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By Jonathan Crouch

Vauxhall's Corsa Electric gets a sharper look - and an extra powertrain option. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 51

Vauxhall's Corsa Electric is our market's best selling small EV. But it needed a bit more technology and a more fashionable vibe. Both of which the Griffin brand claims to have brought us with this mid-term update, which gives a sharper feel inside and out, plus an extra longer-range powertrain option.

Backgroundword count: 129

Supermini-sized full-electric cars haven't generally been very credible to date, with one or two notable exceptions. But times are changing. Pretty soon, most volume brand manufacturers are going to be offering little EVs with the kind of driving range you once had to pay luxury money for. Vauxhall has found itself in the vanguard of this change, courtesy of Peugeot e-208-derived borrowed Stellantis Group technology. That was what first brought us an electric Corsa back in 2020, then badged the Corsa-e. Vauxhall changed the name to 'Corsa Electric' in 2022 and improved the driving range. Then in mid-2023, brought us the much improved facelifted design we're looking at here, which gets a sharper design, a smarter, more digitalised interior, plus an extra powertrain option. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 259

In its original form, this electric Corsa offered a 50kWh battery powering a 136PS electric motor - and that powertrain combination continues in this updated model, offering 221 miles of range. But Corsa Electric customers can also now choose a more sophisticated 51kWh battery paired with a more powerful 156PS motor, this set-up boosting EV range to 248 miles. Either way, expect moderately rapid performance, with 62mph dispatched in under 9 seconds. There's the usual single-speed auto transmission you get with EVs. And like all electric vehicles, this one develops all its torque at once and simply hurls itself away from rest (the 30mph mark is reached in just 2.1s and 60mph is crested in only 7.6s), disguising the fact that (also like all EVs) this Zero Emissions variant has a bit of a weight problem - that drivetrain adds over 300kgs of bulk. That extra weight arguably helps the Corsa Electric though, when it comes to ride quality; you'll feel things like speed humps keenly but at speed on the open road, it handles tarmac tears a little better than its combustion cousins. Of course, you certainly won't achieve anything like the range figures we've quoted if you get anywhere near this EV's quoted 93mph top speed. Or if you habitually drive your Corsa Electric in the 'Sport' setting that'll be necessary to release to full 136PS power output just mentioned. Remember too that the quoted range figures require engagement of a somewhat restrictive 'Eco' mode that with the 136PS version drops power output right down to 83PS.

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