The Corsa name had a reputation for being dull - until the latest model was introduced. With sharp styling and a great interior it's a huge improvement over its predecessor offering more space, comfort and refinement. Like it's big brother, the Astra, it has two distinct profiles for three and five-door models - and both variants look good. It's enjoyable to drive too and thanks to a comfortable ride and decent noise insulation makes a surprisingly smooth motorway cruiser. There's a wide choice of engines but it's the diesels that really impress, especially the frugal 1.3-litre CDTi. There's also a performance model in the shape of the 1.6T SRi that is just as much fun to drive as the hot hatch VXR (covered in its own review). It may not have the badge kudos of a Renault Clio or the sporty appeal of a Mazda 2 but the Corsa is a great all rounder and a superb choice if you're after a good value, small hatchback.

For more sporty performance there's a 1.6-litre turbo-powered SRi model which was introduced in mid-2007 - it uses a less powerful version of the engine found in the VXR with 150bhp instead of 192bhp. However it still has more than enough go to be fun and with a 0-60mph time of 7.6 seconds doesn't hang about. The diesels are the real stars of the line-up though. The most powerful choice is the 1.7 CDTi (this engine was carried over from the previous model) and with 125bhp and plenty of pulling power it makes it ideal for town and motorway driving and it's a surprisingly relaxed cruiser, sitting at low revs at 70mph. But our pick of the engine range is the newer 1.3 CDTi available with 75bhp or 90bhp. It's much smoother and more refined than its larger counterpart and although it lacks some of the mid-range punch it's incredibly economical - the less powerful version averaging 63mpg. All petrol models have a five-speed gearbox with the exception of the 1.6T which, along with the diesel engines, comes with a six-speed transmission. The gearboxes do feel a little notchy and slow to shift but the change is positive enough. An Easytronic (automated manual) system is available on the 1.2-litre models, while a conventional four-speed automatic can be specified on the 1.4-litre.

There's an strong range of engines in the Sport Hatch range starting with the 1.4-litre model with 90bhp but this struggles for pace and doesn't suit the Astra's sporty looks. The 1.6-litre unit is better (this originally had 105bhp but was uprated to 115bhp in 2007) or there's a 1.8-litre with 125bhp (in 2006 this was replaced by a more powerful 140bhp VVT unit). The high performance model is the 2.0T which boasts 170bhp but in mid 2007 this was replaced by a more efficient 1.6T with 180bhp and it's a superb engine. It is in fact the same unit that's used in the Corsa VXR and it shares the same eager nature, which turns the Astra into a genuine junior hot hatch capable of 0-60mph in just 7.7 seconds. The diesel engines are impressive too and even the entry-level 1.7 CDTi with 100bhp delivers decent in-gear punch along with 57mpg economy. The more powerful engine is the 1.9 CDTi which is available in two outputs of 120bhp or 150bhp. Both offer identical emissions (149g/km of CO2) and economy (50mpg) but the 150bhp version is quicker and has noticeably more pulling power.