With a little Gallic assistance, Vauxhall offers full Hybrid power in its Corsa supermini to make sure it stays relevant to buyers in this crowded market. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Background

It's taken a long time for hybrid power to reach the humble Vauxhall Corsa, but the timing of this petrol electric variant's arrival could hardly have been better. Sales of EV models like the Corsa Electric are faltering with customer concerns over high pricing and an under-funded public charging infrastructure. The idea of an electrified version of this model that doesn't have to be plugged in should go down well. The current sales leader in this space is Toyota's Yaris, but supermini customers seeking a full-hybrid in this class are also considering alternatives like the Honda Jazz and the more affordable Renault Clio E-Tech full hybrid. So where does this Corsa Hybrid fit into this segment - and how competitive can it be? Let's see.

Driving Experience

Like the Yaris (but unlike the Clio and the Jazz), the Hybrid engine in this Corsa is available in two states of tune - 110PS or 145PS. The 48V system is based around the Corsa's familiar 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol engine mated to a bespoke 6-speed e-DCT6 dual clutch auto transmission. Bespoke because that gearbox's casing houses the DC inverter, the Engine Control Unit and a little 28hp electric motor powered by a tiny battery secreted beneath the front passenger seat. On the move, the petrol engine and the electric motor can operate together - or separately. And, unlike with a mild hybrid system like that fitted to say, a Fiesta, here the car can be driven for short urban distances (under 18mph) on electric power alone. The motor also assists the engine under acceleration - such as from standstill to 62mph, which takes 10.7s for the 110PS model or 8.6s for the 145PS version. Mind you, those figures are only 0.1s faster than the equivalent un-electrified derivative. During deceleration, the petrol engine stops and the e-motor acts as a generator to recharge the Hybrid system's 48V battery. The battery also stores the energy recuperated by the regenerative braking system.

Design and Build

This Hybrid Corsa does of course share all the recent updates made to its range stablemates - which means the adoption of the brand's distinctive 'Vizor'-style front grille, a single solid black panel with a restyled Grifin badge. That panel's flanked by squared-off slimline LED headlights which on the top variant features the brand's 'IntelliLux matrix pixel tech. As with a Corsa, all of this sits on Peugeot 208 underpinnings, which means the Stellantis Group's 'CMP' 'Common Modular Platform' and body panels fashioned from a range of high-strength steels. Inside, the infotainment system is a 10-inch screen that runs a sophisticated user interface powered by Qualcomm's 'Snapdragon Cockpit' platform. Wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring is included, as are over-the-air software updates and "Hey Vauxhall" voice control. Plus there's 'Connected 3D' navigation if you avoid base trim. The 7-inch digital instrument screen has sharp graphics: and a wireless charging mat is being offered, along with a high-resolution wide-view rear camera. As usual in a Corsa, space is at a bit of a premium for those in the rear seat, but the curvature of the front seat backs is designed to improve knee room, there's a notably low centre transmission tunnel and there's lots of room to poke your feet beneath those front chairs. The boot is unaffected by the Hybrid installation, so remains at 309-litres in size. It's quite a usable, squarically-sized space, with 885mm of length and 867mm of width. Folding the straightforward 60:40-split rear bench reveals 1,118-litres of capacity when you load to the roof.

Market and Model

Pricing for this Turbo Hybrid e-DCT6 model starts from just over £22,000 - just over £600 more than a conventional Corsa 1.2 100PS Turbo auto model. There are four trim levels - 'YES', 'Design', 'GS' and 'Ultimate'. With the top two, you have the option of finding just under £1,000 more for the perkier 145PS version of this engine. the top 145PS 'Ultimate' model costs just over £30,000; you've really got to want a Corsa Hybrid to pay that. Even volume 'Design' spec gives you plenty of kit. This popular variant features 16-inch alloy wheels, while inside it benefits from a 10-inch touchscreen, with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' included. All 'Design' models feature LED headlights and daytime running lights, high beam assist and rear parking distance sensors, as well an array of driver-assistance tech, including lane departure warning with lane keep assist, speed sign recognition, driver drowsiness alert, cruise control and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

Cost of Ownership

In 110PS form, this Corsa Hybrid manages 62.8mpg on the combined cycle and 103g/km of CO2. In 145PS guise, the figures aren't much different - 60.1mpg and 106g/km. To give you some class perspective, a rival (cheaper) Renault Clio E-Tech full hybrid manages 65.7mpg and up to 96g/km of CO2. For reference, an ordinary non-electrified Corsa 1.2 Turbo auto manages 50.4mpg and 127g/km. But that variant's BiK-rated at 31% - compared with 26% for this Hybrid. This Corsa's Hybrid petrol engine has been optimised for efficiency and operates in the Miller combustion cycle. This thermodynamic cycle is enabled by the variable geometry turbocharger, which enhances performance at low rpm, and variable valve timing. A belt-driven starter combines with the e-motor to start the petrol engine from cold. The belt-starter also restarts the engine quickly and seamlessly while driving. As for peace of mind, well there's the usual unremarkable Vauxhall three year 60,000 mile warranty.

Summary

Right here, right now, if you've decided you want a Vauxhall Corsa, then this Hybrid version is probably the one you should be choosing. But of course it's not as simple as that. There's a significant price premium over the similarly performing non-electrified version. True, not as great a premium as you'd need for the fully-fledged Corsa Electric, but significant nonetheless. If you can justify that - or somehow make it add up within some sort of monthly finance deal, then there's the question of whether a Corsa Hybrid is offering something significantly different to what's already available in this segment from Hybrid rivals like the Yaris, the Clio and the Jazz. Probably not. So it comes back to the strength of the deal you'll be offered. But then Vauxhall has traditionally sold its cars on the strength of that. It'll need to do so again here.