Review: Vauxhall Corsa EcoFlex whets appetite for 2010 upgrades

With the Corsa EcoFlex, Vauxhall has succeeded in bringing its popular supermini hatchback down into tax band B, with an impressive official CO2 figure of 105g/km. This equates to 70.6mpg and means a year's tax disc costs just £35 - falling to £20 next year.

Vauxhall has achieved this level of economy using methods common to the current breed of "green-label" mainstream cars. It has fitted a turbocharged diesel engine with modest power output, lowered the car to reduce its aerodynamic drag, used narrower, lower-rolling-resistance tyres, reduced the size of air intakes to suit the engine's needs, and altered the gear ratios to keep revs as low as possible at speed.

More complex fuel-saving trickery, such as automatically switching off the engine at idle, are not currently part of the package.

The measures employed by the Corsa EcoFlex can save fuel at the pumps, but drivers will pay another price. The combination of low power and long ratios makes for an awkward driving experience. In our road tests, it took a while to work out which gear best suited which speed, and we found ourselves changing gear more often than we might in a Corsa with a conventional setup.

Indeed, when we stopped thinking about which gear to use, we tended to drive in third when fourth would be more economical, and fourth instead of fifth. The higher revs keep the engine in its most powerful, most flexible mode - but negate the point of buying the EcoFlex model in the first place. There is no handy upshift light to offer a reminder.

We've experienced similar issues in other small, green-label cars such as Volkswagen's Polo BlueMotion. Driveability tends to be much better in the larger eco-model cars, where the engine's power is not so marginal at low revs. We've briefly sampled EcoFlex versions of the Vauxhall Astra and Insignia, and both larger cars felt much more comfortable in their skin than the Corsa.

The current Corsa EcoFlex is not a bad choice, but having driven it we would be strongly tempted to wait for next year's model. The current car uses a 1.3-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine developing 74bhp, but from January 2010 a revamped engine with a higher-pressure turbocharger will offer more power – up by 20bhp to 94bhp – combined with lower consumption, sufficient to bring the CO2 output down to 98g/km and into the realm of the free tax disc. We suspect the additional power will transform the car.

This would be a good thing, because the rest of the Corsa offers a very persuasive package.

Interior quality is very good for the price, and the design is modern and thoughtful.

We liked, for example, the two-level boot floor, and the helpful slot into which you can slide the parcel shelf when carrying tall luggage.

The ride, on the standard 14-inch steel wheels, can feel a bit bouncy and the dramatically sloped windscreen means large blind spots for the driver. We also found the clutch travel a little long, but these were our only substantial quibbles.

The three-door Corsa EcoFlex costs from £11,590 on the road, including VAT. To add metallic paint, air conditioning, an adjustable steering wheel, side and curtain airbags, plus an electronic stability system means visiting the options list, and will bring the total to £13,450. Add £750 if you need five doors.

By virtue of its emissions, the current car falls into the lowest benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax bracket for diesels, meaning duty to pay on 13 per cent of the price.

Overall, the Corsa EcoFlex offers a reasonable balance of abilities for cost-conscious, eco-aware motorists – but it should make even more sense when the engine is upgraded next year.

Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi EcoFlex
Engine: 1.3 CDTi 16v
Capacity: 1248cc
Max Power: 75PS @ 4000rpm
Max Torque: 170Nm @ 1750-2500rpm
Max Speed: 104mph
0-62mph: 13.5 seconds
Luggage Capacity (seats up/down): 285/1100 litres
Insurance group: 3E/5E
VED (2009/10): £35/£20

Fuel Economy
City: 54.3mpg
Highway: 85.6mpg
Combined: 70.6mpg
CO2 emissions: 105g/km

Price on the road, excluding options: £11,590