Category Archives: Supermini

Manufacturer, Supermini, Vauxhall

Corsa adds a touch of chic

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Vauxhall Corsa

By Bill McCarthy

WHEN your top selling supermini heads sales charts for two months out of three, and sits in second place for sales over the year, you must be doing something right.

The Corsa has always been a favourite, being relatively cheap to buy and run and stylish enough to attract a younger breed of drivers.

Now you throw in a bit of French chic to the styling, it becomes even more attractive.

Most people will know by now that Vauxhall is now owned by PSA, which in turn owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS, so it will come as no surprise that the Corsa shares many of the styling, engine technology and underpinnings of its once rival, the Peugeot 208.

Now in its fifth incarnation, it  does look so much better than its predecessor, having  been completely reworked from the ground up.

 It certainly looks the part with sharp angles, new grille with larger air intakes, high waistline, smart alloys and neat light cluster, which include LED headlights.

The 17-inch diamond-cut gloss black 5-twin spoke alloys on this model are particularly eye-catching, as is the piano black contrasting roof and A pillars.

The brains of the vehicle, it also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Bluetooth connectivity and an impressive sound system

With a starting price from £15,665 on the road, it’s not the cheapest in its class, but it offers a new range of petrol and diesel engines, together with the all-electric e-Corsa, and has some nice premium touches to the interior.

There are four trim levels, SE, SRi , Elite Nav and Ultimate Nav, driven here, at the top of the range, while engines include the engines include 1.2-litre 75PS and 100PS 1.2 petrol and1.5-litre (102PS) diesel.

All have decent levels of kit with the SE entry level including 16-inch double spoke alloy wheels and a seven-inch touchscreen. This range topper’s centrepiece is the  10-inch colour touchscreen which includes Vauxhall’s Connect, connectivity system and  features 2D/3D street level mapping with European coverage and points-of-interest search.

The brains of the vehicle, it also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Bluetooth connectivity and an impressive sound system with six speakers, plus a phone charging mat.

This model also has  multi-function steering wheel, electric, heated front seats with massage function and auto windscreen wipers and lighting, together with parking camera and sensors.

 The interior is roomy enough for a supermini with good leg and headroom at the front, though less so at the back, while fixtures and fittings feel robust and well put together. Limited soft touch finish gives a premium feel in places.

The latest 1.2 litre petrol engine is an excellent power plant, refined and delivering lively performance and  decent economy. The 100PS three cylinder power plant is mated in this case to a slick eight speed auto gearbox, with the option of paddle changes behind the steering wheel. Five and six-speed manual boxes are available.

 Acceleration is brisk with the 60mph mark hit in just over 10 seconds, lively enough for most, and delivered with that signature three-cylinder raps, with real-world economy figures of  an impressive 47mpg and emissions of 134g/km. Drivers can also select one of three drive modes, economy, normal and  sport, which stiffens up throttle and suspension responses, depending on the mood.

Handling is good with the car feeling agile and responsive, particularly on sharp corners, while the new steering set up is more responsive than its predecessor.

This type of car needs to be  practical the Corsa now features a bigger boot with 309 litgres capacity which increases to more than 1,118 litres, when the split 60/40 rears seats are folded down.

Importantly, it is packed with safety kit not previously seen in cheaper cars including the full set of airbags and features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane positioning assistant, traffic sign recognition, side blind spot alert and flank guard  and driver drowsiness system.

The best Corsa yet, well, you’d be surprised if it wasn’t, but there’s definitely a more upmarket feel to the car and the petrol engines are a revelation.

Factfile

Vauxhall Corsa Ultimate Nav 100PS EAT8

Price: £26,695

Mechanical: 100PS, 1,199cc, three cylinder petrol engine driving front wheels via 8-speed auto gearbox

Max speed: 119mph 

0-60mph: 10.2 seconds 

Combined mpg: 45.6-48.7

Insurance group: 17

CO2 emissions: 134g/km 

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles

Manufacturer, Motor reviews, Supermini, Suzuki

Swift’s electric charge

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Suzuki Swift Hybrid Allgrip

By Bill McCarthy

AS the electric revolution moves on at pace, so the hybrid, once expensive and exclusive, is now pretty mainstream.

Becoming mainstream, means even small vehicles are now using the technology with Suzuki’s excellent Swifti no exception.

A so-called mild hybrid the SHVS includes a battery under the passenger seat which powers an electric motor which in turn boosts power to the 1.2 litre petrol engine, delivering extra grunt, but a reduction in CO2 emissions to 101g/km and economy of around 50mpg.

 The SHVS works on the principle of regenerative braking. The kinetic energy that is generated while slowing down is converted to electric energy, which is then stored in the car’s battery. This model also featured the firm’s tried and tested on demand all wheel drive system. 

So an all wheel drive, range topping hybrid for just under £17.5k is  pretty impressive.

Which should not be surprising because the Swift is a very impressive car, few frills, but plenty of substance, packed with standard kit.

It is a stylish looking car, looking like a three door but in fact is a five-door, with rear door handles cleverly concealed so it still has that dynamic, coupe-like styling.

It is available in SZ3, SZ-T, Attitude and SZ5 grades and all models feature Suzuki’s  Heartect platform seen on stablemates the Ignis and Baleno, making it much lighter yet stronger with increased rigidity. 

It does look good with sharp creases and angles giving an impressive profile, while the smart 16-inch polished alloys and LED running lights add to the attraction.The interior is more utilitarian than executive, but that does not detract from the quality or indeed the comfort.

 The layout is simple with  logically placed dials and stalks and excellent build quality, with everything feeling solid and well screwed together including the sturdy plastic trim. The central console is turned five degrees towards the driver and on higher spec models a central screen controls infotainment, connectivity and navigation systems.

This seven-inch touchscreen  controls infotainment, sat nav and connectivity  for smart phones with with MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection. It also houses the rear view camera for reversing.

Standard kit on the base model includes six airbags, air conditioning, DAB Radio, privacy glass, LED daytime running lights and Bluetooth. This model had extra goodies such front fog lamps, auto air conditioning, navigation, LED headlamps and  rear electric windows.

 On the road, the car is a lively performer, despite its seemingly pedestrian 0-60mph time of over 12 seconds and handles well, with direct and responsive steering and feeling well planted and agile on corners. In fact it’s a really fun drive.

The on-demand all-wheel drive sends power to the rear wheels when adverse driving conditions are detected and extra grip is required in muddy or icy conditions.

It’s not a car that is seen that often on the roads despite selling a million in Europe and nearly 130,000 in the UK since first being introduced. But it certainly sparked interest from a couple of neighbours looking to downsize from larger family cars.

It will comfortably seat four adults and boot space is now a decent 256 litres, which increases substantially with rear seats folded.

Safety kit is comprehensive with those airbags as standard, stability programme, advanced forward detection system, Lane Departure Correction adaptive cruise control and assisted braking.

Factfile

Suzuki Swift Hybrid Allgrip

Price: £17,749

Mechanical: 90PS, 1242cc, four cylinder petrol engine with electric motor driving all wheels via 6-speed  gearbox

Max speed: 105mph

0-62mph: 12.2 seconds

Combined mpg: 49.7

Insurance group: 9E

CO2 emissions: 101g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles