The Corsa has been a stalwart of the Vauxhall range, since its introduction in the early nineties. Superminis are the bread and butter of British motoring life, and Corsas have seen action all over the place, with most people of a certain generation having learned to drive at some point in one.
To stay the same is to go backwards in this industry, however, so Vauxhall has had to work hard to keep the Corsa on top against competition from the likes of the Mini, Nissan Micra, Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta amongst many others. It's the dog-eat-dog end of the market.
The latest generation takes on the Vauxhall family styling theme recently employed on the Astra, lending it a suitably dynamic air. Just like the Astra, the Corsa has two hatchback body styles available - there's the standard five-door and a more rakish three-door to choose from depending on your particular needs.
There are many big-car touches in the Corsa that make it a mature experience - from the endlessly adjustable driving position to the cruising refinement and the confident steering. Even the interior quality you'd expect from the class above. Buying a small car needn't mean making the same sacrifices that it used to.
The Corsa is quite spacious, as superminis go - four people will fit in with relative ease, although if you go for the three-door version you'll have to bear in mind that the sleek profile does bring an inevitable decrease in the amount of headroom available. The boot is a decent size too, and the seats fold down to enable larger loads to be carried with ease.
As for the engines, unusually for the supermini segment the petrol engines all feel a bit weedy and gutless. Even the 1.4-litre petrol motor is underpowered for getting the Corsa about at a decent lick. The 1.3-litre diesel engine is our pick of the range here with its punchy performance and decent economy. It does make sense to go for the diesel option here.
The VXR version of the car is a happy lesson in modern hot hatching, providing plenty of thrills, while lower down the range the keen pricing of the entry-level cars will no doubt provide a few thrills, but it's better to spend a bit extra on a decent mid-range car to really enjoy one of the best superminis on the market.