New hot hatch expected to use same 277bhp set-up as larger Mokka GSE – and get a host of sporty upgrades
The Vauxhall Corsa GSE has broken cover ahead of its unveiling later this year, all but completely revealing the styling of the new hot hatch.
Although the prototype’s lurid GSE-themed livery obscures some details, it is evidently a much more aggressive proposition than the standard Corsa Electric, with a prominent front chin spoiler and chunky wheel arch extensions.
Its stance hints at its dynamic intent, with its three-spoke wheels jutting farther out of the extended arches than on the garden-variety Corsa, and they are cambered in touring-car-like fashion.
Through the windows it appears to have the same single-piece bucket seats as the existing Mokka GSE, to which the Corsa will be closely related.
Vauxhall has yet to confirm technical specifications for the Corsa GSE but, given it is based on the same underpinnings as the Mokka, it is likely to reprise that car’s combination of a front-mounted 277bhp motor and a Torsen limited-slip differential.
The Mokka GSE also got a reworked front suspension set-up with extra knuckles to free up space for taller and wider wheels; a quicker steering rack; new anti-roll bars front and rear; and tauter bushings at its back end.
Given it is significantly smaller than the Mokka, the Corsa GSE is likely to improve on that car’s weight of 1597kg. That may also provide a small bump in range, up from the Mokka GSE’s 201 miles between charges.
The Corsa GSE is the latest in a long line of Vauxhall hot hatches, following the previous Corsa VXR and Nova GSi.
More details will be confirmed when the Corsa GSE is revealed in full later this year, but pricing is expected to start from around £35,000. The Corsa range currently tops out with the Electric 156PS Ultimate at £33,720.
The Corsa GSE is the latest in a line of hot hatches launched by parent company Stellantis, all using the same 277bhp powertrain. Other than the Mokka GSE, its cousins include the Peugeot 208 GTi (due later this year), Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce.
