The grey-haired woman with a small dog on her lap stared intently as she inched past us in the ring-road rush-hour jam, writes David Duffy.

Clearly struck by the lines of the new Vauxhall Corsa, she insisted everyone else in her car took a look.

They weren't the first that day to crane around as the Corsa went by.

Building a head-turning, two-seater radical roadster isn't too hard a job, but to turn a small hatchback into an eye-catching little gem is a real feat.

But then the existing Corsa is no stranger to achievement. The outgoing Corsa was one of the most successful models in Vauxhall's history. Produced in nine body styles at 11 plants on five continents, about six million have rolled off the production lines. If you count the previous model, sold as the Nova in the UK, the figure soars to nine million.

Last year was the Corsa's best year for sales yet in the UK, topping the 80,000 mark for the first time, a 14.7 per cent rise on the previous year.

The new version is set to take over where the former left off challenging for a top spot in the sales charts.

Larger, more spacious, better equipped and much better to drive, the new stronger-looking Corsa, with its distinctive tail-end has grown into a more mature car.

That's not to say the Corsa is purely the preserve of grey-haired matrons looking for a nice, sensible car to visit WI jumble sales.

The Corsa's youthful appeal more than a third of buyers are aged under 34 has been carefully maintained.

Hop aboard the SRi and the 125 horsepower on tap from the 1.8-litre engine will clear any obstructions in the gastric system as effectively as a dose of syrup of figs.

The 1.4-litre is an equally spirited little mover and cruises comfortably and effortlessly quietly at motorway speeds.

Corsa marketing manager Richard Hughes said there was a continuing trend towards smaller cars and with the increase in size of the new Corsa, it was more like to serve as the family car.

He said: "Today's core market is traditionally female-orientated. That will continue, but we will see widening appeal to the younger end of the market of both sexes a group that can be badged as 'spirited'."

One of the real gems in the new Corsa line-up is the 1.2-litre which is the first Vauxhall fitted with a so-called Easytronic gearbox. It combines the advantages of a manual transmission with the ease of use of an automatic.

You merely tap the gear-lever to the left and leave it in automatic, or tap it once more to reveal the letter 'M' on the dashboard, then move the gear-lever forward to change up or backwards to change down all without any need for a clutch.

Simple, effective and lots of fun, the Corsa glides along smoothly and saves you fuel.

The effort put into the new car really shines on twisting, country roads, where the Corsa delivers comfort and refinement, combined with the safe, solid feel of a much larger car.

Speed-sensitive, electric power steering is standard on all models and elements of the successful Astra's chassis have been used to improve handling.

Vauxhall expects the 1.2-litre version will be the best-seller, taking about half the sales with the 1.0-litre model taking a third. Two 1.7-litre, 60 miles per gallon diesel engines are also on offer.

Prices for the new car, which goes on sale on October 18, are expected to start at about 8,000 with the 1.2-litre models costing about 10,000.

Vauxhall is proud of safety improvements made on the car, which is fitted with twin airbags, two side airbags and from next autumn will also have head-protecting curtain airbags.

The car has five three-point seatbelts and front seat active head restraints, which move with the body in the event of a rear end shunt to minimise whiplash injuries. The 1.0-litre qualifies for the Government's 55 road tax reduction and from next April the 1.2-litre models will also qualify because of their low carbon dioxide emissions.

Servicing costs have also been cut with the car now needing servicing and an oil change only every 20,000 miles, or once a year.

Choice also comes as standard with six trim levels and the high-performance SRi available in both three and five-door versions for the first time.

Neat touches include a remote control key fob which with one blip unlocks only the driver's door, a useful safety feature in poorly-lit car parks. Two blips and all doors and the tailgate open.

Models from the Comfort up have a height-adjustable steering column and redesigned superbly supportive front seats with lever-controlled height adjustment. Optional equipment includes the latest navigation technology and an integrated mobile phone.

The three-door models will be the first to go on sale, with the five-door models, expected to take about 40 per cent of sales, following in January.

Emphasising the international nature of modern car making, the Corsa will be built at plants in Spain and Germany with Portugal following soon, using engines built in Austria, Hungary and Poland. Vauxhall and Opel plan to sell a total of about 590,000 Corsa models in 2001, the first full year of production.

AUTO FACTS

Vauxhall Corsa 1.2-litre Easytronic

PRICE: TBA

INSURANCE: TBA

LUGGAGE CAPACITY: 260 litres

MAXIMUM SPEED: 106.2mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: Urban 35.3mpg; Extra urban 54.3mpg; Combined 45.6mpg

FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 10 gallons

LENGTH: 3,817mm

WIDTH:1,646mm