The all new Vauxhall Corsa goes on sale in the UK from 14 October although dealers are taking orders now, as well as offering special low-priced and added value models of the current versions which are still on run-out.Since the Vauxhall Corsa first appeared in 1993 it has never dropped from the UKs top ten sales charts and neither did its predecessors, the Nova and Chevette. But the new Corsa range has stiff competition from the latest generation of larger superminis, the Peugeot 207, Renault Clio, Fiat Grande Punto and the Toyota Yaris, plus old favourites such as the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Nissan Micra. Superminis and small family cars account for two out of three new cars leaving showrooms this year so the competition is fierce in an overall market that is still in decline.The all new Corsa is built in three and five door bodystyles in Spain and three-door form in Germany. Vauxhall say the Corsa's overall USP, unique selling point, is its styling. This is their main media theme as they try to reclaim the interest of buyers aged '20 something' rather than the over 40 average age of the not-so-loved outgoing Corsa models.Increased in size and specification with lower insurance group ratings on petrol models, an expected high NCAP safety rating, a distinct improvement in styling and quality both inside and out, Corsa should become the UKs best selling supermini again say Vauxhall.From 2001 to 2005 the Vauxhall Corsa was the UKs best selling small car but demand from younger buyers in particular has slipped away as new, larger and the more visually exciting superminis have come along.Andrew Cullis, Group Product Manager, small and compact cars for Vauxhall said this week at the international press launch of the new range, 'In 2005 we sold over 80,000 Corsas in the UK, this year we will sell around 70,000 units of which 10,000 will be the new models. Next year we need to sell 80,000 vehicles again and by then the range will also include a VXR version which is due in the Spring.'He added, 'If we don't get the new Corsa right in terms of it appealing to younger buyers again, it will significantly reflect on our overall profitability. The Corsa range represents 30 per cent of Vauxhall sales in the UK and 35 per cent of our retail sales. The outgoing model has been bought by around 45 per cent of retail customers but with the new range this has to increase to 55 per cent. We are pulling out of the rapid cycle business (daily rental) to ensure better residual values'Cullis added, 'The three door models are expected to account for 60 per cent of all Corsa sales and 90 per cent of customers will opt for one of the three petrol engines. These are 1.0/1.2/1.4 litre 16-valve units with 60/80/90 PS power outputs respectively which are carried over from the outgoing range. For diesel customers we will have the choice of a 1.3-litre CDTi unit with either 75 or 90 PS power outputs. We expect both to account for an equal share of diesel sales. We are also offering a 1.7-litre CDTi 125 PS engine which will be a minority selling unit.'From November customers who want a new Corsa with an automatic transmission will need to buy one of the 1.4-litre petrol models and it will cost an extra £1,000. Vauxhall's EasyTronic automated manual transmission is available at launch for 1.2-litre versions for an added £375. Next year the 1.3-litre diesel 75 PS models will also become available with EasyTronic transmission.Five trim levels are on offer depending on which engine is chosen. These are Expression, Life, Club, SXi and Design. Cullis expects 45 per cent of customers to choose Club specification, 31 per cent to buy SXi versions, 8 per cent will go for Design models with Express and Life variants jointly taking the rest.Andrew Cullis said, 'We expect the 1.2-litre models in all specifications to account for 70 per cent of total new Corsa sales in the UK with the likely best selling model in the range being the 1.2 Club 3-door costing £9,195.'Prices for the Corsa start at £7,495 and rise through to £13,795. Yet to be announced is an attractive PCP finance package.Insurance group ratings are from one to six but the majority on models are one to three.At four metres the new Corsa is longer as well as being wider and more muscular looking than the outgoing models. It does catch the eye immediately and it looks like the offspring of the Astra Sport Hatch.The three-door model has a coupe-like roofline and a high shoulder line, giving it the look of a sporty car rather than an ordinary hatchback.Large, dominant headlamps enhance the car's sporty, powerful character, while the steeply inclined A-Pillar manages to shorten the look of the bonnet, while at the same time lowering the roof height. The pillars are quite chunky and do restrict front quarter visibility.At the rear, butch wheelarches and a distinctive tapered rear window give the new Corsa three-door a distinctive look enhanced by its clamshell tailgate.New Corsa five-door is distinctly different. It shares the three-door model's front wings, bonnet and bumper, but is completely different from the scuttle panel backward. The rear window descends at a much steeper angle, making the best use of interior and luggage space. It was designed with practicality in mind so three-door is sporty, five-door more user friendly for families.The stylish design continues inside the cabin, with neat touches including a piano-black lacquer effect on selected models, as well as translucent backlit dials for both major and minor controls.Overall quality marks a significant step forward for Corsa, especially inside, where the consistently high grade materials give a luxurious, upmarket feel. A range of vibrant interior colours and door trims, coupled to a large glass area give the cabin a bright, modern and airy feel.Practicality is important to all supermini drivers, and it's another area where Corsa scores highly. The steering wheel is adjustable for both height and reach, while the clearly laid-out dash and wide choice of storage compartments and cubbyholes offer plenty of space for small and large items.There's more space than before, too, with greater legroom, shoulder room and headroom front and rear, and ergonomically design seats which have been created to offer the best in comfort and support.New Corsa introduces two new features to the market, the likes of which have not been seen before.The first is a DualFloor boot, which offers a double load floor. In normal form, the boot is level with the lip of the rear bumper, making the luggage bay especially easy to load and unload. Alternatively, the DualFloor can be lowered to the bottom of the boot to allow larger items to be carried.What's more, the rear parcel shelf has been designed to allow easy stowage if you need to use the full height of the load bay. Instead of unclipping and leaving you nowhere to put it, it can be stowed vertically on special clips, against the back of the seat, meaning it is never in the way and unlikely to sustain damage.Perhaps the most significant flexible feature of new Corsa, though, is its optional £500 Flex-Fix system. This is an integrated rear carrier, which stows neatly away into the back bumper. When pulled out, Flex-Fix can carry up to two bicycles, while the additional rear lights required to use it are stowed away with the system itself and simply clip into place when needed.Vauxhall believe Flex-Fix sets new standards for on-board functionality, much in the same way as Zafira's Flex7 seating did when it became the new benchmark model for the MPV market in 1999.So the new Corsa is smart in styling, offers better specification, it is significantly roomier and has innovative features. It also drives much better. True most of the 'mechanicals' have been carried over from the outgoing model but it performs as a totally different car. The handling and cornering was sharp and nimble and the ability of the suspension to absorb jolts caused by very poor surfaces and remain settled was impressive.During the 'first-drive' media event of pre-production left hand drive models in Dresden this week, over a mixture of very smooth and very cobbled road surfaces none of the petrol engines are what you would call stunning but as long as you keep them in the 'power-band' they perform well enough. I suspect the 50 kg increase in weight of the new Corsa has dulled the acceleration performance somewhat. The 1.3-litre diesel engine offered a better overall drive because it has more torque and the larger 1.7-litre diesel unit was best of all. It showed how good the new Corsa's body design is as it handled the power and performance very well. I look forward to getting to grips with right hand drive versions on our UK roads very soon.The new Corsa has to be considered a very strong sales proposition no matter what age the owner might be. If it's the right size for you it probably is the right car at the right price.MILESTONES Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 16v Club 3-Door. Price: £9,195. Engine: 4-cylinder, petrol, 80 PS, 110Nm at 4,000 rpm. Performance: 104 mph, 0-62 mph 13 seconds, 48.7mpg, CO2:139 g/km, VED Band: C £100. For: A very stylish, roomy and competent supermini, well priced, low insurance costs and expected high safety rating.rose Against: Wide pillars limit front quarter visibility, five door version more spacious and easy to live with than three door models, petrol engine performance is no more than adequate.
