Vauxhall to revive VXR performance line with hot Corsa

Vauxhall is planning a revival of its now-dormant performance sub-brand, VXR, and a hot Corsa is on the cards as the next model in the pipeline. Although a source at the firm indicated that Vauxhall’s rival to Ford’s ST and Honda’s Type R is “in a bit of a hiatus now”, Autocar understands company executives are considering a return to the hot hatch sphere in the near future. There was some concern that new owner PSA, engaged in a dramatic profit-driven turnaround of the Luton brand, would consign VXR to the history books. The French firm is yet to officially confirm a new GTI version of the Corsa’s platform-sharing sibling, the Peugeot 208. But bosses are understood to be waiting to decide between petrol or electric propulsion for a new hot supermini, likely based on how sales of the standard electric variant take off. The Corsa is considered the best hope for a revival of VXR on account of its historic sales success in the UK, and in mainland Europe as an Opel. The past three generations of the Corsa have been available with VXR variants. The chosen power source for a new Corsa VXR will hinge on PSA’s decision for the 208 GTi. Our source was keen to point out that the VXR sub-brand is synonymous for being “track focused, a bit lairy and very much hardcore” – qualities that would suggest petrol power is the most natural fit. An output of more than 200bhp would be needed to compete with the best in the small hot hatch sector, the Ford Fiesta ST. A decision has yet to be made on the exact debut date for a performance-oriented Corsa, but insiders suggest nothing will arrive until 2021 at the earliest. The brand is first focusing on rolling out the models that are core to its crucial electrification strategy, including the new Corsa, plug-in hybrid Grandland X and the new Mokka, which is due next year and will join its supermini sibling in being offered as a pure-electric version. Also arriving in 2021 will be an all-new Astra, based on PSA’s modular EMP2 platform, unlike the current GM-developed car. The new Astra will almost certainly include an electric version alongside regular petrol and diesel units, although EMP2 hasn’t been developed to take hybrid
Origin: Vauxhall to revive VXR performance line with hot Corsa

New Vauxhall Corsa: UK pricing and spec details announced

A GM-based Corsa was all but finished by that point and it could have been launched, but the ‘toolbox’ of newly available PSA technology, including access to BEV hardware, plus licensing costs that would have been payable to GM, meant starting again was “a no brainer”, according to Adams. “We hand-picked our most experienced designers and engineers,” said Adams. “This is not a committee car.” He added that Opel’s design and engineering team had learnt new methods on the way but that the company couldn’t work within such a timeframe with every new model. “You’d kill people with the intensity of the work,” he said. PSA sees Vauxhall and Opel as a good fit with its French brands, noting that their respective British and German heritage means they’ll achieve sales volumes in their home markets that Peugeot, Citroën and DS won’t be able to match. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares has overseen a surprising turnaround of fortunes in an extremely short space of time. Opel-Vauxhall returned a £750m profit last year, its first in two decades. That has come from a mix of cost reduction, extra buying power and a reduction in discounting rather than a notable sales increase. Both Adams and new Vauxhall CEO Steve Norman say Opel-Vauxhall has much more autonomy within the PSA Group than under GM, where it made products that sold not only in Europe but also, with Chevrolet, Holden or Buick badging, in other regions. “You can’t micromanage success”, says Adams, who added he was pleased to find that PSA CEO Carlos Tavares was “extremely focused on brand values”. That approach has allowed Opel-Vauxhall to deviate from other PSA brands and inject its own DNA into the Corsa’s design. Deliveries of the new Corsa start at the end of this year in internal combustion form, with the Corsa-e electric variant arriving a few weeks later. The new Corsa-e can be ordered from this week and will cost £26,490 including the government grant. QA with Steve Norman, Vauxhall CEO Is the Corsa representative what of we should now expect from Vauxhall? “It’s what the brand has needed for some years now, and this will be the precursor for the new Mokka, which will be much more radical still in terms of design.” Is it correct that the small platform means a pure-electric option, while large platforms can have a plug-in hybrid powertrain? “For the moment, yes. What’s interesting in the Corsa-e is that there won’t be an option with less than 136bhp. One of the things that concerns people is that Vauxhalls have become a bit staid, and we need to inject something back into it. This will be quite a fast car.” Do you think there’s a shift in how the business runs day to day? “I wasn’t there in the GM days but the people who work for me were – they think the change is total. They are given freedom to act, that’s the big difference.” “When Carlos Tavares entered into this, he was convinced Opel was undersold in Germany and that Vauxhall was undersold in the UK, and on that I think he was right.” Lawrence Allan and Matt
Origin: New Vauxhall Corsa: UK pricing and spec details announced

Nearly-new buying guide: Vauxhall Corsa

The Corsa was the UK’s fourth-best-selling new car in June, a position it also holds in the current year-to-date rankings. That’s impressive for a car that, under the skin, dates back to 2006, when it was codenamed the Corsa D. The model under the microscope here is the Corsa E, launched in 2014. The change of letter suggests it was a lot more than a makeover. In fact, apart from some additional stiffening and revised locations for the suspension pick-up points, the platform was as before. Where the model’s step up the alphabet was more than justified was in its new engines and revised steering and suspension tailored for British roads but, most noticeable of all, its change of clothes. Apart from the roof, every panel was new. Inside, the car got a new interior featuring soft-touch plastics, better ventilation controls and a smarter music system. All but the most basic models gained Vauxhall’s IntelliLink infotainment system. Back in 2014, you could have your Corsa with a bewildering range of engines: a couple of naturally aspirated 1.2 and 1.4 petrols, a super-smooth 1.0-litre turbocharged triple in 89bhp and 113bhp outputs, a torquey 1.4 turbo in 99bhp and 148bhp flavours and a pair of fleet-friendly, Euro 6-compliant 1.3 CDTi diesels producing 74bhp and 94bhp. At the top of the pile sat the 202bhp 1.6 turbo in the VXR. The triples are worth seeking out but, if you want a little more oomph, choose the 99bhp 1.4 turbo. And then in 2018, they were all replaced by a quartet of Euro 6.2-compliant 1.4 petrol engines producing 74bhp, 89bhp, 99bhp and 148bhp. The 74bhp is plentiful and fine for town but you should hold out for the turbocharged 99bhp unit. The 148bhp engine is brisk but expensive. At launch, there were no fewer than 11 trims, but by 2018, they had fallen back to around nine, which is where they remain. Avoid the most basic and go mid-range, seeking out a combination of alloy wheels, air conditioning and 7.0in touchscreen featuring IntelliLink. On this basis, the Energy trim level gets our vote. Another is Sport, which is based on Energy and adds sports seats and pedals. With their special paint schemes, Red and Black Edition cars are fun and Griffin is good value but isn’t available with the later 99bhp 1.4 turbo engine. Factor in big new car discounts that fuel depreciation and the Corsa is a great used car buy. In fact, it’s a good time to pick up a late-plate model as Vauxhall dealers pre-register stocks to clear the way for the all-new Corsa that’s arriving later this year. For example, you can pick up a 2019/19-reg 1.4i 75PS Design 5dr with zero miles for £11,999, or around £1400 off the best discounted new price. At the other end of the cost spectrum, prices start at around £3500 for a high-mileage 2014 or well-equipped 15-reg Sting 1.4i. Need to know Laugh in the face of icy winter mornings: every Corsa from 2014 on has a heated windscreen. That’s every Corsa, from entry level to top spec. According to Vauxhall, it’s there because that’s what prospective buyers said they wanted. Or maybe it’s because the Corsa D suffered so badly from steamed-up windows? IntelliLink infotainment is standard on all trims bar Life and Sting. Featuring a 7.0in touchscreen and digital radio, Vauxhall’s connectivity system is also an extension of your Apple or Android phone. Although sat-nav is available on many trims, you’re better off using IntelliLink to access your phone’s navigation app. Vauxhall’s OnStar services will cease to be available from 31 December 2020, so don’t buy a Corsa on the strength of it alone. Our pick Corsa 1.4T 100PS Energy Air-con SS: The 99bhp engine is a spirited but refined unit that’s torquey at low revs. Add alloy wheels, IntelliLink and air-con and the model is a well-equipped all-rounder for sensible money Wild card Corsa 1.6T 205PS VXR: Fast, grippy and edgy, the VXR easily justifies its wild card status but also because these very qualities are what keep it in the shadow of the more poised and sophisticated Ford Fiesta ST. Ones we found 2015 Corsa 1.4i Sting 3dr, 103,000 miles, £3695 2016 Corsa 1.2i Design 5dr, 60,000 miles, £5789 2017 Corsa 1.4T 100 SRi 5dr, 40,000 miles, £7500 2018 Corsa 1.0 Energy 3dr, 10,000 miles,
Origin: Nearly-new buying guide: Vauxhall Corsa

New Vauxhall Corsa: full engine range details released

New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent debut

Vauxhall is getting ready for one of its biggest launches in years, the all-new Corsa, but the unveiling appears to have been spoiled in advance. The fifth-generation Ford Fiesta rival isn’t due to be officially revealed for a couple of weeks, but what look to be official press images have reportedly been leaked online by French automotive forum Worldscoop and promptly taken down. The images show the new Corsa will have a distinctly different design from the new Peugeot 208, with which it shares its platform and underpinnings. The proportions will be similar between both cars, however, with the new Corsa being lower and wider than its predecessor. The front end takes several cues from the Grandland X SUV, while the rear is clearly related to the Astra. The shots are of the electric variant, which was expected to be revealed before the petrol and diesel variants. After an official launch next month, sales of the new Corsa in all three variations are expected to begin by the autumn. Autocar understands that the EV will be sold as the Vauxhall eCorsa in the UK, but the images appear to show that the Opel version sold elsewhere will be named the Corsae. Camouflaged prototypes were previously shown being subjected to temperatures of -30deg celsius in Sweden, carrying out chassis tuning at a test circuit and being analysed by electrical engineers in a laboratory. Vauxhall recently confirmed that the fifth-generation Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the its predecessor. According to Vauxhall, depending on specification, the new supermini can weigh as little as 980kg – roughly 130kg less than the lightest Ford Fiesta. The weight loss comes courtesy of new high-strength steel bodywork, lightweight interior insulation materials and a range of all-aluminium powertrains. Like the range-topping variant of the current Insignia, the new Corsa will have an aluminium bonnet weighing 2.4kg less than the steel unit fitted to the current model, as shown in a breakdown of weight savings published by the manufacturer (below). The new Corsa is the first mainstream Vauxhall produced entirely under the brand’s new owner, the PSA Group, and is crucial to Vauxhall and Opel’s success, given the model’s historic popularity. It will also be both brands’ first model to be sold with a purely battery-electric variant. A preview image, released earlier this year, showed the Corsa’s headlights will feature adaptive-beam full LED technology – claimed to be a segment first. Usually the preserve of premium models, the LEDs are able to continuously adapt the full beam pattern to stop it from causing glare to oncoming traffic. The Corsa will set the tone for a new wave of Vauxhall-Opel models, each of which will be overhauled thanks to access to new platforms, engines and hardware that are also used across the group’s other car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The new Corsa has been developed in an unusually fast time. Less than two years will have elapsed since work began, just as the deal to buy Vauxhall-Opel was being agreed between PSA and General Motors. The quick turnaround is due to PSA reversing the original decision for the next Corsa to be based on GM’s architecture. Once PSA had taken over Vauxhall-Opel, it would have been required to pay a licensing fee to GM to use the platform, something boss Carlos Tavares is keen to avoid. Vauxhall-Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that the new Corsa will not be compromised in any way. “It’s true that we had a version ready to go, and you can’t just stretch a design to fit a new platform,” he said, “but the teams have done a fantastic job in record time to ensure that the car is on schedule.” The new Corsa is based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), a front-wheel-drive architecture. The Corsa will also dip into PSA’s engine line-up and is likely to adopt the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in a variety of power outputs. Despite the switch to a new platform, the Mk6 Corsa’s dimensions are understood to closely match the outgoing model’s. Vauxhall chose to launch the current Corsa in 2014 with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor, because the company felt it was the ideal size for customers. This strategy is expected to continue. The current Corsa is 4021mm long, 1736mm wide and 1479mm tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer and taller, but narrower, than the existing 208. The design of the Corsa was set to be evolutionary before the plan for a GM-derived model was axed. Now, to mark a new era for the model under PSA ownership, it has been radically changed. The three-door Corsa will be axed, reflecting an industry trend to discontinue such bodystyles, which are less popular with buyers. Producing only a five-door Corsa will also help Vauxhall-Opel’s drive for greater efficiency and increased profitability. Inside, the Corsa looks set to receive PSA’s familiar touchscreen infotainment
Origin: New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent debut

New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent reveal

Vauxhall is getting ready for one of its biggest launches in years – the all-new Corsa – but the unveiling appears to have been spoiled in advance. The fifth-generation Ford Fiesta rival isn’t due to be unveiled for a couple of weeks, but what looks to be official press images have reportedly been leaked online by French automotive forum Worldscoop, and promptly taken down. The images show the new Corsa will have a distinctly different design than the new Peugeot 208, with which the Corsa shares its platform and underpinnings. The proportions will be similar between both cars, with the new Vauxhall being lower and wider than its predecessor. The front end takes several cues from the Grandland X, while the rear is clearly related to the Astra. The shots are also of the electric variant, dubbed eCorsa, which was expected to be revealed before the petrol and diesel variants. After an official launch next month, sales of the new car in all three powertrains are expected to begin by the autumn. Camouflaged prototypes were previously shown being subjected to temperatures of -30 deg celsius in Sweden, carrying out chassis tuning at a test circuit and being analysed by electrical engineers in a laboratory. Vauxhall recently confirmed that the fifth-generation Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the outgoing model. According to the manufacturer, depending on specification, the new supermini can weigh as little as 980kg – roughly 130kg less than the lightest Ford Fiesta. The weight loss comes courtesy of new high-strength steel bodywork, lightweight interior insulation materials and a range of all-aluminium powertrains. Like the range-topping variant of the current Insignia, the new Corsa will feature an aluminium bonnet weighing 2.4kg less than the steel unit fitted to the current model, as shown in a breakdown of weight savings published by the manufacturer (below). Previous spy shots of the upcoming Volkswagen Polo rival show a design that shares cues with the recently revealed Peugeot 208, which uses the same underpinnings. It’s the first mainstream Vauxhall produced entirely under the brand’s new owner, the PSA Group, and is crucial to Vauxhall and Opel’s success given the car’s historic popularity. It will also be both brands’ first model to be sold with a battery-electric variant. A preview image, released earlier this year, showed the Corsa’s headlights will feature adaptive-beam full LED technology – claimed to be a segment first. Usually the preserve of premium models, the LEDs are able to continuously adapt the full beam pattern to stop it from causing glare to oncoming traffic. The Corsa will set the tone for a new wave of Vauxhall/Opel models, each of which will be overhauled thanks to access to new platforms, engines and hardware that are also used across the group’s other car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The new Corsa has been developed in an unusually fast time. When it is unveiled, less than two years will have elapsed since work began, just as the deal to buy Vauxhall/Opel was being agreed between PSA and General Motors. The quick turnaround is due to PSA reversing the original decision for the next Corsa to be based on GM’s architecture. Once PSA had taken over Vauxhall/Opel, it would have been required to pay a licensing fee to GM to use the platform, something boss Carlos Tavares is keen to avoid. Vauxhall/Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that the new Corsa will not be compromised in any way. “It’s true that we had a version ready to go, and you can’t just stretch a design to fit a new platform,” he said, “but the teams have done a fantastic job in record time to ensure that the car is on schedule.” The new Corsa will be based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), a front-wheel-drive architecture. The Corsa will also dip into PSA’s engine line-up and is likely to adopt the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in a variety of power outputs. Despite the switch to a new platform, the Mk6 Corsa’s dimensions are understood to closely match the outgoing model’s. Vauxhall chose to launch the current Corsa in 2014 with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor, because the company felt it was the ideal size for customers. This strategy is expected to continue. The current Corsa is 4021mm long, 1736mm wide and 1479mm tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer and taller, but narrower, than the existing 208. The design of the Corsa was set to be evolutionary before the plan for a GM-derived model was axed. Now, to mark a new era for the model under PSA ownership, the styling promises to mark a departure from its traditional look. However, if the Grandland X SUV is anything to go by, its relationship with PSA will result in a design less radical than the new 208. The three-door Corsa will be axed, reflecting an industry trend to discontinue such bodystyles, which are less popular with buyers. Producing only a
Origin: New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent reveal

New 2019 Vauxhall Corsa: Official testing images revealed

New images released by Vauxhall show the upcoming fifth-gen Corsa supermini carrying out extreme weather and performance testing. Camouflaged prototypes are shown being subjected to temperatures of -30 deg celsius in Sweden, carrying out chassis tuning at a test circuit and being analysed by electrical engineers in a laboratory. The new images come as Luton wraps up development on its reborn Ford Fiesta rival, with sales set to begin in the coming months. Vauxhall recently confirmed that the fifth-generation Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the outgoing model. According to the manufacturer, depending on specification, the new supermini can weigh as little as 980kg – roughly 130kg less than the lightest Ford Fiesta. The weight loss comes courtesy of new high-strength steel bodywork, lightweight interior insulation materials and a range of all-aluminium powertrains. Like the range-topping variant of the current Insignia, the new Corsa will feature an aluminium bonnet weighing 2.4kg less than the steel unit fitted to the current model, as shown in a breakdown of weight savings published by the manufacturer (below). Previous spy shots of the upcoming Volkswagen Polo rival show a design that shares cues with the recently revealed Peugeot 208, which uses the same underpinnings. It’s the first mainstream Vauxhall produced entirely under the brand’s new owner, the PSA Group, and is crucial to Vauxhall and Opel’s success given the car’s historic popularity. It will also be both brands’ first model to be sold with a battery-electric variant. A preview image, released earlier this year, showed the Corsa’s headlights will feature adaptive-beam full LED technology – claimed to be a segment first. Usually the preserve of premium models, the LEDs are able to continuously adapt the full beam pattern to stop it from causing glare to oncoming traffic. The Corsa will set the tone for a new wave of Vauxhall/Opel models, each of which will be overhauled thanks to access to new platforms, engines and hardware that are also used across the group’s other car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The new Corsa has been developed in an unusually fast time. When it is unveiled, less than two years will have elapsed since work began, just as the deal to buy Vauxhall/Opel was being agreed between PSA and General Motors. The quick turnaround is due to PSA reversing the original decision for the next Corsa to be based on GM’s architecture. Once PSA had taken over Vauxhall/Opel, it would have been required to pay a licensing fee to GM to use the platform, something boss Carlos Tavares is keen to avoid. Vauxhall/Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that the new Corsa will not be compromised in any way. “It’s true that we had a version ready to go, and you can’t just stretch a design to fit a new platform,” he said, “but the teams have done a fantastic job in record time to ensure that the car is on schedule.” The new Corsa will be based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), a front-wheel-drive architecture. The Corsa will also dip into PSA’s engine line-up and is likely to adopt the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in a variety of power outputs. Despite the switch to a new platform, the Mk6 Corsa’s dimensions are understood to closely match the outgoing model’s. Vauxhall chose to launch the current Corsa in 2014 with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor, because the company felt it was the ideal size for customers. This strategy is expected to continue. The current Corsa is 4021mm long, 1736mm wide and 1479mm tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer and taller, but narrower, than the existing 208. The design of the Corsa was set to be evolutionary before the plan for a GM-derived model was axed. Now, to mark a new era for the model under PSA ownership, the styling promises to mark a departure from its traditional look. However, if the Grandland X SUV is anything to go by, its relationship with PSA will result in a design less radical than the new 208. The three-door Corsa will be axed, reflecting an industry trend to discontinue such bodystyles, which are less popular with buyers. Producing only a five-door Corsa will also help Vauxhall/Opel’s drive for greater efficiency and increased profitability. Inside, the Corsa will receive PSA’s familiar touchscreen infotainment system, but the overall feel of the interior is expected to be distinct from that of its French siblings. Vauxhall’s new grille and lights design and all-glass fascia panel are expected to be introduced. Not long after the debut of the standard Corsa this year, an electric version will be launched, named eCorsa. Although the Peugeot 208 will get an electric variant first, it and the Corsa will be among the select few in the supermini segment to adopt electrified powertrains. Key rivals such as the Ford Fiesta are not expected to go electric for many years yet. The electric
Origin: New 2019 Vauxhall Corsa: Official testing images revealed