Skip advert
Advertisement

Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 SE

Can eco tweaks help supermini to stand out?

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Avg. savings
£4,670 off RRP*
Find your Vauxhall Corsa
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

It’s not surprising Vauxhall has focused on improving emissions and fuel economy on the revised Corsa, as they’re crucial to buyers. The extra kit and chassis tweaks make it a more desirable choice, too, adding some driver appeal and extra value to the range. And they put the supermini in a much better position to tackle its legion of newer competitors. It’s a shame the company didn’t tweak the styling to mark out the changes underneath, though.

Advertisement - Article continues below

This is the revised Vauxhall Corsa, but you wouldn’t know it! The firm has left the supermini’s attractive styling well alone, and focused instead on making the car more involving to drive, as well as greener and better equipped.

Vauxhall has reworked the Corsa’s engine line-up, bringing about fuel economy savings of 13.2 per cent on average across the range. We drove the 1.4-litre petrol version, and its unit benefits from double-cam phasing to improve engine breathing – which results in a 10bhp power hike, to 99bhp.

Despite the promised increase in performance, the maker claims combined consumption is 5.1mpg better than the outgoing model’s, at 51.4mpg. CO2 emissions are also slashed to 129g/km, taking the Corsa down two tax bands.

If that carbon output is still too high, Vauxhall boasts that five of the seven engines in the new line-up emit less than 125g/km. Cleanest of all is the 1.3 CDTI turbodiesel in the new ecoFLEX model, which promises 76.3mpg economy and 98g/km of CO2.

But the Corsa needs to impress behind the wheel, too. Vauxhall claims its engineers have been busy under the skin of the new car, reworking the steering and suspension set-up. Softer front springs are mated to revised dampers, while the anti-roll bars’ diameter is increased and the steering geometry uprated.

The result of all this is that the model has improved steering feel and accuracy, plus suspension that soaks up bumps better.

Its price is more competitive, too, especially now the firm has added more equipment across the range. This 1.4-litre SE gets cruise control and an on-board computer as standard, as well as a heated leather steering wheel, heated front seats and air-con.

These changes don’t appear especially drastic, but they make a big difference to the package – and ensure the Corsa is well worth considering.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £19,200Avg. savings £4,670 off RRP*Used from £16,745
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £5,115 off RRP*Used from £14,295
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,915Avg. savings £2,241 off RRP*Used from £20,921
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £1,848 off RRP*Used from £7,250
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI
VW Golf R Estate - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI

The Golf R Estate is one of the best performance estates around – and right now it’s criminally cheap. It’s our Deal of the Day for 9 June.
News
9 Jun 2025
New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet
BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort - front

New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet

The new BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is arguably the Chinese brand's most convincing model in its range
Road tests
11 Jun 2025
Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results
Driver Power 2025 - header

Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results

The best new cars to own in the UK right now according to the people who already do. It’s the 2025 Driver Power results!
News
10 Jun 2025