Vauxhall is back in the small hot hatch game, but not with a VXR

Small, affordable hot hatches are dying. Back when I was 18, I had the choice of a Ford Fiesta ST, a Peugeot 208 GTI or a Vauxhall Corsa VXR, but since then all three of these cars have been discontinued.

However, some of these names are starting to make a comeback. Peugeot announced the revival of the 208 GTI last year, and now there’s a new hot Corsa on the horizon as well. Our spy photographers have spotted it out and about during development testing, and here’s everything we know so far.

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New Vauxhall Corsa hot hatch coming soon, but not with a VXR badge

When you think of a hot Vauxhall, VXR is probably one of the first things which comes to mind. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s this was the badge attached to all hooligan-spec Vauxhall models from the Corsa all the way to the Zafira people carrier.

But this new spicy Corsa won’t be reviving the VXR nameplate, it’ll instead be wearing the GSE badge. This is what Vauxhall is calling all its electrified performance cars, and we’ve already seen it used on the Astra and Mokka.

And that means there won’t be a 1.6-litre engine popping and banging away under the bonnet, the Vauxhall Corsa GSE will be all-electric. While there are no official details just yet, we can still take a pretty educated guess at what’s going on under the skin.

What’s powering the new Vauxhall Corsa GSE?

Vauxhall is owned by the Stellantis group; the same company which owns Peugeot and Alfa Romeo. We mention those brands specifically because they also have small electric performance cars in the shape of the new Peugeot E-208 GTI and the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce.

Both of those cars use a 280hp electric motor on the front axle, and Vauxhall has already used this same setup in the new Mokka GSE. It would come as no surprise therefore to see the new Corsa GSE sporting the same figures.

It’ll almost certainly borrow the clever front differential from those cars as well, which, if the Junior Veloce is anything to go by, will make it a riot to drive.

New Vauxhall Corsa GSE design and specs

This is your best look yet at the new Vauxhall Corsa GSE, and you can see a few of the styling upgrades which will mark this car out as the sporty version.

The first, and most obvious is the flared wheel arches. These not only make it look more aggressive, but they’ll also make room for slightly wider tyres. The front bumper also appears to have a few extra vents, and the rear roof spoiler looks larger than the one you get on the standard car.

You can also expect some sporty bucket seats inside, just like the ones found in the Mokka GSE. Details of all the changes will be revealed closer to the launch date, which we expect to be towards the end of the year.

As for prices, the most expensive Corsa Electric you can currently buy will cost you close to £34,000, so don’t be surprised to see the GSE get close to £40,000. Don’t forget to check out Carwow for all the latest deals, because you can currently save an average of over £9,000 on a new Corsa Electric*.

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*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.