Vauxhall Corsa Electric facelift brings sharp new look and tech

The Vauxhall Corsa narrowly missed out on being the UK’s best-selling car last year, only being beaten by the British-built Nissan Qashqai SUV. To maintain that strong public interest in its big-selling supermini, Vauxhall has announced a mid-life facelift, bringing a new look, upgraded tech and a choice of two powertrains for the plug-in Corsa Electric model.

Pricing for the facelifted Vauxhall Corsa Electric is yet to be confirmed, but you can expect a small uplift over the outgoing car’s £33,930 entry price. As before, the Vauxhall supermini will be a rival for the mechanically-similar Peugeot e-208, as well as other zero-emissions hatchbacks such as the Renault ZOE, Honda e and MINI Electric.

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Perhaps the easiest way to spot a facelifted Corsa Electric is by its new ‘Vizor’ front end design, which is derived from the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and also features on the upcoming Vauxhall Astra Electric. 

This gloss black panel houses many of the car’s driver assistance technologies and is flanked by a revised set of headlights, now featuring LED Pixel Matrix technology. These can shut off parts of the high beam in order to maximise illumination of the road at night, all without dazzling other drivers.

While the only other real exterior changes on the Corsa Electric come in the form of a revised set of 17-inch alloy wheels and a shark-fin radio antenna, there are bigger changes inside as now all Corsa Electrics get the larger 10-inch unit infotainment screen from the Ultimate model as standard (the old car came with a seven-inch display as standard). This runs all-new software, comes as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and is now complemented by a wireless charging pad in the centre console.

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A redesigned interface for the seven-inch digital dials acts as a backdrop for the Corsa Electric’s new steering wheel. The gear selector now comes in the form of a more minimalist toggle switch, plus there’s a new hi-definition reversing camera for easier manoeuvres. Vauxhall also says the facelifted Corsa Electric will feature some new interior upholstery options.

This theme of expanded choice for buyers continues as while the outgoing Vauxhall Corsa Electric was only available with one powertrain setup, the facelifted car is now available in two flavours; as before, the electric Corsa supermini can be had with a 50kWh battery pack and 134bhp electric motor, providing a range of up to 222 miles on a charge.

However, the lineup is now spearheaded by a new 51kWh model featuring a more-powerful 154bhp electric motor – as seen on the likes of the Jeep Avenger and updated Peugeot e-2008 SUVs. Vauxhall claims this results in a 15% increase in range over the pre-existing setup, with a maximum WLTP range of 255 miles. Performance figures are yet to be revealed, but you can expect this model’s extra power to be offset by its larger, heavier battery, meaning the pair’s straightline speed will probably be similar.

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No matter which Corsa Electric you choose, all come as standard with 100kW rapid charging capability. According to Vauxhall, this will allow for a 10-80% charge in roughly half-an-hour when connected to a compatible public charger. 

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As mentioned, the British brand remains tight-lipped about exact pricing and specifications at this stage, but has said that all will be revealed later this summer. First deliveries are expected to begin towards the end of 2023, with Vauxhall aiming to become an all-electric manufacturer by 2028.