WE’VE been spending some time with the Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 SRI Turbo EcoFlex.

This nimble three-door hatch proves easy and convenient to drive around town. But plenty of fun when you head out of urbansville.

And if you’re a company car driver looking for a snappy, zoomy supermini then with low company car tax from £38 per month, you can have the show and go without paying the taxman for the privilege.

This particular Corsa, the SRi with the peppy 1.4 turbo engine and 100PS, sits some mid way in the latest and expansive Corsa range.

So yes, there are cheaper as well as faster, more pumped up Corsa editions to choose from but from a business, as well as overall value point of view, this particular model strikes a good overall balance.

Providing the power, the Vauxhall’s 1398 cc four cylinder petrol turbo really comes alive when you venture out of town.

It’s an engine that really picks up and goes between 2000-3500 rpm, when it delivers plenty of fun. That said, it’s a unit that thereafter runs out of steam pretty quickly, so you’ll need to change up a gear to keep the momentum going.

Business users with an eye on the bottom line may well go for one of the less overtly sporty Corsas – there are 1.0. 1.2 and 1.3 petrol/diesel engines also available – and with a multitude of power offerings (90-115PS), but again this 1.4 turbo 6-speed provides a decent blend of power and performance with plenty of economy (over 55 mpg up in the official cycle) up for grabs, too.

Vauxhall claims 11 secs for the 0-62 mph sprint and a 115 mph top end. Again, respectable if not ground breaking. It’s business user peppy rather than boy racer fast. Which is just what you want for your staff.

And you get all the back up that comes with the Vauxhall badge and dealer network.

Competition in this class is undeniably tough but to our mind, Vauxhall has found a good formula with this appealing new age Corsa: fun, but not furious.