Vauxhall expects to sell more green cars than any other brand in the UK next year, the carmaker has announced.
With the revision of its Corsa range, the Vauxhall hopes the supermini will sell more sub-125g CO2 cars than any other model range in the UK. The British brand will have to take on the might of Ford and the best selling car of 2009 so far- the Fiesta to achieve its ambitious goal. The Fiesta, like the Corsa has a number of model variants which sit in the sub-125g/km inlcuding the popular ECOnetic options.
Yet the key to Vauxhall’s success rests in the revised Corsa model range, due on sale next year, which sees the engine options- bar the VXR model- all exceed 50mpg combined when fitted to a manual gearbox, giving consumers more green options.
While the leading green light will be the new 95PS diesel ecoFLEX model which achieves 76.3mpg combined and 98g/km of C02, the entire petrol range will be now more economical, yet more powerful.
The 1.0-litre now produces 65PS (up 5PS), yet emits just 117g of CO2, dropping it two VED bands and meaning that owners now pay just £35 per year in road tax, down from £120, and none at all from next April, as all new cars with CO2 emissions of 130g/km or less don’t pay road tax for the first year.
The Corsa’s 85PS 1.2-litre petrol has also dropped a VED band and gained 5PS in power, while the 1.4-litre – which now produces 100PS, up 10PS over the current model – has dropped two bands and sips just 51.4mpg, up from 46.3mpg for the existing model.
Vauxhall has also made revision the car’s steering and suspension set-ups. Softer springs have been employed in the front suspension, mated to an anti-roll bar with new bushes and an increased diameter, improving ride and control characteristics.
The SE, SXi and SRi now get cruise control and an on-board computer at no extra charge, while the SRi – which now starts at a lower price point – also gets revised suspension settings, air conditioning, 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, and a VXR styling kit included in its price.
