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Vauxhall’s Corsa is
set to sell more sub-125g cars than any other model range in the UK next
year thanks to significant efficiency gains in its engine line up.
Better still, buyers will benefit from zero VED on all manual Corsa
models from next April.
The
ultra-economical engines – all of which, bar the VXR model, exceed 50mpg
combined when fitted with a manual gearbox – are joined by a raft of
improvements to the Corsa’s chassis, boosting its driver appeal still
further.
While the economy
star of the range is the new 95PS diesel ecoFLEX model, which achieves
76.3mpg on the combined cycle (and 88.3mpg on the extra urban cycle),
each of the Corsa’s petrol engines is now more economical, yet more
powerful. The 1.0-litre now produces 65PS (up 5PS), yet emits just 117g
of CO2, dropping it two VED bands and meaning that owners now
pay just £35 per year in road tax, down from £120, and none at all from
next April.
The Corsa’s 85PS
1.2-litre petrol has also dropped a VED band and gained 5PS in power,
while the 1.4-litre – which now produces 100PS, up 10PS over the current
model – has dropped two bands and sips just 51.4mpg, up from 46.3mpg for
the existing model.
Reinforcing the
98g, zero-VED ecoFLEX model in the Corsa’s diesel range is a 75PS
version of the same 1.3 CDTi, emitting 114g/km, and a more powerful 1.7
CDTi which now produces 130PS, yet drops 12g/km in CO2
emissions. A new eco gearshift indicator housed within the instrument
cluster is available on most models in the range.
But running costs
and emissions are not the only weapons in the revised Corsa’s armoury.
To maintain the Corsa’s incredible success in the small car class,
Vauxhall’s engineers have made important revisions to the car’s steering
and suspension set-ups. Softer springs have been employed in the front
suspension, mated to an anti-roll bar with new bushes and an increased
diameter, improving ride and control characteristics.
Complementing this
are revised damper settings all round, an optional re-tuned ESP system
and enhanced steering geometry, ensuring that the revised Corsa is as
pleasurable to drive as it is economical to own.
Completing the
package of changes to Vauxhall’s biggest selling car, is a long list of
features which have now been added as standard to key models in the
range. The SE, SXi and SRi now get cruise control and an on-board
computer at no extra charge, while the SRi – which now starts at a lower
price point – also gets revised suspension settings, air conditioning,
17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, and a VXR styling kit included in its
price.
But the SE also
packs a standard feature unique in this class: a heated leather steering
wheel, complemented by heated front seats, giving owners a feeling of
opulence normally reserved for those who drive behind a Flying B or
Spirit of Ecstasy!
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