For a small car, the Corsa 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX etc etc has, I'm sure you'll agree, a remarkably long name. The word to focus on, at least for the moment, is ecoFLEX, which is Vauxhall-speak for a high-economy, low-CO2 model. Vauxhall has a tremendous number of different ecoFLEX models in its various ranges, and quite a few of them are Corsas, available in three- and five-door forms and four trim levels (of which Club, as tested here, is second from the bottom).The main thing they all share is the 74bhp version of the excellent GM/Fiat 1.3-litre turbo diesel engine. You might think that they would therefore all have the same combined fuel economy and CO2 emission figures, but that's not true; thanks to various tweaks including better aerodynamics and higher gearing, the lower-spec three-doors manage 70.6mpg and 105g/km respectively, which sounds quite impressive until you remember that several manufacturers are now selling cars with sub-100g/km CO2 outputs.Admittedly the main practical difference here is that you save £35 in annual VED payments (falling to £20 from April 2010) but the idea of not paying even this small amount of tax is very appealing to some customers, who may therefore avoid the Corsa and choose one of its rivals instead.The more regular ecoFLEX Corsas, such as the one reviewed here, look less impressive at 62.8mpg and 119g/km. That last figure in particular would have seemed remarkable just a few years ago, but it's no longer outstanding for a supermini whose title includes a word with obvious "green" connotations.If you can get past all this (and you'll be pleased to hear that I now have) there is a lot to be said for the Corsa, and a little to be said against. To get the criticisms out of the way, I would point out that the rear visibility is grim thanks to the huge rear pillars, though in fairness it's no worse than the - absolutely terrible - class average, and at least the five-door doesn't have those barmy sloping rear side windows which, whatever styling benefits they may be believed to have, reduce the glass area of this and previous three-door Corsas to a ridiculous extent.There is, however, no defence for the positioning of the rotary knob which controls the headlights. This is mounted low down on the extreme right of the fascia and requires you to lean forward to operate it. The buttons around it, for the front and rear foglights and adjustment of the instrument panel lighting, are even more awkward to reach for no apparent reason.Actually, I thought of a few reasons while I was driving the car, and the more printable ones involved the taking of strong drink and an act of revenge on the part of an interior designer who knew he was about to be sacked. Neither of these is very likely, but I'm struggling to believe that they are more plausible than the concept of someone saying, "Yes, this is fine. Let's go into production with it."(Short pause for breath.) Okay. One of the things I do like about this car is that little diesel engine. I must admit that I started driving without checking the performance figures, and when I got round to doing that I was amazed to see that the top speed and 0-62mph time are 101mph and 13.6 seconds respectively. The Corsa seems a lot nippier than that, partly because it has an impressive amount of punch in the mid-range.But another reason is that the car handles so well and therefore needs less power to maintain a good average over country roads. The front-end bounciness which spoiled Corsas (and Novas) in the past has gone, and in its place comes precise turn-in and a rear which contributes beautifully to the cornering process. It has often been said recently that the current Ford Fiesta is the supermini par excellence when it comes to handling, but although the Corsa feels quite different I don't think it's any less effective.On the other hand, an ability to zip round corners in a racey manner probably isn't high on the priority list of anyone considering a 74bhp hatchback. Again like the Fiesta, the Corsa doesn't ride as well as it should (for the same reason that the suspension people were almost certainly thinking of excellent German roads rather than questionable UK ones when they were setting it up) and for a car like this I think the compromise should have been in the direction of comfort rather than sportiness.Memo to Vauxhall: you might want to bear this in mind while you're developing the next-generation Corsa. But for the love of God find a better place to put the light switches first. Engine 1248cc, 4 cylinders Power 74bhp Transmission 5-speed manual Fuel/CO2 62.8mpg / 119g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 13.6 seconds Top speed 101mph Price From £12921.00 approx Details correct at publication date
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