Tag Archives: Vauxhall

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Vauxhall Corsa GSE Is Coming to Reignite the Griffin’s Hot-Hatch Flame

Eight years is a long time in hot-hatch exile. That’s how long it’s been since the last Vauxhall Corsa VXR snarled off the production line, taking with it the kind of torque-steering, front-tire-melting mischief that once defined Vauxhall’s performance reputation. Now, the griffin is sharpening its claws again.

Vauxhall has confirmed that a performance version of the Corsa—badged Corsa GSE—will arrive later this year, marking the brand’s first proper hot hatch of the electric era. And this time, the fireworks will be powered by volts rather than boost.

GSE Means Business Now

The GSE badge isn’t just a sporty trim anymore. Relaunched last July as a sub-brand for genuinely performance-honed EVs, it made its first modern statement with the 276-hp Vauxhall Mokka GSE. That car nearly doubled the output of the standard Mokka Electric and backed it up with meaningful chassis upgrades—proof that GSE now stands for more than black wheels and contrast stitching.

Expect the Corsa GSE to follow that template, only with less mass and more attitude.

Vauxhall’s teaser image reveals little beyond swollen arches and bespoke 18-inch alloys, but the visual message is clear: this won’t be your local delivery-spec electric supermini. If the Mokka’s playbook is reused, we’re likely looking at the same 276-hp front-mounted motor (shared with the Abarth 600e), plus a proper limited-slip differential to keep the inside wheel from vaporizing under full throttle.

The Mokka GSE also gained uprated anti-roll bars, stiffer rear bushings, bigger brakes, and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber. Transplant that hardware into the lighter Corsa, and suddenly the Mokka’s already brisk 5.9-second 0–62 mph time looks vulnerable. A mid-five-second sprint wouldn’t be out of the question—and in a small front-driver, that’s properly rapid.

A GTi Rival, Electrified

The Corsa GSE will line up squarely against the upcoming Peugeot e-208 GTi, its Stellantis cousin. Platform sharing is inevitable, but differentiation will be critical. Vauxhall’s design team appears ready to lean into aggression.

Clues can be found in the wild Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept unveiled last August. While its towering rear wing and dramatic diffuser are fantasy-league material, its sharper interpretation of Vauxhall’s Vizor front fascia could preview the production car’s face. Design boss Mark Adams has already hinted that elements of that look are under evaluation for road use.

Translation: expect something meaner, lower, and more purposeful than the standard Electric 156PS.

Heritage, Recharged

Vauxhall boss Eurig Druce says the brand “has a proud heritage of hot hatches,” and he’s not wrong. From the scrappy Vauxhall Nova GSi to the riotous Corsa VXR, small, fast Vauxhalls have long punched above their weight. The difference now? No exhaust crackle, no manual gearbox—just instant torque and the faint whir of electrons being hurled rearward.

Purists may grumble, but if the chassis tuning is right—and if that limited-slip diff does its job—the Corsa GSE could deliver the kind of front-end bite and lift-off adjustability that made its predecessors cult heroes.

Pricing and Positioning

Expect the Corsa GSE to start around £35,000, nudging above today’s range-topping Electric 156PS Ultimate (£33,720). That premium should buy not just extra power, but real hardware: brakes that can survive repeated stops, suspension that resists roll without wrecking ride quality, and steering calibrated for something more than supermarket duty.

If Vauxhall gets it right, the Corsa GSE won’t just be the brand’s first electric hot hatch—it’ll be a statement that the fun isn’t gone, merely rewired.

And after eight years of silence, the griffin’s bark is about to go electric.

Source: Vauxhall

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Vauxhall’s Big Comeback: The Brit Brand That Refuses to Be Forgotten

Vauxhall’s new boss wants his brand back on the podium — and not the kind with champagne and confetti, but the one where the UK’s best-selling badges sit proudly. The target? Volkswagen, BMW, and Kia — a trio currently eating Vauxhall’s lunch.

Since the Covid slump, Britain’s oldest carmaker has been quietly sliding down the charts, its once-proud Griffin badge outpaced even by its continental cousin, Peugeot. But Steve Catlin, the brand’s new managing director, isn’t here for nostalgia. He’s here for a fight.

“My intention is to put Vauxhall back on the podium,” Catlin tells Autocar. “That’s not an immediate aspiration… but over the next few years, I want to get Vauxhall back onto the podium.”

Tall order. Up to the end of September, Kia had sold 93,000 cars in Britain — Vauxhall, just 66,000. And while the gap is closing, it’s not small. To close it, Catlin’s plan is clear: go back to the people.

For too long, Vauxhall’s relied on fleet sales — those endless rows of silver Corsas wearing company logos like battle scars. Catlin wants to flip the script: fewer spreadsheets, more showrooms. “The UK market is complex,” he says. “Historically, Vauxhall’s been concentrated on a few channels, sometimes to the detriment of the retail market.”

So, the mission: energise dealers, engage retail buyers, and make Vauxhall feel proudly British again.

Britain Calling

In fact, for the first time in a decade, Vauxhall’s launching a marketing campaign made specifically for the UK — not some rebadged Opel ad with a Union Jack awkwardly tacked on. “Rather than taking any kind of generic advertising from Germany, we’re doing something that is specifically about Vauxhall,” Catlin explains.

Translation: more emotional pull, less PowerPoint presentation. Expect more “Made for Britain” pride, fewer spreadsheets about kilowatts.

A New Wave of Metal

Of course, emotion only gets you so far. What really matters is the metal — and Vauxhall’s bringing plenty. The incoming Frontera could be the brand’s secret weapon. It’s bigger than the Mokka but cheaper, and Catlin reckons it’ll storm to second place in the lineup next year — right behind the ever-popular Corsa.

Do the maths: nearly 30,000 Corsas sold last year, around 20,000 Mokkas — if Frontera lands somewhere between, that’s a serious boost.

And that’s not all. The rebirth of the GSe sub-brand — starting with a 276bhp Mokka — could give Vauxhall some much-needed swagger. A proper halo model, with echoes of Nova SRs and Astra GTEs from the glory days. “Everybody that you talk to – certainly of my generation – has got a story with Nova SRs,” Catlin says. “That part of the brand has been missing.”

He’s right. Those old hot hatches were scrappy, characterful, and a bit rebellious — exactly the spirit Vauxhall could use right now.

Why It Matters

Vauxhall’s challenge isn’t just sales — it’s relevance. In a market obsessed with German precision and Korean value, Britain’s homegrown badge needs to rediscover its voice. Catlin’s vision is to make Vauxhall a brand that British buyers don’t just settle for — but seek out.

If the new Frontera hits, the GSe cars bring back a spark, and that UK-focused marketing gives the Griffin some teeth again — well, maybe, just maybe, we’ll see Vauxhall back where it belongs.

On the podium. With a pint. Smiling proudly.

Source: Autocar

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Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision GT: The Baby Griffin Goes Full Godzilla

Right. Vauxhall. The company that gave us sensible hatchbacks, caravanner’s dreams and the occasional warm hatch that tried its best but usually lost to the Fiesta ST in a pub fight. Well, forget all that. Because someone at Luton has clearly spiked the tea with jet fuel and PlayStation cheat codes.

Meet the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo – a car that looks like it was drawn by a 14-year-old with too many cans of Monster and actually built by adults who know what wind tunnels and CAD software are. On paper, it’s an electric hatchback with 789bhp, a kerb weight of just 1170kg and a 0–62mph time of two seconds flat. That’s Bugatti-baiting territory… from a Corsa. Yes, really.

Your Nan’s Supermini This Is Not

This is Vauxhall’s “Type R moment”, according to design boss Mark Adams. And he’s not wrong. Because while the current Mk6 Corsa is perfectly fine for school runs and supermarket car parks, this one’s packing a dual-motor setup, 590lb ft of torque, and an active aero system that looks like it escaped from Le Mans. There’s a spoiler that extends so far it could double as a park bench, and then pivots up to act as an airbrake. Subtle, this is not.

The whole thing is built on Stellantis’s new STLA Small platform – which will also underpin the upcoming Mk7 Corsa. So, unlike most Gran Turismo “fantasy specials” that sit a metre off the ground and stretch longer than a hearse, this one’s actually grounded in reality. It’s still a Corsa. Just one that thinks it’s a rocket ship.

Gaming the System

Of course, here’s the catch: you can’t buy it. You can only drive it in Gran Turismo. Which means your only chance of getting behind the wheel in the real world is if your name’s Lewis Hamilton or you happen to work in Vauxhall’s skunkworks. But don’t roll your eyes just yet. Adams insists the figures are realistic – “in theory” – and that plenty of the design elements are being readied for production.

We’re talking a transparent Vizor grille with DRLs hiding behind it, a glowing griffin badge, slimmer ‘Compass’ LED signatures, and a properly aggressive stance. Even the bucket seats are clever – hung from the roll cage and split in two to shave weight, in a way today’s heavy EVs can only dream of.

And here’s the kicker: the concept ditches screens altogether. No distracting tablets glued to the dash. Just a few buttons for what matters and a squared-off steering wheel. Refreshing, isn’t it?

A Corsa With Poster Car Energy

The intent here is clear. Vauxhall wants GSE (its newly reborn performance badge) to be what Type R is for Honda: a standalone halo brand that turns school folders and bedroom walls into shrines. And with this thing, they might just manage it.

Picture it: a future where a Corsa isn’t just your mate’s first car, but a genuine poster car. One that doesn’t just whisper affordability but shouts performance. That’s the endgame.

Sure, the 789bhp numbers may remain trapped inside the PlayStation for now. But the spirit – the lit badge, the clever aero, the compact dimensions, the clear sense of attainable excitement – will leak through into the next-gen Corsa. And that’s the clever bit.

Because the Corsa GSE Vision GT isn’t just a fantasy. It’s a signal of intent. A sign that the griffin badge, once content to live in the shadows of VW, Ford and Peugeot, now wants its own piece of the performance playground.

And frankly? We’re here for it.

Source: Vauxhall