Vauxhall Corsa Exclusiv
With the right engine the Vauxhall Corsa Exclusiv makes a fine business car, with low fuel consumption and company car tax, but it is an expensive choice.
Exclusiv is a mid-range model aimed primarily at fleet users. It is available with 1.2 and 1.4 petrol engines and two 1.3 diesels. Engine stop-start is an option with the lesser-powered diesel and standard on the other. A four-speed automatic gearbox is available with the 1.4-litre petrol engine. Exclusiv is the cheapest Corsa to have six airbags rather than the two fitted lower down the range. As a model aimed at fleet users, it has steel wheels with plastic covers which can be easily replaced after parking scrapes – it’s cheaper than refurbishing alloy wheels. An MP3-compatible stereo with steering wheel-mounted controls is standard. There’s also driver’s seat height adjustment and a steering column which moves two ways. In true Vauxhall style there’s a bewildering choice, with models based on three and five-door body styles and various engine and gearbox permutations.
Good points
Exclusiv is a solid no-nonsense model with most of the essentials that the fleet users the car is aimed at will need. A good range of seat and steering wheel adjustment allows people of all shapes and sizes to get comfortable, and the driver can control the stereo without lifting a hand from the wheel. The Corsa isn’t the most exciting supermini to drive, but it’s comfortable, and in Exclusiv form offers a good range of strong and economical engines. It’s also spacious enough to let you take a few work colleagues along for the ride.
Bad points
The Corsa Exclusiv is aimed at business drivers who can spend several hours a day behind the wheel, but in many ways it fails to take into account their needs. Bluetooth mobile phone hands-free connectivity is only an option, for example. Air conditioning also costs extra, and so does electronic stability control that can help avoid accidents, especially in bad weather. And it’s not as if the Corsa is a cheap car. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Depreciation is also very heavy on the Corsa because of the deals Vauxhall does with major fleets and rental companies.
What you get
- Folding rear seats
- Passenger & Driver airbag
- Curtain airbags
- Height adjustable driver's seat
- Front electric windows
- Single CD player
- AUX stereo input
Recommended optional extras
- Bluetooth
- Electronic stability control
Our choice
The 94bhp 1.3 diesel with engine stop-start. It slashes the company car tax bills of the people this model is primarily aimed at, and delivers good driveability.
