Which Vauxhall Corsa makes the best company car?

Vauxhall’s evergreen Corsa is an omnipresent sight on Britain’s roads. Whether it’s the sleeker three-door, the more practical five-door or the utilitarian van, Corsas are everywhere.

Competing against the likes for Ford’s Fiesta, Renault’s Clio and Volkswagen’s Polo, the Corsa is a bit older than most of its competition, so Vauxhall compensates for equipping the wide range of models generously and keeping the price tag low.

There’s a wide range of Corsas on offer too, ranging from a tiny 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol derivative, all the way up to the fast and bespoilered VXR hot hatch.

All in there’s a baffling array of 66 Vauxhall Corsa variants currently on sale, without including the van derivatives, but which are the ones we would recommend?

Our heads say…

It makes sense to be sensible and for that reason we’ve plumped for a five-door Corsa hatchback. The majority of company car drivers will appreciate the model’s additional flexibility and ease of use.

The engine that caught our eye was the one emitting the least CO2 at just 88g/km. It’s a 94bhp version of the 1.3-litre diesel ecoFLEX engine featuring stop/start technology to boost economy.

We’ve selected the Design specification from the middle of the Corsa line-up, ensuring the car is reasonably equipped with features such as electric windows, remote central locking, electric mirrors and air-con.

With a P11D value of £13,900, the Corsa 1.3 CDTi 95PS ecoFLEX Design offers value for money and at a claimed 85.6mpg you won’t be regularly visiting diesel pumps either.

What does this mean for a 20 percent tax payer? A low annual bill of £389.20, equivalent to an easy-to-swallow £32.43 per month cost.

Figures at a glance

• P11D value: £13,900
• CO2 emissions: 88g/km
• Official combined mpg: 85.6mpg
• 2014/15 BIK tax band: 14 percent
• Monthly tax (20 percent rate, excluding options): £32.43

Our hearts say…

There’s no doubt the most interesting model in the Corsa range is the 189bhp VXR, capable of dashing from 0-62mph in just 7.2 seconds. However, the low 38.7mpg rating and high CO2 emissions at 172g/km count against it.

If you want a sporty Corsa, don’t despair, as one rung down the performance ladder is the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol SRi.

Building upon the SXi’s equipment, the three-door SRi features a sporty body kit including a rear spoiler, 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension and air-con.

With 118bhp the Corsa SRi’s not the fastest lukewarm hatch available, taking 10.3 seconds to go from 0-62mph, but at 51.4mpg and 129g/km of CO2 (18 percent BIK band), the running costs are much more reasonable than the VXR’s.

The P11D value of £15,545, those on the 20 percent tax band can expect to pay an annual fee of £559.62, translating into a monthly bill of £46.64.

Figures at a glance

• P11D value: £15,545
• CO2 emissions: 129g/km
• Official combined mpg: 51.4mpg
• 2013/14 BIK tax band: 18 percent
• Monthly tax (20 percent rate, excluding options): £46.64