Vauxhall’s little Corsa started life way back in 1983. Back then it was known as the Nova in the UK and was a replacement for the ageing Vauxhall Chevette. I remember the Chevette well as my friend’s Mum owned one and we persuaded her to let us borrow it the day after my friend passed his driving test on the fourth attempt (you could tell he was a natural behind the wheel). The car was a pretty revolting shade of purple and showed a few battle scars as my friend’s Mum wasn’t exactly an expert driver either. We didn’t care though as it was the perfect opportunity to tear up the L-plates that had adorned the car for what felt like an eternity. We were then ready to hit the streets with our puny cassette radio blaring. What we did manage to hit within about ten minutes was a car full of rather large Rastafarian gentlemen who were none too pleased with the damage that we had caused to their bright orange Fiat Super Mirafiori. It took a considerable amount of diplomacy to resolve the situation but luckily we managed to escape with our dignity, and our front teeth intact. A few years later I got a job with a company that had a Vauxhall Nova “Club” as a pool car and I must admit I did not enjoy driving that thing around at all. It was not actually so bad to drive but the car was white with yellow trim and had a yellow and white checked interior that made you feel like you were driving a deck chair. This was finished off with some tasteful white windscreen wipers. It was truly hideous and I was glad the day when somebody stole it and set it on fire which was a very popular past time back in the late eighties. I’m not sure who left the keys in it making it easier to steal though. I’m sure it couldn’t have been me. Vauxhall dropped the Nova name in 1993 and adopted the Corsa title as everyone was getting confused, as indeed they always have been between Vauxhall and Opel names over the years. The more rounder Corsa B model was quite a departure from the previous squarer Nova but proved to be just as popular although the A model British Nova still has a loyal following although they are becoming rare these days. Another model which appeared was the Tigra and although based around the Corsa B did not sell terribly well. The new millennium heralded the appearance of the Corsa C model which was a more technologically advanced version of what had gone before. The new multi-purpose chassis design or "Gamma" as it became known by parent company GM could be used for other models, a system which has been used by most manufacturers. “Ecotec” engines were carried over from the previous model due to their proven reliability although a few alterations were made in particular to the old DI diesel engine which made way for the improved CDTI version. The Corsa C was a huge success in the UK consistently selling in large numbers and achieved best selling car status as well as best sales in its class of “Supermini” throughout the early part of the decade. As a result of this success Vauxhall even resurrected the Tigra again in 2004 although it is now known as the “Twin Top”. 2006 saw the arrival of the Corsa D which has a new Gamma platform that was co-developed with Fiat and also features on the Grande Punto. The latest Corsa looks and feels like a bigger car and is more refined than its predecessors. Sales have been good to date with the Corsa still ranking in the top five of best selling small cars. A clever option on the Corsa is the “Flexfix” integrated bike rack which can be pulled out from the car’s rear bumper and incorporates the number plate together with the lights; which are often obscured by traditional bike carriers.
December 3rd, 2008
Were you aware the term “the White Van Man” was originally coined by Sarah Kennedy a BBC radio two DJ back in the nineties? A fact she has no doubt been dining out on ever since.
In the eleven years that has elapsed since white van man was singled out for posing the greatest threat to society, world and home events have meant that maybe there are worse things in life than someone being discourteous towards us whilst driving.
I seem to remember though that white vans do seem to attract a certain amount of attention not all of it welcomed. I hired a white van a while back to move flat and within minutes a small group of dirty faced youths started hanging around and I had to move them on by threatening to play my Richard Clayderman albums loudly.
As a consequence “white van man” has reinvented himself somewhat and undergone a bit of an image change to reflect these changing times. For instance mainly due to a loophole with VAT ratings many builders who in the past may have driven dilapidated white vans a few years ago can now be found driving around in swanky new 4×4 pick-ups. Especially the double cab versions which are now being used on the school run amongst other things.
Also due to the rising costs of motoring a lot of vans have now become the main vehicle in the household and with the image of the white van in crisis other colours were being tried in an attempt to shake off the stereotypical image of the occupant. Some time ago silver was deemed to be the new white for the more image-conscious driver.
The term “New Van Man” was coined to reflect the trend of tradesmen who would rather be seen drinking a tall latte rather than a mug of tea with maybe a copy of The Guardian on the dashboard instead of The Sun.
People’s expectations are a lot higher these days and the equipment level of today’s vans has improved to reflect this. I remember a friend of mine used to be a delivery driver and I used to occasionally accompany him when I’d lost the will to live. The problem being his van was so basic there was not even a passenger seat! This failed to put me off and I helped myself and took one of my mums dining room chairs. This kind of worked in so far as I could put a seatbelt round me but of course without being fixed to the floor it did have a tendency to catapult me into the dashboard if we stopped quickly or alternatively sent me flying backwards into a pile of discarded sandwich wrappers when we pulled away.
These days vans have airbags and air conditioning (so the sun-tanned right arm has become a thing of the past) CD’s and MP3 players and such like even electric windows, in the past you would be lucky to have a window winder as it would have fallen off long ago and be rattling around annoyingly somewhere under the driver’s seat.
Take the Vauxhall Vivaro I have just been reading about for instance, the specification list reads better than a lot of cars currently available, there’s even a sport version. It comes with a choice of the latest common rail diesel engines and some 16 different body variations and it’s even made in Luton England. Safety features include ABS with EBA (Emergency Brake Assist) and seat belt pretensioners. The Vivaro is available in long and short wheelbase versions including minibuses as well as a high roof option, always handy to avoid bashing your head when loading.
All the vans I have looked at are shown in red but rest assured white is still an option for the traditionalist!
November 14th, 2008
London is chock-full of unique landmarks and Vauxhall have added another.Its not an addition to Big Ben or the Millennium Dome , I’m on about the four wheeled type of Vauxhall, in this case the Vauxhall Corsa Capital. Only by visiting a London Vauxhall dealer will you be able to pick one up, as Vauxhall aims to show its city car can take on the biggest conurbation in Britain. To help you deal with not only the congestion, but the charge that goes with it, Vauxhall are enticing Londoners to the Capital – pun intended, with (deep breath): 15” alloy wheels, a CD player that’s MP3 ready, rear spoiler, body coloured bumpers, electric front windows and air conditioning to name but a few, for only a slight price hike over the standard model.
Of course the Capital is just one derivative of the all-new Corsa range and the new cars find themselves in the middle of the most competitive sector of motoring – the hatchback.Vitally then, the new Vauxhall Corsa must score well for in likeability, drivability and must be available for the right price?). With Vauxhall dealers pitching the Corsa range directly at big rivals Ford and Volkswagen it has to be very good indeed to become the market leader.Those cute little guys in the advert seem to be enjoying themselves mind - these days you just can’t trust cuddly fabric characters though, so crucially what does it look like and what’s it like to drive?
As I am still the new boy when it comes to road testing cars, I am faced with the daily anguish of opening my letterbox to find a distinct lack of keys to the latest Ferrari or Lamborghini, with a “have this for a week” note attached from Mr Lamborghini. I have however, had the joy of driving the new Corsa and I don’t use the word ‘joy’ lightly. Firstly however an anecdote…
My own car is a Hyundai Coupe, the automotive equivalent to Kelly Brook – pretty to look at with racy curves aplenty and great handling (particularly dancing the Salsa). However thanks to karma, the gorgeous looks come at a price - it’s very slow and drinks like Oliver Reed in his heyday. Despite this fact, one rain-drenched evening when all the sensible people were fast asleep, I found myself meandering around the twisty back roads on the outskirts of Cardiff, when what looked like a B & Q shed with wheels pulled up alongside me.
It appeared the four youths had been on the sun bed, as there was a blue neon glow emanating from the shed and that’s when my inner eight year-old took over.I strained the small rodent in its little wheel to run quicker than ever before and the engine jumped into action. As I left the shed and sun bed combo behind with Kelly’s wonderful handling, I thought to myself “nothing could handle this well”.Shockingly six months later I was proven to be incorrect.
If my Coupe is Kelly Brook, then the new Vauxhall Corsa is Kate Thornton.The design wont make your spin jingle or your hair stand on end but it is still a decent looking hatch back.vitally the Vauxhall Corsa has brain power as well and features:, ABS, EBA, DTC SLS and CBC.You don’t need to concern yourself with what all the different acronyms mean, they pretty much all relate to safety and importantly for a city car handling. I drove a 1.2 litre Corsa derivative during my high-brow summer break to Ibiza and fell in love.
The island is split into the two best environments for testing a car: twisty mountain roads and city driving.Thinking of this I left my hotel high up on a sun soaked hillside and set of for Ibiza Town.The A/C quickly cooled the car, but I still felt the need to lean out the window and show the world the smug look on my face as I still had all four wheel trims. I didn’t however shout “C’MON!” The 1.2 litre engine was surprisingly willing and the car gripped as tightly through the hairpin turns as it did through the s-bends.
Hitting the main road towards the capital gave me time to reflect on the interior.The car seemed to be well built (all the parts fitted together well) there were no annoying noises to speak of and the driving position was also good.At times, I honestly could have been Bagdad, as nobody seemed to understand the conventional wisdom of ‘don’t crash into another car, it’ll do neither me nor you any good’.
Emerging unscathed with a combination of cheeky handling and dumb luck, I arrived at Ibiza Town, wheel trims and all. Parked against the backdrop of a billionaires’ playground of yachts in the harbour, the Corsa seemed somehow prettier.The good looks appeared to me to fit in well with the nearby fashion houses and the vibe of the big city.As night time set in, the light weight steering system and ultra responsive gearbox came into their element. At one point I took a wrong turn. Well by wrong turn I mean turning into a dead-end street complete with drug dealers, ladies of the night and no La Policia in sight.
For some this may seem like a perfect night out, not for me and Kate though. It was a ludicrous situation really, these burly druggies being crept up on by the Corsa, with its lop-sided grin and surprised eyes. I’m pleased to announce that the excellent turning circle allowed me to deliver a swift three-point-turn and chirp off onto better climes within the big smoke. The next day, Kate had to be returned and with a heavy heart I did so, wheel trims and all – she really will be the envy of the rental company’s car park.
The small hatchback market is one of the toughest to conquer, but I really think Vauxhall have produced a worthy competitor. When I think of the Corsa I think of chirpy, cheeky, cute and cuddlesome. Coupled with the handling this is a fun car and ideal for any urban jungle.So if you want to get yourself a nice city car just remember: city plus fun take away cost equals Vauxhall dealer. “C’MON!” Ah damn it.
November 2nd, 2008