Vauxhall gives Corsa considerable clout

Newswheel staff :: 05 January 2007 :: Filed under Hatchback, Opel / Vauxhall, Opel / Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall, Europe & UK

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Blown 1.6-litre four-banger delivers 189bhp

Vauxhall extended its high performance brand to its entry level model this week with the launch of the Corsa VXR. Power comes courtesy of a blown 1.6-litre four-pot mill pumping out 189bhp and capable of pushing this compact hatch to 140mph…

Vauxhall’s VXR models may not be renown for world-beating chassis dynamics, but this new Corsa effort certainly keeps up the VXR tradition of being the gruntiest car in its class. As well as the 189-pony power output, the turbocharged engine sports an overboost facility which can temporarily increase torque output beyond the quoted 191lb/ft maximum. That’s enough to sling the Corsa to 60mph in just 6.8 seconds.

Needless to say, the usual sporty cosmetic paraphernalia has been bolted on, including aggressive new front and rear bumpers, the later with a large centrally-mounted exhaust and a fake ground-effect venture (fake, we assume, because no mention is made of its air-sucking properties in Vauxhalls press release). Chunkier skirts, a rear roof spoiler and a set of 18-inch rims round out the package.

Chassis wise, Vauxhall has specified a retuned ESP stability system, uprated anchors and suspension settings and variable assistance power steering. Whether all that will be enough to take match Renault’s hottest Clio (or even the upcoming blown Peugeot 207 GTI) in terms of cornering prowess, only time will tell.

Oh, and for the record, Vauxhall reckons the Corsa VXR remains a reasonably economical hatch despite the slingshot performance. The combined fuel economy figure is 35.8mpg.

So, there you have it. A compact, entry-level hatch packing nearly 200bhp and Porsche Boxster-beating performance (well, original Boxster circa 1996, anyway). Prices will be announced nearer the mid-March on-sale date.