• Clean dash design with straightforward controls
• Slightly disappointing material quality
• Proven infotainment setup

How is the quality and layout?

Both are perfectly reasonable in the Vauxhall Corsa, and very little changed in the facelift. Unlike the Peugeot 208 it’s based on, the Corsa has physical climate controls on the centre console – in the 208, they’re hived into the infotainment system screen. We like this old school setup because it’s a lot easier to use on the move. Indeed, the interior is very easy to get on with, generally, even if you’re coming out of a much older car.

However, we found the Corsa’s cabin can feel rather drab, especially on grey days. It’s a relentless sea of black plastic and dark upholstery, which looks gloomy next to the range-topping Hyundai i20‘s bright interior trims.

This lack of flair is particularly evident in the digital dials fitted to high-spec Corsa models. Rival superminis feature well-integrated screens with loads of configurable displays, but the Corsa’s dinky seven-inch screen is surrounded by a huge plastic bezel, looks dark and can’t even display an analogue-aping set of dials.

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It’s also worth noting that the Corsa’s manual gearstick is quite tall. If you have the driver’s seat set low – as some of our tester’s do – the knob feels a bit too high up.

Infotainment and tech

One small update introduced for the facelifted Corsa is an infotainment system powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, with a 10.0-inch touchscreen and over-the-air updates. We found that the Corsa’s ‘screen isn’t as responsive, easy-to-use or straightforward as a Volkswagen Group system such as you’ll find in a  Volkswagen Polo or Skoda Fabia. Still, we’re talking about quite fine margins, here; the Corsa’s system just takes a bit of time to get accustomed to.

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Comfort

• Firm ride, especially on larger alloy wheels
• Seats aren’t especially supportive
• Powertrain can be jerky

The Corsa’s seats are rather flat and lack lateral support, so you might find yourself sliding out of them when cornering with a bit of vigour. Drive a few hundred miles in the Corsa and you might feel a little stiff when you clamber out on the other side, as some of our testers will attest.

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Ride quality is best on smaller wheels. Models with larger, 17-inch wheels feel decidedly firm, especially on rough and broken roads. And the oddly jerky clutch pedal can make it tricky to drive manual Corsa models as smoothly as you might want.