Vauxhall has announced full details of the 2015 Corsa VXR, having publicly unveiled it at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Price will start from £17,995 when it goes on sale in May this year – £1,000 less than its predecessor.
The new Corsa VXR is, rather surprisingly, based on the new Corsa, which means a revised chassis, interior and exterior design. Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol that outputs 205PS and 280Nm of torque.
Put your foot down and the hot-hatch can hit 0 to 62mph in 6.5 seconds, making it a second quicker than a Renault Megane GT 220. 50 to 75mph takes 6.4 seconds, while the top speed is 143mph.
Take it steady and Vauxhall claims the Corsa VXR can achieve 37.7mpg while spewing out 174g/km of CO2 emissions, making it surprisingly frugal if the figures hold true.
A bit of help from Koni known has resulted in something called Frequency Selective Damping, a technology that optimises the ride quality depending on the speed you are going. Vauxhall says it’s completely mechanical so there should, in theory, be less to go wrong.
The new Corsa VXR also sits 10mm lower, has a two-stage switchable electronic stability programme that can be set to half intervene when things get hairy, revised suspension, 308mm front disc brakes, Michelin tyres and an ‘overboost’ button that increases torque by 35Nm for overtaking.
Standard equipment includes VXR bodystyling, LED daytime running lights, a short-throw gear lever, dual Remux exhaust system, sports pedals, air-conditioning, IntelliLink infotainment system, cruise control, Recaro shell-backed cloth sports seats and Bi-Xenon headlights.
Throw an extra £2,400 at Vauxhall and you can have the VXR Performance Pack, which includes a Drexler limited-slip differential, Brembo four-piston brakes and a retuned Koni Frequency Selective Damping setup.
Alternatively there’s the option of the VXR Technical Pack, which is comprised forward collision alerts, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, rear-view camera and front and rear parking sensors.
The Corsa VXR joins the VXR8 GTS and Astra VXR in Vauxhall’s range of performance-focussed cars. Head to a Vauxhall dealer in May to see what it’s like.
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