“I know that in order to reach that ambition, we need to add some further excitement and some emotion into the brand,” he told us, without specifically referencing the Corsa GSE. “We’ve got the GSE sub-brand launch [with Mokka], which is VXR for the electric age. We need that to filter down to the rest of the range, so that we can add some excitement across the trim levels, as well as the GSE halo.”
Although the naming strategy for the new trims isn’t confirmed, it should follow the likes of Ford’s ST-Line or the BMW M Sport trim levels in offering sportier cosmetic upgrades. “The intention is that you get aspects of that GSE halo,” Catlin continued.
Vauxhall’s boss said the new breed of sporting models will be better performance icons than the plug-in hybrid Grandland and Astra GSE introduced in summer 2023. “I think we have to be honest and say that the first launch of GSE wasn’t fitting for the brand, but these [new] models are absolutely the right standard and will carry the GSE name in the right way.”
The Mokka SUV is priced around £2,500 above equivalent Corsa models, which would potentially mean the GSE hot hatch costs below £35,000, before the Government’s electric car grant – if that still exists by the time the Corsa GSE arrives towards the end of next year.
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