New Car: 2012 Opel/Vauxhall Corsa



You don’t need an eagle eye to spot the facelifted Corsa! A mid-life makeover has brought the Vauxhall supermini’s styling into line with its Insignia and Astra stablemates – and the new nose is dominated by the Luton company’s distinctive ‘eagle eye’ headlights.

The revamp is the work of chief exterior designer Niels Loeb. As well as the new headlamps – which incorporate a set of LED daytime running lights, and are similar to the units debuted on the latest Meriva – Loeb has given the FordFiestarival a fresh chrome grille and restyled front bumper with a wider air intake.

There are also five new exterior colour options, including striking Lime Green and Chilli Orange pearlescent paint. Completing the visual changes are fresh 16-inch alloys on SE and SXi models, while the range-topping VXR now gets 18-inch rims inspired by the 20-inch wheels on the larger Insignia VXR.

The cabin has been lifted with new upholstery shades and different colour door trims, centre console and handles. Vauxhall will also offer its new Touch and Connect multimedia system, which features a CD player, USB and auxiliary inputs, as well as Bluetooth compatibility and a five-inch touchscreen display for the sat-nav.

The cosmetic upgrades complement the numerous mechanical changes already introduced to the Corsa range. These include the addition of stop-start to the latest ecoFLEX engines.

The bargain of the facelifted range is the £9,995 entry-level three-door 1.0 ecoFLEX, which is effectively £200 cheaper than its predecessor when you take into consideration the 4 January VAT increase. Prices for all other models rise by 2.5 per cent courtesy of the Treasury, but Vauxhall’s own increases are only between around £60 and £75. The first cars will be delivered in February. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express