Overview

This is the latest version of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric – and it has quite the reputation to uphold. If you include the figures for the petrol-powered model, the pre-facelift Corsa was the most popular car in Vauxhall’s European line-up, accounting for around 40% of the company’s total sales. The supermini also topped the UK’s sales charts in 2021 and reached second place in 2020.

Vauxhall is confident the facelifted Corsa will continue this winning streak, partly because of how extensive its revisions are. In addition to the obvious cosmetic tweaks at the front end, the new electric car gets a larger 10.0-inch infotainment system, a refreshed cabin and a new ‘Long Range’ electric powertrain with a larger 51kWh battery pack and a more powerful 156hp electric motor.

Despite the current popularity of SUVs, there are a growing number of electric superminis to compete with the Corsa. The Peugeot E-208 is an obvious rival, although the cheapest version of that car is significantly more than expensive the cheapest Corsa Electric Yes Edition – and it has that weird driving position that many people can’t get on with.

There’s also the quirky BYD Dolphin which, despite being cheaper in cash terms than the Corsa, isn’t quite as polished. The MINI Cooper Electric is also vying for your attention, but you’ll need to be comfortable making some practicality sacrifices to bag its stylish looks and sharp driving experience.

Vauxhall’s plan for the facelifted Corsa Electric was to make the buying experience as simple as possible. The company’s marketing manager told us that buyers will simply need to choose their motor, choose their trim and choose their colour – and this entire process can be completed online. On the Yes edition model, you can even pay the same amount of money per month on the firm’s PCP finance plan.

The previous Corsa’s 136hp motor and 50kWh battery pack have been retained for the facelifted model, becoming the new entry-point to the line-up. Buyers have four specifications to choose from called Yes, Design, GS and Ultimate. The 136hp motor is available on Design and GS cars, while the 156hp Long Range unit can be specified with the GS and Ultimate trims.

Vauxhall has improved the amount of standard equipment offered on each trim to boost its appeal, with the Parkers Best Value Car 2025 award-winning entry-level Yes edition being particularly good value. It features LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, automatic windscreen wipers and rear parking sensors. Buyers are also armed with an arsenal of standard safety technology, including lane keeping assist, cruise control and traffic sign recognition. Design has the same set of features, with different styling details and engine options. 

Mid-range GS models build on this specification with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lamps, LED taillights, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. The cabin also receives a few upgrades, such as sports seats, a front centre armrest and a built-in satnav system.

The range-topping Ultimate model is packed with the sort of equipment normally reserved for top-spec cars from the class above. Upgrades over the Corsa GS include adaptive LED Matrix headlights, a wide-angle rear-view camera, a wireless smartphone charger and adaptive cruise control. A headline-grabbing ‘Yes’ branded model joined the range as the entry-level model, introducing some punchy monthly finance deals, too.

Over the next few pages, we’ll assess each aspect of the facelifted Vauxhall Corsa Electric, considering its practicality, interior quality, technology, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict on the car. Read on for everything you need to know or head over to our how we test cars page to find out why we put cars through the trials that we do.