Yes, really! The Vauxhall Corsa is the best selling new car of early 2021 in the UK, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. This is big news for those that follow such things. After all, for countless years it was outsold by its arch-rival: the Ford Fiesta. Not now, though. Corsa registrations for January to April inclusive totalled 16,381. The Fiesta only managed 14,906.
Key skills
The Corsa is increasingly finding favour with motorists for a simple reason. It fulfils its brief. That brief is deceptively simple. It has to be a ‘fantastic supermini class vehicle by excelling in the city’. The city is the natural habitat of any supermini. On this basis, it has related skills that help it along.
For starters, a supermini has to easily carve its way through traffic on busy streets to succeed in the city. It has to dart about like a busy bee rather than cruise. And the Corsa can. It feels stable, alert, and sure-footed. It tends to ride nicely, too.
Clever equipment
A supermini also needs clever equipment to thrive in the urban jungle. Again, the Vauxhall Corsa succeeds. Automatic emergency city braking is standard even on the entry-level SE. It monitors the distance to hazards ahead such as another vehicle. If the distance becomes too short, it then brakes for you to avoid an impact or reduce its severity. It can even brake to avoid a person.
The Corsa has other equipment that helps it manoeuvre easily on congested streets. High-spec versions have a panoramic rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, and satellite navigation.
Perfect proportions
The Corsa is also the right size for the city. It is large enough for five people and plenty of luggage yet small enough to nip through traffic, fit into tiny parking bays, and feel manageable. It is 406cm long, 196cm wide, and the cargo capacity totals 309 litres. This rises to 1,118 litres with the rear seats folded flat.
Low running costs
The 2021 Vauxhall Corsa has low fuel consumption and emissions whatever engine you pick. There is a 1.2 75PS petrol, 1.2 100PS turbo petrol, 1.2 130PS turbo petrol, and a 1.5 102PS turbo diesel.
Combined fuel consumption ranges from 47.8 to 70.6mpg and emissions from 105 to 140g/km. There is also a clean, zero-emission, fully electric model which has 100PS and can travel 209 miles per charge.
Price
The 2021 Vauxhall Corsa is topping the sales chart due to such skills. It is a capable, versatile, and likeable supermini that gets the job done for a modest sum. Prices start from only £16,815.
