The New Vauxhall Corsa GSi Will Have A 148bhp 1.4

If you want a small, hot-ish hatchback, there’ll soon be option that isn’t a Suzuki Swift Sport. It’s called the Corsa GSi, and it was announced a little while ago - it’s just that Vauxhall/Opel has been painfully slow at releasing any information about it.

Now though, we know what kind of engine it’ll be packing: a turbocharged 1.4-litre inline-four turbo - the exact same configuration as the aforementioned Swift Sport, as it happens. It’s a little more powerful too at 148bhp (it’ll have 162lb ft of torque, meanwhile), but since the Corsa is a much porkier car than the lithe Suzuki, it’s a tad slower: 0-62mph takes a relatively leisurely 8.9 seconds. The top speed is 128mph.

As revealed a few weeks ago, it’ll marry this modestly-powered engine with the chassis from the Corsa VXR or Corsa ‘OPC’ as it’s referred to on Opel-badged cars.

So, this is a car that’ll be all about you exploiting a meaty suspension and brake setup to keep up as much momentum as possible. And that’s quite appealing, in a way, particularly as the target audience of younger drivers will have some vague hope of insuring it.

What could be less appealing is the price: the general consensus seems to be that it’ll weigh in at £18,000 - £19,000, pitching it into battle with the much more powerful, spectacularly capable Fiesta ST. Hmmm…