Available to order this summer, Vauxhall’s all-new fifth-generation Corsa has achieved a significant weight loss; thanks to its lightweight design, it weighs up to 108kg less than the previous model.

This means that every new Corsa benefits from improved performance and handling plus increased efficiency, whether it is powered by an electric motor or a conventional engine.

Having made its debut in 1993, the Corsa has been Vauxhall’s best-selling model for many years, with over two million sold in the UK and 13.6 million sold around Europe.

The lightweight design was created using the latest virtual development methods, and the use of specific steel grades and connection methods made the significant weight reduction — about 10% — possible.

This includes the consistent use of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, as well as the optimisation of load paths, connections, structure and form. Compared with the previous model, the body-in-white alone is 40kg lighter.

The all-new Corsa is based on Vauxhall’s new multi-energy platform for small and compact cars, which allows a variety of propulsion systems. For the first time, customers can opt to go fully electric with a Corsa BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) or choose from a range of highly efficient petrol or diesel engines.

Contributing further to the weight loss, these engines are of all-aluminium construction, and the compact three-cylinder petrol engines weigh around 15kg less than the previous generation of similarly powerful four-cylinder units.

The Corsa also features an aluminium bonnet (a rarity in its segment) that saves 2.4kg, plus seats that save a total of 10kg: 5.5kg at the front, 4.5kg at the rear.