Public Servant Lifestyle

"The Corsa 1.8 may look understated, but the test drive revealed indications of the true performance of which it is capable" reports Philippa Davis.

"For a car pitched at the highly competitive hot-hatch market, the Corsa looks very understated, indeed, outwardly there is little indication of the performance of which it is capable. With the right foot hard down, acceleration is plenty good enough for the urban scene and the light, positive steering make it a breeze to park. When pushed hard on twisty country roads the suspension coped well, as it did at speed on the motorway, although I found it a bit firm on uneven surfaces.

"All instrumentation and controls fell readily to hand and the surprisingly comfortable seats and steering wheel had enough adjustment to suite all but the tallest driver. Road, wind and engine noise levels were all high and, inevitably, got worse with increased speed, lessening the otherwise pleasurable drive. On the whole, a good car for surprising the hell out of people at traffic lights and getting swiftly around town."

Equipment & Interior

"Boot space is generous for a car of this size, which is more than can be said for the cabin space devoted to passengers, as head and leg room for the rear passengers is very restricted. Basic equipment levels are low when compared to others in its class with most “whistles and bells” coming as optional extras. Quality of finish is likewise lacking. This said, it’s a very solid car which should have few problems and meets good standards for safety and security.

"High depreciation and resultant low residuals are against the SRi, as are the low levels of equipment. On the plus side, it has bags of punch, is fun to drive and is still a very practical load carrier for the weekend shopping etc.

Key Features

More information available in Test Drive