Corsa Capital at Vauxhall dealers in London
London is chock-full of unique landmarks and Vauxhall have added another. No not an addition to Saint Peter’s Heritage Centre, I’m on about a four wheeled Vauxhall, in this case the Corsa Capital. Only by visiting a London Vauxhall dealer will you be able to pick one up, as Vauxhall aims to show its city car can take on the biggest conurbation in Britain. To help you deal with not only the congestion, but the charge that goes with it, Vauxhall are enticing Londoners to the Capital – pun intended, with (deep breath): 15” alloy wheels, a CD player that’s MP3 ready, rear spoiler, body coloured bumpers, electric front windows and air conditioning to name but a few, for only a slight price hike over the standard model.
Of course the Capital is just one derivative of the all-new Corsa range and the new cars find themselves in the middle of the most competitive sector of motoring – the hatchback.Vitally then, the new Vauxhall Corsa must score well for in likeability, drivability and must be available for the right price?). With Vauxhall dealers pitching the Corsa range directly at big rivals Ford and Volkswagen it has to be very good indeed to become the market leader. Those cutesy little fellas in the advert seem to be having fun mind - but you can’t trust cuddly fabric, so crucially how is it to drive and how does it look in the flesh?
As I am still the new boy when it comes to road testing cars, I am faced with the daily anguish of opening my letterbox to find a distinct lack of keys to the latest Ferrari or Lamborghini, with a “have this for a week” note attached from Mr Lamborghini.I have however, been given the pleasure of driving the Vauxhall Corsa and believe me I don’t use the word ‘pleasure’ without meaning it. Firstly however an anecdote…
My own car is a Hyundai Coupe, the automotive equivalent to Kelly Brook – pretty to look at with racy curves aplenty and great handling (particularly dancing the Salsa).However thanks to the balance of the universe , the stunning looks come at a price - it’s very slow and drinks like George Best did back in his more boozy days. Despite this fact, one rain-drenched evening when all the sensible people were fast asleep, I found myself meandering around the twisty back roads on the outskirts of Cardiff, when what looked like a B & Q shed with wheels pulled up alongside me.
It appeared the four youths had been on the sun bed, as there was a blue neon glow emanating from the shed and that’s when my inner eight year-old took over.{I strained the small rodent in its little wheel to run quicker than ever before and the engine jumped into action}. As I left the shed and sun bed combo behind with Kelly’s wonderful handling, I thought to myself “nothing could handle this well”. Low and behold six months later I was proved wrong.
If my Coupe is Kelly Brook, then the new Vauxhall Corsa is Kate Thornton.The design wont make your spin jingle or your hair stand on end but it is still a decent looking hatch back.Importantly though, this car has brain power as well it features: CBC, ABS, EBA, DTC and SLS.You don’t need to concern yourself with what all the different acronyms mean, they pretty much all relate to safety and importantly for a city car handling. I drove a 1.2 litre Corsa derivative during my high-brow summer break to Ibiza and fell in love.
The island is split into the two best environments for testing a car: twisty mountain roads and city driving. With this in mind I left my hotel high on the sun-drenched hillside and set off for the capital, Ibiza Town.The A/C quickly cooled the car, but I still felt the need to lean out the window and show the world the smug look on my face as I still had all four wheel trims. I didn’t however shout “C’MON!” The 1.2 litre engine was surprisingly willing and the car gripped as tightly through the hairpin turns as it did through the s-bends.
Hitting the main road towards the capital gave me time to reflect on the interior.The Corsa seemed to be well constructed with no irritating rattles or creaks which you seem to get in some cheaper cars, the driving position was also good giving me a decent chance of spotting the many crazy drivers and zombie like pedestrians.At times, I honestly could have been Bagdad, as nobody seemed to understand the conventional wisdom of ‘don’t crash into another car, it’ll do neither me nor you any good’.
Emerging unscathed with a combination of cheeky handling and dumb luck, I arrived at Ibiza Town, wheel trims and all. Parked against the backdrop of a billionaires’ playground of yachts in the harbour, the Corsa seemed somehow prettier.The good looks appeared to me to fit in well with the nearby fashion houses and the vibe of the big city. As night descended, the light steering and responsive gearbox came into its own.There was a point when i took the wrong turning. Well by wrong turn I mean turning into a dead-end street complete with drug dealers, ladies of the night and no La Policia in sight.
For some this may seem like a perfect night out, not for me and Kate though. It was a ludicrous situation really, these burly druggies being crept up on by the Corsa, with its lop-sided grin and surprised eyes. I’m pleased to announce that the excellent turning circle allowed me to deliver a swift three-point-turn and chirp off onto better climes within the big smoke.The next day with a heavy heart I had to return Kate to the rental company she truly will be the envy of that rental companies car park.
The small hatchback market is one of the toughest to conquer, but I really think Vauxhall have produced a worthy competitor. When I think of the Corsa I think of chirpy, cheeky, cute and cuddlesome.Together with its handling this car is fun and ideal for the city environment.So if you want to get yourself a nice city car just remember: city plus fun take away cost equals Vauxhall dealer. “C’MON!” Ah damn it.
