Vauxhall says it's reviving the spirit of its old Nova GSi hot hatch with this electric Corsa GSE. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Background

Vauxhall is a rational brand but also used to make some memorable performance models. The Griffin maker's marketeers are keen to assure us that it can do so once more and as evidence of that, there's this, the Corsa GSE. It's apparently supposed to revive a 'cult classic', the brand's old Nova GSi hot hatch of 1987, which almost nobody other than Vauxhall remembers. A combustion model with very little in common with this little sporty little EV. Most of what's here is shared with the Mokka GSE small sporty SUV. And with several other Stellantis small sporting EVs. Vauxhall though, says it's put a distinctive Griffin spin on this confection here. Let's see.

Engines and Tech Spec

If you're hoping for a spiritual successor to the fiery Corsa VXR (discontinued back in 2018), you might have to temper your expectations a bit here. Even though the 281PS output of this electric Corsa GSE is a full 70PS more than that old combustion model. The output in question also looks quite good by class standards too, 60PS more than a key rival, the Alpine A290 GTS, a car that would also presumably be slower through the curves since it does without the limited-slip differential this EV Vauxhall includes as standard. You might already be beginning to recognise the Stellantis-sourced performance package in play here, the same one used with Vauxhall's Mokka GSE. And also the same we've already seen in more directly competitive close cousins like the Peugeot E-208 GTi, the Abarth 600e and the Alfa Romeo Junior Electtrica Veloce. Many of the same dynamic tweaks are recognisable from those cars too; like the 4-piston Alcon brakes front and rear for sharper stopping power. 0-62mph takes 5.5s, a little faster than the alternative Stellantis models we mentioned, though the 112mph top speed is a little slower. Other GSE changes over the standard Corsa Electric (which has only 136PS) include reworked front and rear axles, stiffer anti-roll bars and lowered suspension featuring new dampers with hydraulic bump stops. The brake and throttle have been tuned for sharper responses and there are grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres with significant negative camber. It's worth pointing out that the full 345Nm pulling power output is only offered in the most dynamic drive mode (Sport); with the other settings (Normal and Eco), it's capped at 231PS in the default Normal mode to preserve driving range from the 54kWh battery (quoted at up to 232 miles). Through the turns, the steering's been tweaked to make the car feel more engaging, but don't expect the overt fake drivetrain soundtrack you could have with rival Abarth 600e.

Design and Build

Vauxhall seems to have seized upon one of its heritage hot hatch models, the '80s Nova GSi, as the spiritual inspiration for this Corsa GSE. As far as we can see though, the only thing this modern EV shares with that 'cult classic' is the understated look. It's certainly very different from the 'Max Power'-style pavement presence of the last Corsa hot hatch, the final version of the Corsa VXR launched back in 2015. You may or may not like that. If understated potency is your thing, then you'll probably appreciate the visual efforts made here. There are black contrasts around the exterior vents and wheel arches, the latter housing striking 3-spoke aero-style black-themed 18-inch wheels (referencing the Nova GSi), with yellow calipers for the bespoke Alcon braking system. As you'd expect, there's a contrast-colour black roof, a subtle roof spoiler and you get GSE badges on the doors. Lowered suspension and specific GSE bumpers add finishing touches. Inside, the colour theme is black, grey and yellow, most notably on the tartan-style upholstery used on the one-piece grippy sports bucket seats. Those feature Alcantara, as does the sports steering wheel, and there are bright green and yellow seat belts and GSE branding. The screen tech isn't any different from an ordinary Corsa of course - two 10-inch displays - but the instrument cluster has been redesigned with a GSE logo against a silver-grey background. The centre screen contains GSE performance data - a G-force display, acceleration values and battery management data. The pedals are aluminium. Look around at the switchgear and nothing's irritatingly awkward to get to and everything's exactly where you expect it to. As usual in a Corsa, rear seat space is a bit cramped but boot room is the same as with the combustion-engined versions - 309-litres, extendable to 1,118-litres when you fold the rear bench.

Market and Model

Vauxhall is asking around £34,500 for this Corsa GSE, but you'll only be paying around £33,000, once the available £1,500 government Electric Car grant has been deucted. An amount which not much different to that you'd pay for less powerful rivals like the Alpine A290 GTS - but a bit less than the MINI JCW Electric. To give you some perspective, the plushest version of the normal 136PS Corsa Electric costs around £32,000. There's plenty of kit included for the money with this GSE. As well as all the GSE-specific features we gave you in our Design section, you can tick off heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a 180-degree reversing camera and a Keyless Entry & Start system. This Corsa GSE is also equipped with a bidirectional onboard charger (V2L), which can be used to supply external devices, such as e-bikes, with energy directly from the vehicle's battery. That's in addition to all the kit you'd normally get on a top-spec Corsa. Like 'IntelliLux' adaptive LED Matrix headlights, a centre front armrest that includes storage and a wireless 'phone charger, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Safety features include Automatic Emergency Braking function featuring Pedestrian Detection. Plus High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist and Cruise Control with an Intelligent Speed Limiter.

Cost of Ownership

If you've driven an electric Corsa before, then you'll already know that getting anywhere near the quoted 232 mile WLTP-rated range figure will necessitate staying in the powertrain's provided 'Eco' mode - activating its 'Sport' mode setting will reduce your range by around 10%. Obviously, this Vauxhall's range figure will fall like a stone if you drive this car as its maker intended. The charging speed isn't much to write home about either, being the same as the standard model's, which means that it can only DC-charge at up to 100kW when plugged into a public rapid charger. The brand reckons that a 0-80% DC top-up will take just under half an hour - which meets the class norm. The nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack is much the same as that in the standard car, but Vauxhall says it has adapted the software around it so as to reduce temperature under high loads and improve energy recovery. Like all the latest Corsa Electric models, this one comes as standard with an 11kW on-board charger, allowing for a 0-100% AC three-phase charge to be completed in 5hrs and 45 minutes - or three hours and 20 minutes from 15-80%. The same full charge using a more typical 7.4kW home wallbox is estimated to take 7hrs and 30 minutes. At the other extreme, it'd be a yawning 21 hours and 45 minutes from a domestic plug. And you can of course set charging using the 'MyVauxhall' app - or the appropriate section of the centre screen. An 11kW on-board charger with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability is fitted as standard; a V2L adapter is available as an accessory through Vauxhall retailers. Like any other Corsa Electric, this one needs a service at the end of the first year or at 8,000 miles, after which it'll need garage visits every two years or 16,000 miles. For all Corsas, there's an unremarkable, but potentially extendable, three year 60,000 mile warranty. And this EV model has the usual eight year / 100,000 mile battery warranty.

Summary

This car is much more significant than you might think. Vauxhall can no longer carry on styling itself as a value brand when its Stellantis-set pricing suggests the opposite. That territory has now been stolen by the Chinese. It can't pretend to be luxurious or premium either. Which leaves sportiness, a tough sell for which Vauxhall/Opel will need halo models like this Corsa GSE if they're to survive as European marques. Perhaps the 'performance' engineering going forward will need to be a bit more bespoke than it is here. But you might be attracted by the idea of a more affordably-priced Peugeot E-208 GTi / Abarth 600e / Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce - which is essentially what this fast Corsa is. But we're back to talking about affordability, the very thing the Griffin maker wants to get away from. Changing perceptions here is going to take time.