Opel/Vauxhall Corsa electric FWD automatic

Our verdict

With this facelift of the 6th generation Corsa, Opel offers a full electric supermini which is ready to set new efficiency standards. Tested here is the 115 kW version, equipped with an optional 11 kW on-board charger. The small vehicle weighs 1.5 tonnes and comes with an appropriately-sized battery of 51 kWh declared usable capacity – a value confirmed by Green NCAP's measurements. The Corsa achieves best results in the standard lab tests. Surprisingly for a vehicle of this class, the small Opel demonstrates high energy economy in the Highway Test as well: other small cars are often designed to operate efficiently at lower speeds to the detriment of motorway consumption. The On-Road Drive was performed on dry and sunny roads in 9°C cold weather, which makes the result of 15.7 kWh/100 km even more impressive. With such a low average electricity demand, the Corsa-e could go for around 360 km. The -7°C Cold Ambient Test result is excellent – only 23.9 kWh/100 km – but unfortunately comes at the expense of cabin comfort. In its 2024 protocols, Green NCAP measures the temperature at the front passenger's head rest. While the automatic air-conditioning was set to 23°C, the temperature sensor recorded a maximum of 18.7°C, which might be enough for a feeling of warmth if it weren't for the slow increase of the reading. Starting at -6°C, after 4 minutes the value was still only 8°C and a full 10 minutes was needed for the sensor to show 16°C. Other electric vehicles heat up much faster. The low figure recorded in the Cold Ambient Test helps the Corsa reach an Average Score of 99% and collect all 5 Green stars, becoming one of the most energy efficient electric vehicles Green NCAP has tested.