Vauxhall Corsa - first photos of the 2011 facelift

Vauxhall has today issued the first pictures of the new, facelifted-for-2011 Corsa supermini. There's a dash of Insignia flair at the front, but very little else changes on the revised Vauxhall Corsa.

The new nose of the 2011 Corsa finally ditches the old-fashioned Vauxhall V-grille, replaced by the newer chrome bar with a prominent Griffin badge like on the new Insignia and Astra.

And in a step back to the 1990s, Vauxhall has rediscovered its tubes of toothpaste paint. That lively new Lime Green is a throwback to the lurid peppermint green that adorned the bubble Corsa, while adventurous types can choose Chilli Orange or Guacamole and Sunny Melon.

Those swollen headlamps are much bigger than before, echoing the lights on the latest Meriva, and there's a broader lower grille (shades of Mazda?) to distinguish the new Corsa from the old. Daytime running lights are standard across the range, in anticipation of the 2011 legislation making them mandatory in Europe.

Inside the 2011 Vauxhall Corsa, the cabin is predominantly carried over. New seat trims are lavished and a flurry of detail changes - new door trims, redesigned centre consoles and air vent rings - aim to freshen up the cabin of this four-year-old design.

A new (but optional) Touch & Connect multi-media system is available, offering a five-inch touch screen, 3D mapping and iPod and Bluetooth connectivity.

First deliveries will happen in February 2011, priced from £9995 at the new 20% VAT tax rate hitting UK consumers from January 2011. Vauxhall says that removing the tax rise, prices have risen between just £60-£75.

The Corsa is an important car for Vauxhall; it's the second biggest selling model in the range, after the Astra.

Perhaps the Corsa has always missed the class plaudits, but there are some noteworthy highlights in Vauxhall's supermini range. Not least the 1.3 CDTi Ecoflex model which pumps out a meagre 94g/km of CO2 and quaffs diesel at a teetotal 78.5mpg.

By Tim Pollard