New Vauxhall Corsa GSE Awarded ‘Hot Hatch of the Year’ at News UK Motor Awards 2026

•  New Vauxhall Corsa GSE wins ‘Hot Hatch of the Year’ at the News UK Motor Awards 2026

• Judges praised the GSE for its design, performance, and driving experience

• The GSE is the most powerful production Corsa of all time with 281PS, and the fastest accelerating Vauxhall on sale with a 0-62 mph time of 5.5 seconds

• Vauxhall Corsa GSE delivers attainable performance in line with Vauxhall’s hot hatch heritage and is available to order now for just £34,495 OTR (£32,995 inc. Electric Car Grant)

• The New Vauxhall Corsa GSE has been awarded ‘Hot Hatch of the Year’ at the News UK Motor Awards 2026 

The News UK Motor Awards 2026 celebrate the standout new cars shaping today’s market, recognising models across key categories spanning family, city, adventure, and performance cars. Winners are selected by an expert judging panel of leading automotive journalists from News UK titles, including The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times Magazine, and LUXX Magazine.

 The judges praised the New Vauxhall Corsa GSE for its classic racing-inspired design, impressive performance, and fun driving experience. Rob Gill, Motors Editor at The Sun, said “The best colour is white. Like Vauxhall's old race cars. I think we can all agree on that. Small Car. Big Power. Tartan Seats. I had so much fun testing Vauxhall Corsa GSE at Croft, I didn’t want to give it back.”

 

Eurig Druce, Vauxhall Managing Director, said: “The New Corsa GSE marks a strong return to the hot hatch segment for Vauxhall, bringing both performance and driver appeal, with the benefits of fully electric power. Corsa remains Britain’s best-selling small car, and with the GSE we are continuing Vauxhall’s tradition of sporty superminis in a way that reflects today’s move to electrification. Thank you to the News UK judges for recognising it as ‘Hot Hatch of the Year’ for 2026.”

The new Vauxhall Corsa GSE is the most powerful production Corsa of all time, with 0-62mph acceleration in just 5.5 seconds. Building on the rally-inspired  Vauxhall Mokka GSE, the Corsa GSE features a Torsen® mechanical limited slip differential, extensive chassis upgrades, Alcon® four-piston front brake callipers with 355mm discs, distinctive exterior details and retro-inspired interior touches. Priced at £32,995 including the Electric Car Grant (ECG)*, the Corsa GSE delivers high performance while maintaining everyday practicality.

Sneak Peak for Paris: First Glimpse of Stunning Opel STX Concept

• Forward looking: Opel STX Concept reimagines estate body style
• Next design step: New Opel Vizor even bolder and more confident
• Attention to detail: Flush body surfacing and clever aero solutions for efficiency at high speeds

 

After revealing the name of its upcoming concept car as the Opel Sports Tourer eXperimental Concept, or Opel STX Concept in short, just last week, the German manufacturer has now offered a first preview of its latest concept by releasing first images of the vehicle. The images reveal the extreme precision and high attention to detail of the Opel STX Concept while also hinting at the next development step of the Opel Vizor and Opel’s vision for the future of estate cars.

 

“We were pioneers of the estate in Europe as early as the 1950s. With the STX Concept, we want to show our vision for the future of this body style and introduce the next step of our ‘Bold & Pure’ design philosophy. We will be revealing more details soon – so stay tuned,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

One of the most eye-catching features teased by the images is the further development of the Opel Vizor. The brand’s characteristic front fascia now appears bolder than in previous iterations with a new lighting signature using precise vertical slanting lamellas. Furthermore, the illuminated Opel Blitz emblem still sits firmly at the centre of the Opel Compass.

Elsewhere, aerodynamic efficiency has long been a hallmark of Opel passenger cars – and the Opel STX Concept will explore clever aero solutions to not only reduce consumption but also ensure directional stability and driving pleasure at high speeds on the German Autobahn. One element is the aerodynamically optimised design of the eye-catching 3-section alloy wheels.

 

The Opel STX Concept will celebrate its world premiere at this year’s Paris Motor Show (October 12 to 18, 2026).

Opel STX Concept: German Manufacturer Reveals Name of Next Visionary Concept Car

• New chapter: Opel STX Concept shows vision for estate cars of the future at the upcoming Paris Motor Show
• For racetrack or road: Opel GSE 27FE race car and Corsa GSE hot hatch define pure electric performance on the Opel stand A42 in hall 4
• Practical and flexible: Latest Opel Astra Sports Tourer continues long tradition of innovative Opel estates

With the Paris Motor Show drawing ever closer Opel has revealed that its latest concept car will be called Opel Sports Tourer eXperimental Concept or STX Concept for short. The show car from Rüsselsheim will celebrate its world premiere at the ‘Mondial de l'Auto’ where it will take centre stage alongside the Opel GSE 27FE, the manufacturer’s race car for the upcoming season of ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and the recently launched Corsa Opel GSE hot hatch.

The name STX Concept gives a clear indication that the German manufacturer will show its vision for the future of estate cars in Paris with the abbreviation ST closely associated with Sports Tourer models with the Blitz – such as the latest Opel Astra Sports Tourer. Opel played a pioneering role in establishing the estate body style in Europe with the introduction of the Olympia Rekord Caravan in 1953. 

Today, the Opel Astra Sports Tourer continues this long-standing tradition in the Opel portfolio and impresses with outstanding practicality, flexibility and technology. Thanks to its sophisticated design with the illuminated Blitz emblem of the characteristic Vizor brand face the Opel Astra Sports Tourer can comfortably double as a stylish family car or as an eye-catching workhorse that offers up to 1,634 litres of load volume.

Opel CEO Florian Huettl confirmed: “As the name indicates, the Opel STX Concept will give our vision of the future of an aero-efficient estate – a body style that Opel played a pioneering role in establishing in Europe. It shows our next generation design language and feature elements that you will see in future production models.”

Motorsport genes: Opel GSE 27FE and new Opel Corsa GSE

The STX Concept will be one of the highlights on the Opel stand (Hall 4, Stand A42). It will sit alongside the Opel GSE 27FE, Opel’s GEN4 racing car for the 2026/27 Formula E season. With permanent all-wheel drive, an output of over 800 hp and a recuperation output of up to 700 kW, the GEN4 cars will take electric motorsport to a completely new level. With record winner Mitch Evans and rookie Théo Pourchaire on board, and preparations progressing smoothly and to plan, the Opel GSE Formula E Team is gathering momentum ahead of the new season.

Furthermore, the recently launched Corsa GSE will show how Opel is bringing high-performance electric motoring into series production. The latest hot hatch with the Blitz already benefits from the extensive work done by the engineers in Rüsselsheim and the Opel Motorsport team with the Corsa GSE sharing a powertrain with the Opel Mokka GSE and its rally counterpart, the Mokka GSE Rally. With 207 kW (281 hp) and 345 Newton metres of torque the Corsa GSE accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds – faster than any other current production Opel.

Together with Vice President Marketing Rebecca Reinermann and Vice President Design Mark Adams, Opel CEO Florian Huettl will present these and other highlights with the Blitz to an international audience at the Opel Press Conference, which will take place at 11.40 CEST on Monday, October 12. Further details on the new concept car will follow closer to the Paris Motor Show.