Corsa GSI engine confirmed
Yep, it's as we feared - 205hp VXR makes way for 150hp GSI...
With 2018 seemingly being the year of the junior hot hatch - see Yaris GRMN, new Fiesta ST and Polo GTI just for starters - it would take a heck of a lot for the new Corsa GSI to upstage them. And that's before you consider the more affordable options in the shape of the Swift Sport and Up GTI.
So to hear that, as rumours predicted, the latest hot Vauxhall will use a 1.4-litre engine with 150hp - when its predecessor made 205hp from a 1.6 - is rather disappointing. Sure, this should make the Corsa GSI cheaper than a VXR, but it seems rather a backward step to replace a model with a considerably less powerful alternative.
Still, let's not be too hasty - many have praised the accessibility of lower powered sporty stuff like the Up, so this could actually be a shrewd move for the Corsa. With 162lb ft in addition to the 150hp, Vauxhall is claiming the GSI is capable of an 8.9-second sprint to 62mph - just a tenth behind the Up - and a 128mph top speed. With a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, the Corsa should return 47.1mpg and 139g/km.
As stated previously, this Corsa will inherit the chassis changes that made the VXR what it was, including its springs, dampers and brakes, with the familiar VXR 18-inch wheels and Recaro seats set for the options list. An IntelliLink infotainment system with CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus a bodykit and red calipers, will be standard.
Vauxhall expects the GSI to be in showrooms from September, with orders being taken from July. A price hasn't yet been announced, though for some context an Adam S with the same powertrain officially retails at £18,875 and a Corsa VXR at £20,185 - expect the GSI to slot somewhere between the two. However it would be a surprise if there wasn't some negotiating room in whatever the final price is; see this ex-demonstrator VXR, with just 100 miles on the clock, for sale at £15,990...
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