Whatever Vauxhall designers are putting in their tea these days, it works. Their new Corsa supermini is already a sales winner at bread-and-butter level and now the VXR flagship has turned the tables on the performance competition.I've rarely come away from a small hot hatch with such a wide smile. The turbocharged 1.6 VXR Corsa is a classic mighty atom – a devil in disguise, a delight on a twisty road and refined to a level that it's easy to live with flat-out or bumbling through traffic.It's so good I can even forgive its square-bottomed steering wheel rip-off of the Audi original. The VXR is fast, taut, well-equipped and comfortable. It looks good, turns heads and sounds brilliant at high revs. This is a hot hatch star that mimics its outstanding lesser Corsa cousins thanks to careful design, quality trim and a clever balance of aggression and refinement.Initially I wasn't too sure how I would feel about this slingshot. I'd heard stories of rock-hard ride, poorly-weighted power steering and an indifferent transmission with a notchy six-speed gate. Wrong! The ride is perfect - firm for precision blasts along demanding country roads but compliant enough not to leave its occupants all shook up and numb-bummed after a brisk drive. Round town it fidgets over uneven surfaces but dual-carriageway work is like driving on glass. Even road noise, that bugbear of most hot hatches, is well suppressed.The steering could be more communicative. It lacks ultimate feedback, but I've driven a lot worse. Round town it's lifeless, but pick up the pace and it firms up and helps the VXR feel like a kart.Transmission criticism is understandable, but I suspect critics spent too little time with the car to appreciate its good points. The selector is undeniably baulky, but with a light clutch, a responsive engine and positive slots for all six ratios I never had any problems slipping through the box and snatching the right gear for the job. Seriously, this is a delightful driver's car.Grip is high. Vauxhall fitted my test car with 215/45 R17 Continental SportContact 3 covers – an excellent choice in wet or dry conditions. Diving into deep corners with power posed no problems – ultimately gentle understeer set in but there was never any drama and none of the vicious traction loss I've experienced with other hot hatches in the same sector.If there's a fault it's torque steer. The lively 1.6 16-valve heart is a little cracker. It churns out its 190bhp willingly, but with 170lb/ft of torque crashing in between 1980 and 5850rpm the delivery can be a little too explosive. The result is a twitch on high-rev upchanges that might pose a few problems on damp surface, even for those superb Continental boots and the car's traction control. However Vauxhall's chassis and standard electronic stability control do a first-class job to keep it all together.Aggressive good looks, a solid stance, deep front and rear spoilers and side skirts guarantee high visibility from the outside, but the hot hatch's design and build restrict visibility from inside. The A-pillars are particularly awkward at junctions and heavy B and C roof supports left me stretching my neck to get a good view to the back and rear quarters.Not that the interior is pokey or claustrophobic. Corsa has a roomy shell and the VXR is a comfortable place for up to four adults. Rear head and legroom is reasonable while up front accommodation is excellent. The front Recaro seats deliver great support and hug the driver and front passenger.The boot is spoiled by a narrow tailgate, but at 285 litres it's useful with a practical under-floor storage feature thanks to the VXR's lack of a spare wheel - punctures are covered by a standard electric inflation pump and sealing compound. Drop the rear seat backs and the little VXR will swallow 1050 litres of cargo.Immediately distinguishable from other models in the new Corsa range, the three-door VXR comes with unique styling cues. The mirrors, front foglamp surrounds and centre-exit exhaust tailpipe have a triangular theme, while the aggressive front and rear bumpers are unique to this model.This is a top hot hatch. Standard gear is good. It gets a five-star NCAP safety rating thanks to features like front and side airbags, ABS and ESP while blue brake calipers, cruise control, air-conditioning and those beefy Continental tyres on stylish alloys are just part of a generous package.An angular roof spoiler helps accentuate the three-door Corsa's muscular design, while a mesh front grille and large light clusters dominate the nose and bless it with road presence. And then there are premium features like hill-hold that keeps the parking brake engaged for a few seconds after taking your foot off the foot brake to prevent an embarrassing drift backwards when pulling away from junctions or lights.Vauxhall has hit gold with this baby VXR. It is the most powerful Corsa to date and by far the best in its class. It has all the potential to be a hooligan, but comes with a level of refinement that will delight those more mature drivers who, how can I put it, are a little less tolerant of the rock-hard suspension that blights some of the competition. Engine 1598cc, 4 cylinders Power 190bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 35.8mpg / 190g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 6.8 seconds Top speed 140mph Price £15,625 Details correct at publication date
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