The Corsa isn’t remotely edgy on the road. In fact, it could do with being a bit more responsive relative to the Clio 197. The main area of disappointment is the steering. The speed of the steering rack (and its level of power assistance) varies between 11 and 13:1 depending on how fast you’re travelling, and how rapidly you turn the wheel. The VXR might have super-light steering at parking speeds, but on the move it’s neither as precise nor as well weighted as it could be.
On the other hand, the VXR does have a very natural, well judged sense of balance mid-corner when you’re going for it. Plus a comfortable and grown-up ride quality over just about any road surface.
We can’t help thinking, however, that in its attempt to liberate the Corsa VXR of some of the Astra VXR’s less desirable traits, Vauxhall may have gone half a step too far. Other than a small amount of torque steer, the Corsa is almost too well behaved for its own good. As a result, it doesn’t raise your pulse in the same way that the nimbler, sharper, more feisty-feeling Clio 197 does.
To be fair, though, the faster the road, the better the Corsa VXR behaves, and that’s only achieved because the chassis is so well balanced. Around a smooth, fast, flowing corner the amount of grip on offer is genuinely eye-opening. And because the rear is so well tied down you can exploit the grip, safe in the knowledge that when the tyres do start to let go, they do so progressively and only at the front in the form of mild understeer.
Lurid lift-off oversteer simply isn’t in this car’s vocabulary, no matter what Luton’s engineers may wish you to believe, and mostly that’s a very good thing. As is the VXR’s ability to stop when you really need it to. Once again, feel through the pedal is not an especially strong point, but there is no arguing with the power of retardation on offer. Or the quality of the way the anti-lock system operates so subtly in conjunction with the ESP.
