The New Electric Corsa Everyone's Talking About

Corsa-e Available 2020

The Vauxhall Corsa has always been a popular small hatchback for drivers, and with each new model brought to the market, we have seen more refined designs, new technology and great features as standard. However, for 2020, Vauxhall is releasing a new Corsa that represents an enormous leap into the future for the familiar Corsa and the Vauxhall range. Available on the forecourt early 2020 Vauxhall is bringing to the market the first electric Corsa variant, namely the Corsa-e.

For the first time in Corsa's history, the new model will be offered with battery power alongside combustion-engined models, such as petrol and diesel.

The Corsa-E Up Close

This stylish, eco hatchback uses a 134bhp motor and a 50kWh lithium-ion battery that has been officially tested to range up to 205 miles. Although this range is competitive for smaller hatchbacks, Vauxhall has additionally claimed that their new electric Corsa’s range can be extended by as much as 40% when driven in the Eco Setting. The Eco Setting is said to restrict performance, but if you’re looking to get the mileage, it may just be worth it. When in Eco Mode the regenerative braking system will harvest energy from the driver simply lifting off the accelerator pedal and feed it straight back into the battery.

From a domestic household socket, the Corsa-e takes more than 20 hours to charge fully. However, this length is dramatically reduced to only 8 hours when charged from a dedicated 7.4kW home wall box.

Additionally, when you’re on the road, the new electric Corsa can be charged up to 80% in just 30 minutes via a 100kW rapid charger. These charging stations are found most commonly at motorway service stations.

Corsa-E Features At A Glance

· 205 Mile Range (WLTP)

· Rapid Charge To 80% In 30 Minutes

· On-board 11kW on-board charger as standard

· Active Lange Assist

· LED Headlamps

· Emergency Braking System

· Adjustable heated seats & steering wheel

· 7” Colour Touchscreen

· DAB Radio

· Apple CarPlay & Android Auto.

Vauxhaull – 25 Years of the Corsa

The Corsa model turns 25 this year! To celebrate this achievement Vauxhall released a list of 25 things you may not have known about the Corsa, Check it out below!

As the iconic Corsa turns 25, here’s 25 things you may not know about it 

1. The original Corsa was introduced in an advert with supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista 
2. It was once claimed that about 70% of learners make their first car purchase the same model as they pass their test in^[1]
3. Vauxhall has sold two million Corsas in the UK and 9.86 million globally
4. ‘Corsa’ means ‘race’ in Italian
5. When Arctic Monkeys signed a publishing deal with EMI publishing, lead vocalist Alex Turner celebrated by buying a Vauxhall Corsa 
6. The Corsa replaced the much-loved Vauxhall Nova
7. Matt Smith sold his Corsa on eBay for £6.3k, donating the fee to children’s charity Starlight
8. Tinie Tempah, boxer Nicola Adams and ex-Doctor Who actor Matt Smith all bought the Corsa as their first car
9. The most popular latest Corsa colour bought is the Grey, with 45,050 Grey Corsas currently on British roads
10. The original model sold for £7,195, with the price rising by just £3,850 in 25 years. Assuming an annual inflation rate of 2%, it would be less expensive now than in 1993
11. Vauxhall has sold 20,000 Corsas to UK police forces in the past ten years
12. Original Corsa designer Richard Shaw still works at Vauxhall, working through the ranks to Chief Designer for Interiors
13. Famous celebs involved in campaigns for the Corsa include Sean Paul, Claudia Schiffer, James Martin and fictional rock band, The C’mons
14. Vauxhall has supplied thousands of Corsas to driving schools including BSM, Red and Hitachi Capital
15. British artist Alex Chinneck designed a gravity-defying illusionary artwork which saw the artist suspend a Corsa fifteen feet in the air at London’s Southbank Centre
16. Vauxhall renamed its yellow colour to Maddox Yellow to show support for pensioner Peter Maddox, whose yellow Corsa was vandalised
17. The Corsa is one of the most popular used cars bought, with 63,000 sold each year through Network Q, the best place to buy a used Vauxhall
18. Over 100 models of the Corsa have featured in the annual Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair at locations across the UK for the past 13 years
19. The latest generation of the Corsa is available in 13 colours 
20. Some Corsa models have a hidden shark on the hinge of the glove compartment
21. Unusual Corsa models have included a convertible version and a sporty pick-up
22. In 2014, the prototype fourth-generation Corsa was in gear to win the Guinness World Record for the “Largest GPS Drawing” 
23. Vauxhall created a pair of bespoke headphones in the shape of a Corsa to help launch the fifth year of the UK Beatbox Championships in 2011
24. The Corsa previously shared some of the same parts with a sports car, the Lotus Elise
25. A new electric Corsa model will be launching in 2019 – Vauxhall’s first electric Corsa. Which you can read about here!

For all Corsa parts, no matter which of the models you have from the last 25 years visit MegaVaux

Beware of Corsa Cannibals

There has been a wave of thefts among the Midlands and North East, as ‘Corsa cannibals’ are stripping Vauxhall Corsa’s. The thieves are stealing parts in the night while the cars are parked outside their owners’ house, some were even on drives. The cannibals are targeting the Corsa model due to their popularity, and the price that these parts will go for on the black market, as there is such high demand. The cannibals have been causing havoc, as people wake up in the mornings to find their bumpers missing or front ends completely dissembled! Which means expensive replacements for anyone targeted. Parts taken include bonnets, bumpers, grills and lights. These thieves have been described as highly skilled to remove these parts so quickly without damaging them, mechanics say this type of work could be done in as little as 10 minutes if someone knows what they’re doing.

This is the second wave of crimes like this, as this craze started back in 2013, during which over 500 Corsa’s were targeted in Bedfordshire. Police believed this was an organised crime network, that proved to be very profitable. A Vauxhall spokesperson has said that the cars are being targeted specifically as the Corsa models are very popular among younger drivers. The young inexperienced drivers are more prone to crashes, with the stolen parts being sold for replacements of damaged parts.

Police have warned owners of Corsa’s to be careful where they park to avoid the cannibals, preferably in a secure location, with CCVT, where thieves will be unable to get to the bonnet. Vauxhall has since teamed up with the police to try and catch these cannibals.

If you’re not a Corsa cannibal, you can get your Corsa Spare Parts with us at Megavaux.

Vauxhall Renames Yellow Corsa ‘Maddox Yellow’ in Support of Cotswold Pensioner

Blamed for ruining one of Britain's most picturesque villages with his brightly coloured Vauxhall Corsa, 84-year-old Peter Maddox of Arlington Row, Cotswolds, has now been appointed his own colour by no other than Vauxhall themselves!

After multiple viral reports and posts slamming his choice of car colour, outraged vandals took it upon themselves to scratch the word 'move' onto the bonnet of his Corsa, as well as smashing both side and rear windows. However, since then, after hitting the headline with his story, Peter and his yellow Corsa have gone on to win the heart of the nation!

Earlier this month, a fleet of 100 yellow cars from all across the country joined forces and rallied through the heart of Maddox's hometown of Bibury Cotswolds, in a warming act of solidarity. It was the UK's 'Biggest Yellow Car Convoy' ever, with Vauxhall Motors even joining the event in their own 'Maddox Yellow' Corsas.

The Director of Communications at Vauxhall Motors, Mr.Denis Chick commented "When we heard Peter's story we were inspired by the way it captured the heart of the public. We wanted to show our support for Peter, which is why we're renaming our yellow shade to 'Maddox Yellow'. We will also be in the car convoy to show our support. It is for a great cause and no doubt a fun day for lovers of all yellow cars, including Vauxhall."

So there you have it, there's always a silver (yellow) lining! 

Why I love my Vauxhall Corsa

This is my Vauxhall Corsa. Her name is Vivienne and she is 14 years old. Funnily enough, I’m not much older than the car!

Vivienne has a 1.2 litre engine and probably missing most of the horsepower she was born with. Sometimes I wish she was a little more ‘gutsy’, but when you buy a small car because you a.) can’t afford the insurance on a bigger car and b.) don’t have 2.4 children and don’t need a big estate car, there has to be some give and take!

I’ve had my Vauxhall Corsa for almost 3 years now and she is just as lovely today as the day I first decorated her with flowers. My Corsa might be old, but unlike my first car, a dilapidated Peugeot 106 with four gears and a manual choke, Vivienne has been reliable. She has refused to start on only two occasions – both because her engine wasn’t turned over for two weeks. She’s never failed an MOT, although the garage has provided me with short lists of advisory things to do. This is fair enough as all vehicles require maintenance. Whether your car is old or new, you can’t be complacent about keeping it running properly as demonstrated in this article about the need for car maintenance.

My Vauxhall Corsa is reliable because I look after her. I love the freedom my car gives me as it means I can go where I want, when I want. As I live somewhere relatively awkward, I can’t rely on public transport to get me to work or to the supermarket for a week’s shopping. Because of this, I need my car to be reliable and my Corsa is exactly that.

Maintenance really is the key to keeping your car running smoothly, how else could my 14 year old Corsa be in better shape than my boyfriend’s 6 year old Seat?

Here are my key tips for keeping your car working well for you well into its dotage:

• Check oil and water regularly. The moving parts in the engine need to be lubricated so low oil levels can cause damage to your engine.
• Check your tyres. Low pressure increases fuel consumption as well as making your vehicle less responsive when you need it most.
• Get strange noises looked at as soon as you notice them. I ignored noise at the back of my Peugeot for weeks and one day, the exhaust pipe just fell off!
• Clutch control is very important. You could drive without a clutch but you would ruin your gear box and that is a big job for your mechanic. On my Vauxhall Corsa, there is a little clip on the cable that stops it from ‘slipping’ and snatching from you. However, if you’re heavy-footed on the clutch, you could wear the cable – again, on my Peugeot the cable just snapped because I was using it far more than I should. I have learned my lesson now.
• Go down to your local breaker’s yard. I always go to Megavaux for spare parts for my car because they know their Vauxhall car parts, they’re really good guys there and its much cheaper going to Megavaux than going to a cowboy mechanic who charges you for work and parts that they haven’t done or used!

Vauxhall Corsa faults

Vauxhall Corsa’s are among the most popular cars in the Vauxhall range but have not been without their problems. The car series has had a number of different releases each with different bodies and engines. So we need to take a look at the different models within the Corsa series to see what problems have occurred at the various stages and the problems likely to emerge in the future.

The first models released between 1993-2000 are now starting to see quite a few issues relating to the bodywork, engine and other general problems. The older Corsa’s tend to have issues with defective door hinges and be susceptible to rust due to poor paintwork on the body.

The engines can suffer from a few starting problems. The 1.4 16v model had some problems with cutting out. If the Corsa's have a particularly high mileage you can see some clutch wear or slip.

The Vauxhall Corse 93-03 seems to use front tyres more and wear them down and also the brakes the suspension is easily tired on these older models. The Corse can experience minor electrical problems and the interior trim looks tatty after a while.

The Vauxhall Corse 00-03 model has a new range of issues this model is particularly popular with people who like to add body kits. These don’t really add value and can be covering crash damage so may be worth investigating.

The oil level on this model can drop easily so it’s worth checking and asking for proof of the last oil change. A common accompaniment to the body kit is the sports exhaust and stereo, if this isn’t a feature you want don’t pay for a car with these extras.

The Vauxhall Corsa from 2003-2006 is mechanically fine but are popular with modders so watch out for body kits and noisy exhausts. The most modern Corsa’s are relatively free from problems with the body and engine. There have been several recalls regarding the steering control.

So if you have any of these issues and are in need of Vauxhall Corsa parts, take a look at Megavaux.