277bhp Vauxhall Corsa GSE Priced From £32,995 With Electric Car Grant

After a prolonged teaser campaign, Vauxhall has finally put a price on the Corsa GSE. The 277bhp electric hot hatch will cost £34,495 when orders open in September, falling to £32,995 if its anticipated Electric Car Grant is approved. It arrives on Stellantis' familiar e-CMP platform, meaning the interesting bits are already known quantities: a mechanical limited-slip differential, four-piston Alcon brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.

Where the Vauxhall differs is in its suspension tuning, with the manufacturer making a big deal of the GSE's Nürburgring-developed chassis. Ride height drops 24mm at the front and 11mm at the rear, spring rates are up 67% and 29% respectively, and the rear axle has been revised. Straddling it is a new 30.8mm anti-roll bar, lifting roll stiffness by 153%. Bespoke dampers with hydraulic bump stops and GSE-specific bushes are fitted all round, while the steering gains revised knuckles and a quicker 14.5:1 rack.

Three driving modes are available. Sport unlocks the full 277bhp and, as on the Abarth 600e, disables braking regen altogether, sacrificing efficiency in the name of feedback. Normal settles for 228bhp, while Eco limits top speed to 93mph and reduces power further, although Vauxhall hasn’t disclosed by how much.

277bhp Vauxhall Corsa GSE Priced From £32,995 With Electric Car Grant - rear three quarter static Contour White

277bhp Vauxhall Corsa GSE Priced From £32,995 With Electric Car Grant - Contour White - under bonnet shot

In Sport, 0–62mph takes 5.5 seconds, making the GSE the fastest-accelerating Vauxhall currently on sale, and we wouldn't complain if the Torsen differential allowed a flicker of old-school Astra GTE torque steer along the way. Top speed is a more lukewarm 112mph, but such is the way with electric hot hatches.

Buyers looking to get the most out of the 54kWh battery can specify Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 tyres, which boost the claimed WLTP range to 232 miles, up from the standard 220 offered by the grippier Michelin. Charging times are not a strong point of the electric hot hatch fraternity, and the e-CMP platform is no exception, requiring 30 minutes at 100kW for a 0–80% top-up.

Vauxhall has clearly turned its back on the aggression that defined the VXR era when it comes to the GSE’s styling. We're yet to see the GSE in the wild, but the subtle bodykit, gloss black arch extensions and detailing all carry over as previewed, as does the acid yellow finish for the brake callipers. The clearest hot hatch signals remain the GSE script on the front doors and lip spoiler, alongside the 18-inch three-spoke alloys, a deliberate throwback to hot Vauxhalls that vied for dominance of the outside lane in the 1980s.

277bhp Vauxhall Corsa GSE Priced From £32,995 With Electric Car Grant - Contour White - three spoke alloy wheel and GSE scripture detail image

277bhp Vauxhall Corsa GSE Priced From £32,995 With Electric Car Grant - Contour White - interior shot showing custom GSE mode and tartan seat fabric

Five exterior colours will be offered, with Carbon Black standard and Voltaic Blue, Contour White, Crystal Silver and Graphic Grey all commanding £650. A body coloured roof is a no-cost option.

Inside, the spirit of Vauxhall's past is far more overt. Heated Alcantara and cloth performance seats carry black, grey and yellow tartan lifted from the Nova GTE, matched to yellow seatbelts and yellow stitching on the armrests. Modern touches include a heated, flat-bottomed Alcantara wheel and aluminium pedals, while the 10-inch instrument display adds GSE-specific pages for G-force, acceleration, torque and battery data.

While it’s hard for the Corsa GSE to escape its Stellantis stablemates, with a growing number now making use of much the same battery technology and performance hardware, none offers the shared 277bhp output for as little outlay as the Vauxhall – the firm’s own Mokka GSE included. At £34,495, the Corsa sits £500 below the Peugeot E-208 GTi and £3,500 below the Abarth 600e Competizione, while also undercutting the Mini John Cooper Works Electric and Alpine A290 GTS. First deliveries are expected during winter.