The Vauxhall Corsa 2026 line-up gives you petrol, hybrid and electric power, four trim levels and, as of this autumn, a 281PS electric hot hatch. First Vehicle Leasing has been arranging leases on cars like this for over 25 years. Below are the features, specs, tax figures and lease factors worth checking before you commit.
Key Takeaways
- You can choose a 1.2 petrol (100PS), a Hybrid in 110PS or 145PS form, or the Corsa Electric in 136PS (50kWh) or 156PS (51kWh) form. The new 281PS Corsa GSE sits at the top of the range.
- The 51kWh Corsa Electric has an official WLTP range of up to 246 miles. It can rapid charge from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes.
- There are four trims: YES, Design, GS and Ultimate. Every one gets a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
- Company car tax for 2026/27 is 4% on any electric Corsa, against 26% for the Hybrid 110 and 27% for the Hybrid 145.
- Electric Corsas qualify for the government's £1,500 Electric Car Grant. Lease prices change daily, so check the Vauxhall Corsa lease page for current deals.
What's New With the Vauxhall Corsa in 2026?
The Corsa you can lease today is the facelifted sixth-generation car. You can spot it by the black Vizor panel across the front, and it comes with a simplified trim line-up. New for 2026 are the well-equipped YES special edition and the Corsa GSE, an electric hot hatch. An all-new, electric-only Corsa is expected in 2028.
It's still one of the most common small cars on UK roads, and reviewers keep coming back to the same points. The Corsa is easy to drive and comes with plenty of kit. It has physical climate controls too, which is a relief in a class that's moving everything onto touchscreens. On the downside, the cabin is plain next to a Peugeot 208 or Renault 5, and rear-seat space is only average.
Which Engines Can You Get in the Corsa?
The Corsa comes with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol, a 48-volt hybrid built around the same engine, or full electric power. The Hybrid always has a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox (e-DCT6), and the electric versions are automatic too. The petrol is available with a manual gearbox or an automatic.
| Powertrain | 0-62mph | Official economy / range | Gearbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Turbo petrol 100PS | 11.2 sec (manual) | Around 50-53mpg | Manual or auto |
| 1.2 Hybrid 110PS | 10.7 sec | 62.8mpg, 103g/km CO2 | e-DCT6 auto |
| 1.2 Hybrid 145PS | 8.6 sec | 60.1mpg, 106g/km CO2 | e-DCT6 auto |
| Corsa Electric 136PS, 50kWh | 8.9 sec | Up to 222 miles | Auto |
| Corsa Electric 156PS, 51kWh | 8.2 sec | Up to 246 miles | Auto |
| Corsa GSE 281PS | 5.5 sec | Around 212-220 miles on standard tyres (up to 232 miles on optional Hankook tyres) | Auto |
The Hybrid is more than a basic mild hybrid. A small 28hp electric motor sits inside the gearbox, and it can move the car on electric power alone at low speeds in town. If you do a lot of stop-start driving, it's the version our leasing experts usually point people towards when home charging isn't an option.
What Equipment Does Each Corsa Trim Get?
Every trim comes with LED headlights, rear parking sensors, cruise control, automatic emergency braking, speed sign recognition and a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As you move up from YES through Design and GS to Ultimate, you get bigger wheels, more convenience features and, on Ultimate, matrix LED headlights and adaptive cruise control.
YES
This special edition is the entry point on price. It comes with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 16-inch alloys and a 7-inch digital driver's display, which makes it strong value for the money.
Design
Design is the core entry trim. It has 16-inch alloys, high beam assist, lane keep assist and a driver drowsiness alert, but it goes without some of the YES edition's heated extras.
GS
GS is the sporty-looking trim, with 17-inch alloys and a black roof. It adds climate control, keyless entry, front parking sensors, a rear camera and blind spot alert.
Ultimate
Ultimate is the top trim. It gets Intelli-Lux matrix LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, a massage function for the driver's seat and Alcantara trim. It isn't available with the 50kWh electric powertrain.
How Far Does the Corsa Electric Go on a Charge?
The 51kWh Corsa Electric has an official range of up to 246 miles, and the 50kWh version up to 222 miles. Testers report around 190 to 200 miles in real-world driving from the bigger battery. Both versions can rapid charge at up to 100kW, which takes the battery from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes.
At home, a full charge from a 7kW wallbox takes about seven and a half hours, so an overnight charge covers it. After a 2025 update, Vauxhall now quotes up to 266 miles for its most efficient versions, so check the figure for the exact trim you're looking at. The battery has an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty, and the rest of the car is covered for three years or 60,000 miles.
So is the electric Corsa worth it over the hybrid? If you can charge at home, it usually is. Running costs are lower and the tax treatment is far better, which matters most if you're a company car driver.
What Is the Vauxhall Corsa GSE?
The Corsa GSE (Grand Sport Electric) is a 281PS electric hot hatch. It does 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds and has a limited-slip differential, lowered sports suspension and Alcon brakes. Its list price is £34,495, which drops to £32,995 once the Electric Car Grant is applied, and first deliveries are due before the end of 2026.
The ride is firm and hard driving eats into the range. It keeps the regular car's five doors and boot, though, so it still works as an everyday car.
Will I be approved?
Five questions, no sign-up, and an honest answer before you apply for anything.
Check my eligibilityHow Much Does It Cost to Lease a Vauxhall Corsa?
Corsa lease prices change daily, so we don't publish fixed figures here. Your monthly rental depends on the version you choose, your initial rental, the contract length and your annual mileage. List prices run from around £20,500 to £31,000 for petrol and hybrid models, and electric versions start at around £27,500 before the grant.
A lease rental isn't simply the list price spread over the months. You pay the gap between what the car costs to buy and what it's forecast to be worth at the end of the term (its residual value), plus interest charges. We buy from manufacturers in volume, so the car costs less to buy in the first place, while its forecast end value stays the same. That narrows the gap you pay for. If the car ends up worth less than forecast when you hand it back, the funder takes that loss, not you.
The £1,500 Electric Car Grant lowers the purchase price of electric Corsas, and that can feed through to lower rentals. Personal Contract Hire (PCH) is the leasing route for private drivers, and Business Contract Hire (BCH) is for companies and sole traders. Either way, you pay an initial rental upfront, usually one, three, six or nine months' worth, followed by fixed monthly rentals. Under the FCA's Consumer Duty, we have to communicate clearly and offer fair value, which is why every quote shows the initial rental, term and mileage.
What Will a Corsa Cost in Company Car and Road Tax?
Under HMRC's published appropriate percentages for 2026/27, an electric Corsa carries a 4% Benefit in Kind (BIK) rate. BIK is the tax you pay on a company car's list price. The Hybrid is rated at 26-27%, and petrol versions at roughly 28-31%, depending on CO2.
| Corsa version | CO2 (g/km) | BIK rate 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Corsa Electric and GSE | 0 | 4% |
| Hybrid 110PS | 103 | 26% |
| Hybrid 145PS | 106 | 27% |
| 1.2 petrol 100PS | Approx. 114-127 | Approx. 28-31% |
Example: take an illustrative £30,000 list price. At 4%, the taxable benefit is £1,200, so a basic-rate (20%) taxpayer pays £240 a year, or £20 a month. At the Hybrid 110's 26%, the same list price gives a £7,800 benefit, which works out at £1,560 a year, or £130 a month. The electric rate goes up to 5% in 2027/28, 7% in 2028/29 and 9% in 2029/30. If your employer runs a scheme, salary sacrifice can make an electric Corsa cheaper still.
Road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty, collected by the DVLA) on a new electric car is £10 for the first year. After that it's the standard rate, which is £200 from April 2026 according to the GOV.UK vehicle tax rate tables. No Corsa's list price is high enough to trigger the expensive car supplement. On contract hire, road tax is normally included in your rentals for the whole term.
Which Corsa Should You Lease?
Match the powertrain to how you drive. If you can charge at home, the 156PS Corsa Electric on YES trim offers the best overall balance. The Hybrid 110 is a good fit for town driving without a charger, and the GS Hybrid 145 suits people who do more motorway miles. Company car drivers should almost always go electric.
- Mostly town driving with no home charger: Hybrid 110 on YES or Design trim.
- Home charger and a predictable commute: 51kWh Corsa Electric. What Car? also recommends the YES trim with the bigger battery.
- Company car or salary sacrifice: any electric version at 4% BIK.
- Regular long motorway runs: GS Hybrid 145.
- Driving for fun: the GSE, as long as you're happy with a firm ride.
Timing matters too. Auto Express reports that the next, electric-only Corsa is scheduled for 2028. A three-year lease that starts now ends around the time it arrives, and because you hand the car back, you don't have to worry about what the outgoing model will be worth.
What Are the Best Alternatives to the Corsa?
The Peugeot 208 is the Corsa's sister car, with the same engines and a smarter interior. If you're going electric, the Renault 5 has more character. The Volkswagen Polo is roomier and more refined. For more space, look at the Vauxhall Frontera.
Based on FVL's experience, the best value usually comes from deciding what you need and what you can spend first, then comparing whatever sits within that budget, rather than settling on one model early. The strongest deals are normally the cars we've committed to in volume.
Ready to Lease Your Vauxhall Corsa?
First Vehicle Leasing is FCA authorised and a BVRLA member. Our team can compare Corsa versions, terms and mileages for you and help you find the best fit. Call us on 0333 003 3325 or browse the latest deals online.
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Sources
Written by Andy Bell, First Vehicle Leasing.
