The Vauxhall Corsa is more than a quarter of a century old. Yep, that little bubble on wheels from Vauxhall first rolled out of dealerships in 1993, which seems utterly bonkers. But hey, the world moves on. And so, it would seem, does Corsa.
In the decade and a half, it’s come a long, long way. It’s now on its fourth generation and even in the light of Peugeot buying Vauxhall, it looks to be a mainstay on our roads.
The first-generation Corsa B
Built from 1993 to 2000
You need not be Stephen Fry to know that B is not the first letter of the alphabet. So you might be wondering, where is the Corsa A? Well, we always had it all but name. You see, on British soil we had the Vauxhall Nova, but elsewhere in the world it was the Corsa, so there you go. For us, the Corsa name started with the B. Vauxhall wanted the replacement for the Nova to be fresh and exciting, so it was given the Corsa name, which was new to us.
Bubbly and cute, the Corsa was a hit from the off. It was fun to drive, cheap to run and thanks to a vast array of engines both petrol and diesel, it was all things to all men. We even got a van version, which sold very well indeed. We did get a bit of a raw deal here in the UK though, as the rest of the world got a saloon, an estate and even a convertible.
To spot a Corsa be, you’re looking for a puffer fish on wheels. There isn’t a square edge on the thing, unlike the Nova. Teardrop headlights, rounded tail-lights, black plastic over-arches and a generally cute demeanour make the B easy to spot.
Corsa fact: In Australia, the Corsa was called the Holden Barina, which isn’t nearly as cute.
The second-generation Corsa C
Built from 2000 to 2006
The second-generation C model was a completely revised model, though it was pretty much the same in terms of size. The design was sharper and less cutesy, more than likely in response to the offerings from the likes of Ford and their respective popularity.
It was also based on a completely new chassis, named the Gamma platform by General Motors overlords. It was a chassis we liked, as the Corsa was the most popular car in the UK in ’02, ’03 and ’04.
The second Corsa is easy to spot. It has the same basic essence of the B, but is sharper, so you’re looking for lights that are angled at their innermost points. Also, the rear lights sit high on the car making them easier for other drivers to spot.
Sadly we didn’t get the fun ones like the pickup or the saloon as were offered in South America. We did get a Combo van though, much like we did with the B.
Corsa fact: The B was the only Corsa to now have a full-on performance model. SRi was about as exciting as it got.
The third-generation Corsa D
Built from 2006 to 2014
By this point the Corsa was a huge part of Vauxhall’s sales figures, so for the new car they had to get it right. As such, Vauxhall used the SCCS platform (Small Common Components and Systems) which was shared with the Fiat Punto and would go on to be the basis of the Vauxhall Adam and the Alfa Romeo MiTo.
It made the Corsa bigger than it had ever been before, but it was still very much a supermini and didn’t dwarf its peers.
The D was also the generation of Corsa that would spawn the mighty 190bhp VXR version, making it one of the most exciting hot hatches around, especially in Nurburgring trim with a limited-slip differential.
Though ironically, one the best-selling Corsa D models was the obviously-not-very-limited Limited Edition model, fitted with a bodykit, alloys and an insurance-friendly 1.2 engine.
To spot a Corsa D, you’re looking for a taller car with bigger, taller headlights that pull back almost half way up the edges of the bonnet. The rear lights moved back down the car, and were almost diamond in shape. Another dead giveaway is the little quarter window just in front of the wing mirrors.
Corsa fact: The Corsa D was awarded the full five stars by crash-masters EuroNCAP, improving over the four stars of the previous model
The fourth-generation Corsa E
Built from 2014 to present
The Corsa E is the first Corsa to not be a fully redesigned car. Instead, what you’re looking at is a heavy facelift of the Corsa D. But that’s no bad thing, given the fact the D was and still is great to drive. Plus, it was probably a way of pleasing the bean counters given the financial trouble Vauxhall has been in of late.
Again, there is a VXR version, and again, it’s a belting little hot hatch. But even the ‘normal’ models are a joy to drive. As we said, that D platform was good. With the E, Vauxhall has managed to refine the Corsa even more.
Better trim inside as well as better design for the dash makes it a pleasant place to be, and the significant facelift outside makes sure it looks fresh.
To spot one, you’re looking for the same basic shape as the D, obviously, but with headlights that are shapelier with a design that has a strong indentation on the bottom edge. Also, the rear lights cross into the boot-lid itself for the first time in the Corsa’s life.
Corsa fact: The C and D models have no big van version, instead all the local bricky can buy is a car-derived model, so a hatchback with no rear seats.