Vauxhall Corsa

The fourth-generation Opel Corsa (Vauxhall if you live in the UK) has finally been unveiled, after eight years of its predecessor being on the market. If you feel a sense of déjà vu, don't worry, because you're not imagining things – the new model shares the same basic architecture as the outgoing model. Consider this a very thorough facelift, then.

Still, much has changed, including the new, larger grille cribbed from the Adam, arrow-shaped head- and tail lights and a new hockey-stick swoosh on the doors taken from the Astra. There's more differentiation from the outgoing Corsa on the inside, where the dashboard takes further cues from the Adam, particularly around the centre console.

New features in the cabin include the Adam's IntelliLink infotainment screen with a seven-inch touchscreen, voice control, Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free, a FlexDock mobile phone charging area and compatibility with smartphone apps such as BringGo, Stitcher and TuneIn. Also on offer are heated seats, steering wheel and windscreen, a panoramic roof, Side Blindspot Alert, High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning, bi-xenon lights and a rear-view camera.

All-new it may technically not be, but the Corsa has been reengineered under the skin with a stiffer front subframe, retuned front and rear suspension, revised damper settings and a new speed sensitive electric steering system. The centre of gravity is 5 mm lower than before, too, and a new electrical architecture allows the inclusion of Hill Start Assist, Automatic Parking Assist and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

New engine also feature, with the standout offering being a new 1.0 litre turbocharged and direct-injected petrol triple that will finally take the fight to the Fiesta's EcoBoost mill. The engine will be available in 90 and 115 PS outputs, both of which produce 170 Nm from 1,800 rpm.

There's also a revised 1.4 litre turbo petrol, 1.2 and 1.4 litre naturally-aspirated petrol and 1.3 litre CDTi diesel engines, as well as new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.