Vauxhall Corsavan review – zipping around sipping diesel

It’s a car with no back seats or windows – great to drive, and plenty of space and comfort in the ‘cab’

What’s hot

• Take a look at the pictures and it doesn’t take an expert to see that this van is a right little bobby dazzler.
• Its swoopy looks continue in the cab with a stylish black and chrome dash and figure-hugging sports seats that’ll see you comfortable even over long distances.
• There’s masses of legroom too, which is unusual for such a small vehicle. I measure 6ft 3in in my bare feet and I still didn’t have the driver’s seat all the way back.
  

  Looks slick even with the back up

• Gearchanges are slick and the Corsavan feels like it’s riding on rails. The only downside is that it’s so good that drivers are likely to start pushing the van to its limits on the bends, thus wasting fuel.
• And talking of fuel economy, that amazing 83.1mpg figure must be tempered by the fact that it’s been calibrated with the van empty and on a rolling road. Start taking part in any traffic light Grands Prix, or the above-mentioned fast cornering jiggery-pokery, and you’ll never get anywhere near.
• In the back, we like the fact that the Corsavan has half-height side protection all round and there are four load-lashing eyes to help keep things in place.

What’s not

• The outside of the Corsavan has colour-coded bumpers, which means that if the van suffers any knocks and scrapes, as it is likely to if used in an urban delivery environment, you’ll have to pay extra to get it resprayed. We recommend black plastic all round. It doesn’t look as good but it’s a lot cheaper to get fixed post prang.
• We were also disappointed to note that this van only comes with a half-height bulkhead, which means that under emergency braking, any cargo is likely to end up wrapped round the driver’s head. You have to pay extra for a mesh top. You should.
• Another problem is that as this van is basically a car, there’s a big lip under the hatch which makes it impossible to slide loads in and out.
• Vauxhall also charges extra for a rubber mat in the back.