16/02/10

• Price12,975
• We like...Strong engine; fuel economy
• We don't...No fuel economy read-out

'Green' Corsa nips at the heels of the 'eco' market leaders and beat them on price. Should you buy one? Find out hereSo far, if you wanted a really ‘green’ small car, Ford and Volkswagen have gathered all the glory. The Fiesta Econetic and the Polo Bluemotion each better 70mpg (in theory) across a mix of everyday driving. And each fall below the 100g/km carbon dioxide emissions barrier, meaning that you don’t pay road tax on either car.

And then there’s the Corsa Ecoflex. Because at 105g/km and 'just' 70mpg it can’t match the competition for fuel economy or emissions, it must settle for second best.

But that dsn’t mean you should ignore it. Because, in the real world it nudges close enough to close key performance markers – it’s capable of up to 70.6mpg overall, while its CO2 output is 105g/gm. It’s also a good whack cheaper.

Where the Fiesta and Polo are helped towards their eco-low figures by details such as easy-roll tyres and body add-ons that let them slip through the air more easily, the Corsa’s straightforward. Put simply, it’s a regular car that’s lean tuned – the only obvious concession to its ‘green-ness’ is a tell-tale on the dash that nags you to change up a gear early – to improve fuel economy.

Did it sip fuel? For us, yes. But working out how well it did proved a riddle because Vauxhall hadn’t included a fuel economy read out among its instruments (see below)
Otherwise, it looks and feels to drive like a regular diesel-engined Corsa. The 1.3-litre motor is a little noisy but feels strong and pulls hard from low revs. It feels way quicker than it's acceleration figures (below) would have you think. There’s no sense from it that you’re driving an ‘eco’ special – and that’s good. It rides on steel wheels and high-sided tyres, helps the car’s smooth ride, giving it a big-car feel that belies its modest dimensions.

That said, it is a big car for a supermini and while it feels neat and easy to pilot across town, you’ll feel the benefit in its roomy cabin and big boot.

Otherwise, it’s every inch a regular Corsa. Ours was a ‘Life’ model, putting it midway up the model tree. That means a silver-finish dash console, piano-black door pulls, air conditioning, four airbags and remote locking as standard. That’s good. Less so is the lack of a trip meter to measure fuel economy, while the lack of heater filaments in the mirrors proved a hazard on frosty mornings. Finally, the driver’s seat dsn’t adjust for height nor the wheel for rake and reach unless you fork out for these as cost-extra options. Given the cost price, that’s penny-pinching.

Should you buy one? If you want the greenest car possible of this type, this one won’t be for you. But if you like Corsas (and there’s plenty to like) why not? Bear in mind, though, that Vauxhall is readying a more eco-friendly Corsa that’ll match the exhaust output of its rivals and also qualify for free road tax. If you can, you may want to wait until it’s for sale.

To view and buy new and second-hand Vauxhall Corsas – and other 150,000 other great cars – go to motors.co.uk

• Engines1.3 CDTi
• Power75bhp
• 0-60 mph13.5secs
• Economy70.6mpg
• CO2g/km105
• Insurance groups3E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags4
• Seats5

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