Vauxhall Corsa Black Edition

That’s undoubtedly one of the reasons why this endearing little car remains a favourite with both fleet and private buyers. Such is the breadth of choice that there really is something for everyone looking for a small car.

You can have a fire-breathing VXR Nurburgring Edition, priced at £22,295, right down to an ecofriendly fuel miser like the 1.0-litre Ecoflex, which kicks off the range with an asking price of of a little over £8,000.

And then there are the special editions that make an occasional appearance... like the Black Edition.

What’s appealing about this edition – apart from the extra bits and bobs that come with “special edition”

territory – is that it adds a new engine to the range, a punchy 1.4 Turbo Start/Stop unit that makes it one of the most powerful Corsas.

The new engine produces 120PS and maximum torque of 175Nm starting at 1,750rpm. The latest addition to the Corsa range has a top speed of 121mph and hits 0- 60mph in 9.7 seconds. Fuel consumption is 51.4mpg and CO2 emissions are as low as 129g/km.

Available in both three and fivedoor body styles, the Black Edition is based on the Corsa Limited Edition and along with the 120PS engine gains a black logo bar and new 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.

A raft of sporty styling features, including body-coloured front lower spoiler, side sills, rear lower skirt and rear spoiler, turn the Black Edition into one of the sleekest Corsas yet.

Its looks are enhanced still further with front fog lights, dark style headlights and tail lights and dark tinted rear and rearside windows.

Inside, sports seats, a leathercovered steering wheel, sports pedals, silver interior seat stitching and matt chrome air vent surrounds set the Black Edition apart from all other Corsas.

For those who wish to go even further upmarket, there is a range of extras such as the Touch and Connect infotainment system and adaptive forward lighting.

And the price? It’s £15,995 for the three-door and £16,425 for the fivedoor model, which is not cheap, although it should be remembered that the Corsa has now adopted many of the premium styling cues from other recently-launched Vauxhalls, such as the Insignia, Astra and Meriva.

It features a signature chrome bar, carrying the new Griffin badge, stretching across the front grille, while a re-styled front bumper with a more prominent, wider lower grille gives the Corsa a smiling appearance.

Framing the Corsa’s new face are ‘Eagle-Eye’ headlamps, which have also made an appearance on the Meriva. The units have a chrome finish and include daytime running lights as standard across the range.

New chrome-finished fog lamps and housings complete the picture at the front of the car.

With its fresh new look, the Corsa is now a very different car to the one on sale a year ago. Before the latest exterior and interior design changes were made, the Corsa had already benefited from a long list of significant upgrades.

Based on the sporty SRi model, The Black Edition sits nicely in the Corsa range – not too hot, not too thirsty, but with the looks and engine to secure its own niche.

It is responsive enough, but don’t expect fireworks just because there is a Turbo badge on its backside.

If you are in the market for an Corsa SRi, then check out this limited edition first.

Fact file

Vauxhall Corsa Black Edition

PRICE: £15,995 (Corsa range from £9,995)
ENGINE: 1.4-litre turbo petrol, producing 120PS
TRANSMISSION: six-speed manual
PERFORMANCE: 0 to 60mph in 9.7 seconds
ECONOMY: 51.4mpg combined
CO2 RATING: 129g/km