Vauxhall has announced prices and specs for the latest member of its Corsa family – the Corsa GSi. Reviving a nameplate that’s been out of action for decades, the GSi stops just short of being a full-blown hot hatchback but still aims to provide driving thrills.
Riding on the same chassis as the hardcore Corsa VXR, the GSi eschews that car’s 1.6-litre, 202bhp engine for a smaller 1.4-litre with 148bhp. It can accelerate from 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 129mph.
Inside, customers benefit from sports seats, a leather steering wheel with a flat bottom and an IntelliLink 4.0 infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
For those after a bit of extra specification, there’s the GSi Plus Pack. This upgrades the wheels to 18-inches, adds leather Recaro seats and bi-xenon headlights. It’s an additional £1,900 on top of the initial price of the car.
VAUXHALL ANNOUNCES PRICING FOR NEW CORSA GSI https://t.co/1d7qLHBG5C pic.twitter.com/WakwOqRjik
— Vauxhall Media (@VauxhallMedia) July 9, 2018
There’s no denying that the Corsa has some strong rivals at this price point. Chief among them are the Suzuki Swift Sport, which costs less than £18,000, and the brilliant Fiesta ST which starts at an identical £18,995.
Though the Ford’s specification isn’t quite as generous as the Vauxhall’s, it does offer 197bhp from its 1.5-litre engine and will crack 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds – over two seconds faster than the Corsa.
