Vauxhall Corsa GSE prices confirmed

Less than an Alpine GTS, less than a Mini JCW - and more powerful than both...

By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 5 August 2026 / Loading comments

Vauxhall has a long history of affordable performance cars - it’s part of the reason that various SRIs, GSIs and VXRs remain so dearly thought of. You could go faster and make more noise than more reputable rivals, all for less money. And who wouldn’t be just a little bit tempted by that? It’s a tradition that looks set to be continued by the Corsa GSE, which will cost £34,495.

Quite a bit more than we’ve come to expect from hot Corsas over the years, but then just about every car is right now. It’s what £20,000 in 2007 - back when the old VXR launched - is now worth, if that helps. For that money, you get the kit that’s been discussed at length already (and which is coming to a GSE review very soon): up to 281hp, a Torsen limited-slip diff, Alcon brakes, Michelin tyres, a Nurburgring-honed suspension setup and so on. All the hot hatch good stuff, basically, even if it comes with a 51kWh battery pack instead of a 1.6 turbo.

That £34,495 RRP includes everything, with only paint options mentioned so far: Voltaic Blue, Contour White, Crystal Silver, and Graphic Grey are all £650, with Carbon Black the only standard colour. Plus £34k puts it right in among the rest of the EV hot hatches, with the related Abarth 600e, the Alpine A290 and Mini JCW all there or thereabouts on price. Where the price comparison gets a bit confusing is with the Electric Car Grant, because the £1,500 off Vauxhall is aiming for - taking the Corsa to £32,995 - is still awaiting Government approval. There seems little reason to doubt that it will, though it’s something to be aware of. An A290 GTS is from £34,245 (with the top tier, £3,750 ECG applied), a Mini is from £34,905 (with plenty of options to add on), and an Abarth 600e qualifies for the same ECG as the Vauxhall with its shared bits: the 240hp car is from £32,495 with the £1,500 off. Phew.

Whichever way you cut it, the Vauxhall looks decent value in the burgeoning EV hot hatch market. The monthlies will be the key number, of course, so expect those to follow soon. Alpine, for example, will currently do £309 a month for 48 months, with £6k down, 6,000 miles a year and 2.9% on a GTS. As for the Vauxhall, the first drive is coming later this week - don’t be surprised if the comments thread is quite a long one…