I must admit, if I was in the market for a supermini, one of the old Vauxhall Corsas would never have made my shortlist. It's a cutthroat market and while the Corsa covered all the bases adequately, there was just too much excellence among the opposition to make it stand out. That said, I realise that I'm an exception and the Corsa was the UK's best selling supermini of 2005, easily outselling the likes of the Renault Clio, the Ford Fiesta and the Peugeot 206. Even with this level of success, Vauxhall realised it wouldn't take long for the public to twig that the Peugeot 207, the Fiat Grande Punto and the Renault Clio III had easily overtaken the Corsa in terms of talent. Something needed to be done but rather than play a conservative hand, Vauxhall, for the very first time, set out to endow the Corsa with some genuine flair.

It's a move they had already made with the latest generation Astra, a car that offered such a quantum leap in styling and build quality over its predecessor that it seemed that a generation was somehow missing between the two cars. Similarly, if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Corsa buyer, the latest model will be a rude awakening. The reason why is that Vauxhall were one of the very first manufacturers to really buy into spreading so-called 'utility' models right across their range. The introduction of the super practical Zafira and Meriva models means that those who want to do the flipping and folding thing with the seats have cars specifically designed for the task, freeing up models like the Astra, and now the Corsa, to get on with the business of looking rather good.

"No longer just a shopping trolley, the Corsa now has real impact."

Compare this approach to that of, say, Peugeot who didn't have a small MPV to speak of and had to develop the 307 family hatch as a sort of compromise. Sales stagnated while the combined weight of Zafira and Astra registrations have helped Vauxhall to a buoyant set of sales figures. The latest Corsa is offered in two different body styles. The five-door version features a more conservative profile with a flatter, longer roof section while the real scene stealer is the three-door version.

No longer just a shopping trolley, the Corsa now has real impact. The front end features a deep Vauxhall V-grille with aggressive air intakes under the bumper and a pair of headlamps that smear back along the wings. Bigger than the model it replaces, the Corsa shares a platform with Fiat's Grande Punto, the benefit of a rather complicated relationship between Fiat and General Motors that's too convoluted to go into here. Suffice to say, you may be reminded of the pretty Fiat when you spot the window by the A-pillar and the rather unconventional door outlines.

Climb inside and, if you're used to the Astra, you'll feel immediately at home here. The quality of materials used is leagues ahead of the old Corsa and like the Astra there's the bulletproof feeling of build quality that's as good as anything in the sector. Just about the only criticism of the Astra's interior was that, although well built, it didn't offer a whole lot of slick design to catch the eye. The Corsa changes that particular script with translucent ambient lighting on the centre console switchgear, one of those 'surprise and delight' features that adds the all-important showroom wow-factor. The round air vents and big satellite navigation screen (available on high spec cars only) give the Corsa's dash a far more modern, integrated look than the somewhat piecemeal integration of technology of the old car.

Four petrol engines and two diesels are on offer. First up on the petrol menu are the 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre units. Also available is a 189bhp 1.6-litre VXR variant that will certainly give the Clio Renaultsport 197 and the Honda Civic Type-R something to think about. Able to hit 60mph in around 7 seconds and with a 140mph top speed, this should be the first Corsa to really appeal to hardcore car enthusiasts rather than pimply teens. There's also a 150PS version of the same engine in a slightly more affordable SRi version. No modern supermini can get by without a decent diesel engine and Vauxhall fortunately have two at their disposal. The 123bhp 1.7-litre diesel spearheads the line up, with a budget 1.3-litre CDTi acting as the entry level option.

Like its progenitor, the Corsa is built in the same Zaragoza factory in Spain but breaks from tradition in offering a resolutely high tech approach. Halogen Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) alters the beam of the headlamp according to speed and steering input, allowing the Corsa to see further round dark corners. There's also an innovative Enhanced Understeer Control (EUC) function and convenience features such as MP3 compatibility and Bluetooth phone connectivity. Variable progressive sports power steering aims to offer finger light steering at parking speeds with a properly meaty feel when you're really in the groove.

Despite its strong sales figures, Vauxhall needed to give the Corsa a good whack up the backside and the latest model shows the benefits of this corporal approach. Smarter, prettier and a whole lot more sophisticated, the Corsa could well dominate sales charts for quite some time.

TOP 5 CORSA DEALS

The results below show the top CORSA deals on buyacar

	Vauxhall Corsa 1.0i 12V Life 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £132	Saving £1,619	Price £7,546
	Vauxhall Corsa 1.4i 16V SXi 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £164	Saving £2,326	Price £9,124
	Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i 16V SXi 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £156	Saving £2,205	Price £8,745
	Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i 16V Club 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £146	Saving £1,804	Price £8,266
	Vauxhall Corsa 1.4i 16V Design 5dr Auto Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £205	Saving £2,912	Price £10,978

typical 13.57% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000