The Vauxhall Corsa GSi will be less rorty than the Corsa VXR (pictured) for real-world performance
Vauxhall will launch a warm, GSi-badged Corsa later this year to rival the Ford Fiesta ST-Line, as the Corsa celebrates its 25th birthday in the UK.
The Corsa GSi is expected to have around 150bhp; well down on the 202bhp Corsa VXR at the top of the range. Its bodywork will be more aggressively styled along the lines of the Insignia GSi, although toned down from the racier VXR.
Following the reintroduction of the GSi badge in 2017 on the Insignia GSi, Vauxhall is planning to extend the warm badge to its smaller cars, starting with the Corsa but also moving to the Astra. Vauxhall has a long history with hot Corsas, with the GSi badge being launched on the Vauxhall Nova GSi in 1987, formerly bearing the GTE badge.
Vauxhall clarified that GSi does not replace the more hardcore VXR sub-brand, which is now only carried on the hot Corsa, since the brand discontinued the VXR8 with the swansong GTS-R.
Vauxhall has no plans for more VXR models, but says that it will use the badge again - GSi is not its replacement, but a warm version, with the relationship of the two similar to Audi’s S and RS-badged cars.
The Corsa GSi, unlike the four-wheel drive Insignia, will be front-wheel drive only. The Insignia GSi commands a premium of around 15% over the next-most expensive Insignia variant, although it’s likely to be a smaller price gap for the Corsa, given the VXR is only £670 more than the next-most-expensive 1.0-litre Elite model. Vauxhall said that the GSi would not come alongside spec simplifications across the range, though.
First deliveries are expected in late 2018.
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