Say hello to…
…the Vauxhall Corsa-e, the all-electric supermini which uses the 50kWh battery and 136hp motor seen across the Stellantis group to offer one of the more cost-efficient routes into fully electric motoring.
After some recent revisions to the line-up, the Vauxhall Corsa-e is available in three trim levels:
- Design
- GS Line
- Ultimate
All electric Corsas are well equipped. Entry level Design trim includes LED headlights, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, speed sign recognition, cruise control with speed limiter, 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
GS Line adds 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, digital instrument display, sport mode, climate control, auto wipers, auto lights, sports body kit and sports seats.
Ultimate adds adaptive LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, rear view camera, front parking sensors, 10-inch touchscreen, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and keyless entry and start.
Is The Vauxhall Corsa Suitable For My Fleet
With a P11D value just over £30,000 for the highest specification car, the Corsa-e is one of the best-equipped cars at this price point.
Being electric the tax position is also highly attractive with a Class 1A NIC rate of just £5.92 a month, according to Gensen Reports, and a benefit-in-kind tax for a 20% PAYE employee of just £10 a month.
The official range is decent at 225 miles, and in warm weather we saw an average of 3.8 miles per kWh which would equate to a range of 171 miles from the Corsa-e’s 45kWh usable battery. This is already worryingly below the psychological 200-mile barrier and in colder temperatures this is likely to be less.
Leasing A Vauxhall Corsa
For £399 a month, on a three-year 30,000 mile contract with a three-month deposit, Intelligent Car Leasing will supply the Vauxhall Corsa-e in Ultimate trim.
The manufacturer’s website is currently offering the slightly lower trim GS Line version of the Corsa-e on a 6+36 contract based on 10,000 miles a year for £356 a month to fleet users.
Driving A Vauxhall Corsa
Unlike many electric cars, where the battery pack is under the floor of the car, the Vauxhall Corsa-e manages to maintain a surprisingly low driving position. It’s one of the first things you notice if you’ve experienced other electric cars.
The low seating position (the driver’s seat is height adjustable, so for those that like a higher position, that is possible) means that not only does the supermini feel just like one with a conventional combustion engine, but it also means the car feels sporty from the off.
That fun-yet-conventional feel extends to the cabin and dashboard. Where the Peugeot e208 sister car has gone for surprise-and-delight with the cabin styling and accepted some compromise, the Vauxhall Corsa-e cabin is a more reassuringly familiar set up.
The Corsa retains conventional dials for the air conditioning as well as a touchscreen for satnav and other infotainment functions. Response times to the touchscreen are a little slow and our test car experienced one journey where it simply refused to come to life until we’d pulled over and turned the car off and on again. However, it’s easy to find your way around the controls.
Sticking with the Corsa interior, for a supermini it’s middle-ranking for space both in terms of rear-seat passengers and boot space. You’ll get small kids in the back seats, but if you’re a taller driver, adults will struggle for leg room.
There’s no under bonnet cable storage area, so while boot space is fine, with a charge cable on board the boot is quickly cluttered.
On the move, the Corsa-e gives the overriding impression of a fun and competent hatchback. The 136hp motor means the car feels usefully nippy round town and because it’s electric it’s quite too. At motorway speeds there’s some wind noise, but for a car at this price point it’s good.
There are only really two negatives to the way the Corsa-e drives. Firstly, there’s no one-pedal driving mode and the way the regenerative braking blends into ‘real’ brakes is below the class leaders. This can lead to less than smooth stopping. Secondly, and this is a minor point, the rear suspension is noisier than the front. It’s particularly noticeable over speed bumps where the front goes over calmly and without fuss, but the rear suspension complains more.
There’s a lot to recommend the Vauxhall Corsa-e both as a regular supermini but also as a good value electric car. For those fleets looking to persuade drivers EVs are just like combustion engined cars (drivetrain aside) the Corsa-e is a good option.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Vauxhall Corsa
A good value electric car which is fun to drive and appealing to fleets, provided range isn’t a priority.
Vauxhall Corsa
- Model: Corsa-e Ultimate
- Power: 136 hp
- Torque: 300Nm
- Max speed: 93mph
- 0-62mph: 8.1 s
- Official range: 225 miles
- Test range: 189 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- BIK tax band 2022/23: 2%
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