Used Vauxhall Corsavan for sale: everything you need to know

Remove the back seats from a Vauxhall Corsa, cover the rear windows, and put up a bulkhead behind the front seats, and you have a Corsavan. You don’t need to do it yourself though as Vauxhall has offered a Corsavan across several generations, the most recent spanning 2015 to 2018.

If you need a small van your choices are limited, but the Corsavan is a good option regardless, with a decent payload for its size and all the driveability benefits of a van this compact. It was popular too, so there’s plenty of choice on the used market.

In more recent years your only real alternative to the Corsavan is a Ford Fiesta Van, while the Fiat Fiorino, Peugeot Bipper, and Citroen Nemo are more like traditional vans but still on a small footprint.

Should you buy a Vauxhall Corsavan?

Genuinely small vans are difficult to find these days, but the Corsavan still fits the bill - and in terms of easy parking and absolutely minimal running costs, could be ideal for any driver or operator who doesn’t need huge loadspace or payload ratings.

The latter is up to 581kg in some models, which isn’t bad for a small van, while a length just a whisker over four metres means finding a space to park is as easy as it is with the regular Corsa supermini. Visibility is a little more restricted but few vans are less stressful to drive around in traffic or where you’ve got limited space to manoeuvre. It’s as nimble as the car version too.

A high lip, another carry-over from the car, means loading bulkier items isn’t as easy as it might be, but should stop loose things rolling out when you open the hatch. A standard half-height bulkhead and mesh stops objects going in the other direction.

Equipment is pretty basic on the standard Corsavan, with DAB radio but no air conditioning, but the popular Sportive model more than made up for that, and is probably now the one to buy used. A petrol engine and a pair of diesels pull the Corsavan along - all are economical, and the diesels make up for being slightly clattery by offering the best performance and highest mpg figures.

Small hatchback-based vans used to be everywhere but in recent years the Ford Fiesta Van has been the only real alternative - it’s more fun to drive, but not as practical. The Fiat Fiorino, Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo are dedicated vans rather than car-based ones, but pack far more space into their compact size, with 2.5 cubic metres of capacity and a 610kg payload.

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What’s the best used Vauxhall Corsavan model to buy?

If you’ve got the option, hunt down a Sportive model. It’s nice to have the alloy wheels and sharper looks obviously, but the real benefits are the more powerful engine that came as standard, and even more pertinently, the much more generous equipment levels that make it feel much more like a car than a commercial vehicle. The basic petrol could be worth a look though if you operate exclusively around town and don’t spend too much time behind the wheel, and there’s not a huge difference in payload across the range.

Used Vauxhall Corsavan fuel economy and performance

• Vauxhall Corsavan 1.2i 70PS: The sole petrol engine option in the Corsavan was a 1.2-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol, making 70PS. Vauxhall didn’t quote a 0-62mph time for the van, but the regular passenger Corsa with this engine got from 0-62mph in 15.5 seconds. Claimed economy was up to 52.3mpg.
• Vauxhall Corsavan 1.3 CDTi 75PS: Once again there are no official performance figures for the Corsavan, but in 75PS form, the 1.3-litre turbodiesel in the regular Corsa gets from 0-62mph in 14.3 seconds. Economy for the van is up to 70.6mpg on the old NEDC test.
• Vauxhall Corsavan 1.3 CDTi 95PS: The most powerful version of the diesel is also the most frugal, with NEDC figures of up to 78.5mpg with a manual gearbox and 83.1mpg with the Easytronic automated manual (dropping to 68.9mpg for the Sportive on its alloy wheels and much more equipment). 0-62mph for the passenger Corsa with this engine was 11.5 seconds.

What used Vauxhall Corsavan trim levels are available?

The Corsavan came in just two trim levels, an entry-level model with a basic level of equipment, and a much better-equipped Sportive that more closely matched the conventional passenger vehicle versions of the Corsa. Unsurprisingly these were quite popular and make up a good proportion of the used vans for sale, with features like air conditioning, a heated windscreen, and cruise control all making them a little more pleasant to live with.

• The Vauxhall Corsavan got 14-inch steel wheels on petrol versions and 15-inch steel wheels with the diesel engines, a CD/MP3 stereo with Bluetooth, a USB connection, and electric windows, while air conditioning was an option.
• The Vauxhall Corsavan Sportive added quite a lot of equipment, with 16-inch alloy wheels, a heated windscreen, rain-sensing wipers, auto lights, air conditioning, cruise control, sports seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, electric heated door mirrors, LED daytime running lights, and front fog lights. It came only with the top 95PS diesel engine, and a touchscreen infotainment system was optional.

Used Vauxhall Corsavan dimensions and load capacity

The Vauxhall Corsavan’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4021mm
• Width: 1736mm (without mirrors), 1944mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1487mm

The Vauxhall Corsavan’s load capacity is:

• 560-581kg payload
• 0.92 cubic metres

Used Vauxhall Corsavan road tax

Taxing a Corsavan will cost more than taxing a regular Vauxhall Corsa, as vans are charged a standard rate of VED separate from cars - even if they’re small and car-based, like the Corsavan. That means an annual bill of £320.

How much is it to insure a Vauxhall Corsavan?

Vauxhall didn’t publish separate insurance group figures for the Corsavan, but as with all van insurance, costs will vary depending on your usage and circumstances. Even so, as one of the smaller vans on the market, insuring a Corsavan is unlikely to be too expensive.

Read our full Vauxhall Corsavan review