innumerable examples of the current Corsa over the years, including a six-month long-term test conducted by Parkers car tester Seth Walton. You can read more about how we test cars.

Key Corsa rivals include Stellantis group stablemates the Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3, plus other superminis such as the Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia, Hyundai i20 and Toyota Yaris.

The 2023 facelift introduced some new exterior styling details, most notably the blacked-out ‘vizor’ front grille. Inside, there’s new tech including a bigger, 10.0-inch infotainment system display. Mercifully, Vauxhall also took the opportunity to slim down the bewildering range of 11 trim levels down to just four – Yes, Design, GS and Ultimate.

You get a good amount of standard equipment for your money, even on the entry-level Yes model. Features include 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, lane-keeping assist, cruise control, automatic emergency braking and a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Design has the same set of features, with different styling details and engine options. A good enough package to win our Best Value Car award for 2025.

The mid-range Vauxhall Corsa GS is pitched as the sporty model. You get a few racy styling tweaks including 17-inch alloys, more aggressive front and rear bumpers, chrome exhaust tip, black roof and rear privacy glass. Inside, there’s aluminium pedals, a black headliner and a seven-inch digital gauge cluster.

Sitting at the top of the line-up, there’s the Corsa Ultimate. It features an arsenal of technology such as Matrix LED headlights, panoramic rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, climate control, adaptive cruise control and sat-nav. You also get the same styling pack as the GS, albeit with a set of unique 17-inch alloys.

After the trim levels there are five engine choices, all variations on the Stellantis 1.2-litre petrol unit. The range starts at a 75hp power output and runs through 100hp to 130hp. Then there are two hybrids with 100 and 136hp. There’s also the battery-powered Corsa Electric, which we’ve reviewed separately.  

Over the next few pages, we’ll review each aspect of the Vauxhall Corsa, taking into account its practicality, technology, running costs and driving experience, before offering our final verdict on the car.