The electrically-operated top covers most of the car's upper surface and builds on Vauxhall's reputation for creating innovative roof systems - examples of which are already seen on Tigra, Astra Sport Hatch Panoramic, Astra TwinTop and Zafira.

New Corsa also features the ability to 'personalise' itself to individual driver settings. Up to five drivers can store their preferred climate, audio and on-board electronic systems in individual key fobs so that the car adapts to their requirements as soon as they slip behind the wheel.

Despite all this technology, Vauxhall's trademark practicality hasn't been forgotten. As well as door bins that have been specially sculpted to perfectly fit a 1.5-litre drinks bottle, a cunningly concealed mobile phone storage locker in the centre console, drawer under the passenger seat and a spacious glove box, new Corsa brings a new level of storage innovation to the supermini market in the form of its DualFloor loading system, standard on Club, SXi and Design models.

Open the tailgate, and New Corsa appears to have a completely flat load floor at boot level, which to all intents and purposes it does. But the flat floor lifts out revealing an extra 135 litres of storage space with the seats up, giving up to 285 litres of loadspace up to the load cover. Alternatively, the 60:40 split rear seat back can be folded completely flat, increasing the car's storage volume to 700 litres up to the window line, or 1,100 litres if loaded up to the roof.


Vauxhall Corsa - the history - Third generation Corsa builds on a history of success

- Newcomer set to become a best-seller
- Over 9.4 million Corsas sold in Europe since launch
- Vauxhall's supermini in top 10 sales charts for over 30 years!

New Vauxhall Corsa might be full of new technology, but it doesn't venture into uncharted territory for Vauxhall.

Indeed, the Luton-based manufacturer has a long and passionate history of building hugely popular small cars, and since the first Corsa appeared in 1993, it has never dropped from the UK's top 10 sales charts - and nor had its predecessors.

Over 9.4 million Corsas have been sold so far in Europe, and over 89,000 Corsas found homes in the UK alone last year.

Vauxhall's first hatchback came in the form of the Chevette, introduced in 1974, with distinctive aerodynamic styling and rear-wheel-drive. The Chevette sold well throughout its life, but the real revolution came in 1983, with the launch of the Nova.

Like New Vauxhall Corsa, the Nova came in distinctively different bodystyles for both three and five-door models and was also offered as a two or four-door saloon. With its overhead cam engines, slick new gearboxes and fully independent suspension, the front-drive Nova was a revelation in terms of its handling agility and creative use of passenger space. Notable models included the sporty SR, SRi and GTE, along with the first use of a diesel engine in a GM supermini.

It was 1993 when the Corsa name first appeared in the UK (although Nova was known as Corsa in most European markets from launch). Lauded from the start for its fresh, funky and perfectly-detailed styling which still looks modern today, the '93 Corsa was introduced amidst a huge publicity campaign, with the world's top supermodels looking on enviously as Vauxhall Corsa stole the admiring glances of passers-by, and the flashbulbs of the paparazzi.

Again, three and five-door models were distinctly different, while the front-drive chassis came with a range of lively engines, including a rev-hungry 1.0-litre three cylinder unit and a sporty GSi, which helped boost the car's appeal among younger drivers. These traits, along with the legend of the sporty Novas, influenced the fun-to-drive nature of today's all-new Corsa.

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