Vauxhall introduced the second generation of the small-segment Corsa on the U.K. market in 2001, just a year after its European sibling.
The Corsa was on its third generation on the European market, but the first generation was named Nova in the British arena. That's why the third generation of the Opel Corsa was, in fact, the second generation of the Vauxhall, and that created confusion among the customers. But the car was sold well and was very appreciated by its customers.
While the biodesign was living its last years, the "new-edge" design started to get more traction on the market. GM saw the opportunity and decided to give the Corsa that curved-lines style combined in sharp angles. The headlights and the side windows were good examples of that. In the three-door version, it was even more obvious, especially to the rear ones. The small doors provided access for both front and rear seats. That was a Corsa-specific feature in the small-segment. To protect the taillights from scratches and parking bumps, they were installed on the C-pillars.
Inside, the car featured good amenities for its segment, even though the base model was stripped from power-windows or air-conditioning. On the higher trim levels, the carmaker installed power-windows, an on-board computer, and a CD-player.
The Corsa was available with a wide choice of engines ranging between 1.0-liter and 1.7 liters. They were paired as standard to a 5-speed manual. There was an option for a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed automated (Easytronic). The top of the range version was powered by a 1.8-liter gasoline engine, which was exclusively available for the 3-door version.