Vauxhall Corsa review

The design of the cabin is a bit of a disappointment following the promise of the latest Corsa’s sharper looks. And that doesn’t look like a problem that’s going to be solved with the arrival of the facelifted version later in 2023, either. 

It’s dark, dour and plasticky in here, with none of the imagination or innovation you see in the Peugeot 208. No 3D dials, no metal piano key shortcuts, no hidden wireless smartphone charging bay. Just plain plastic and poorly integrated screens.

Even the digital instrument panel on GS trim and up is a let-down given what the tech is capable of. It’s just a bit of screen with some unimpressive graphics, and little variety or opportunity to customise what you can see. It already looks dated.

The central touchscreen (7in as standard, or 10in on the fancier models) is the Peugeot unit through and through. And yep, if there’s one thing we wouldn’t have wanted to inherit from the 208, it’s that. Too much wasted space, too many small menu keys, too slow to react. At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. 

Is the Corsa practical?

The boot is a reasonable size at 309 litres, with 1,081 litres of space available when you knock the back seats down. That’s about the same as the 208, but a good chunk less than the likes of the Skoda Fabia or Renault Clio. The tall lip to load things into the Corsa’s boot might put some people off too. 

Also common with the Peugeot is the lack of decent rear space. Legroom is cramped and tall rear passengers won’t be happy for very long either. But then the Corsa has always been a bit of a squeeze in the back. Up front it’s reasonably spacious, but with few cubbies for storage – especially when the manual doesn’t fit in the glovebox.

Are there any fun little touches?

It’s the nice little things that tend to set cars apart in this end of the market – just look at the Skoda Fabia and its neat ‘simply clever’ touches that are sploshed about the car. The Corsa has… none of these. It’s all very straight down the middle with nothing that will particularly surprise and delight.

The manual GS car we drove had a little slot for coins, which could be useful. And there's a fun little Vauxhall Easter egg in the central part of the dash – a shark motif that started as a bet between two Vauxhall designers and has become a company in-joke on all of its latest models.