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All-New Opel Corsa – The Future-Ready City-Car.

 

New Opel Corsa SRi 1.2-litre (100PS) On Test.

 The highly-anticipated new Opel Corsa has arrived in Ireland. The future-ready German city-car belnds everyday driving fun with exciting big-car technology. Available initially with petrol or diesel engines, the new Corsa range will soon be joined by a 100% electric version too. Impressively, the new Opel Corsa has already been awarded the prestigious title of AUTOBEST ‘Best Buy Car of Europe’ for 2020, with the Corsa being the first car to win the AUTOBEST award for three successive generations in a row.

New CMP Architecture;

The new Opel Corsa is built on new CMP (Common Modular Platform) architecture, which is shared with parent company PSA Peugeot Citroën, and will be the third car in PSA’s platform shake-up to do so – following on from the DS 3 Crossback, and the new Peugeot 208. The new Corsa’s bodyshell is 40kg lighter than the outgoing one – around 15kg has been saved by using PSA’s all-aluminium engines, 5.5kg has been removed by revising the front seat designs, and the use of an aluminium bonnet saves another 2.4kg. In total, Opel says the new Corsa is up to 108kg lighter, with the lightest model weighing in at under 1,000kg. The new Corsa is 48mm lower than its predecessor, but has a 28mm longer wheelbase, leading to extra interior space, while a generous boot capacity of 309-litres can be expanded to an impressive 1,118-litres when the rear seat backs are folded flat. A lower driving position, in conjunction with an adjustable steering wheel column, will be pleasing to drivers who don’t want to feel like they are driving a baby crossover.

Engine & Trim Options;

Currently, engine options in the new Corsa consist of 75PS (74bhp, naturally-aspirated), and 100PS (99bhp, turbo-charged) 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol units, and a 102PS (101bhp) turbo-diesel unit. Depending on the engine and model chosen, transmission options consist of 5-speed or 6-speed manual, and an 8-speed automatic, with all new Corsa models having CO2 emissions lower than 100g/km, leading to annual road tax of just €180 across the entire range. There is a choice of 5 trim levels in the new Corsa – SC, SC Premium, SRi, SRi Premium, and range-topping Elite, with even the entry-level model coming with a 7-inch colour touchscreen, Multimedia Infotainment (R4.0 IntelliLink) system, LED headlights with high beam assist, alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, trip computer, driver’s seat height adjuster, body-colour front and rear bumpers, remote control central locking, electrically operated front windows, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, lane departure warning with lane assist, speed sign recognition, leather-covered flat-bottom steering wheel, driver drowsiness system, automatic emergency city braking, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), six airbags, and folding rear seat backs with a 60/40 split.

Test Car;

My test car was a new Opel Corsa 1.2-litre (100PS) 6-speed manual in mid-spec SRi trim, which was finished in Hot Red two-coat metallic paint with a contrasting black roof and a-pillars for an ultra-modern look. Additional SRi standard features include sports-style front seats, Sport Mode switch, alloy-effect sports pedals, electrically operated rear windows, remote control security alarm system, sports front and rear body styling, LED front fog lights, LED tail lights, chrome-effect exhaust tailpipe extension, dark-tinted rear windows, rear parking distance sensors, 16-inch silver ‘Hurricane’ 4-twinspoke alloy wheels, and OpelConnect. With 99bhp, and a healthy 205Nm of torque available, Opel’s wonderful 1.2-litre petrol engine can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 9.9-seconds, and can achieve a top speed of 194km/h (where permitted), while consuming as little as 5.4-litres of fuel for every 100kms driven on a combined driving cycle.

Super-Light Steering;

Opel’s engineers have gone to great lengths to make the steering in the new Corsa super-light, while being much more responsive to driver inputs than ever before. The SRi’s standard Sport Mode brings more sportiness to the steering, while also offering a specific pedal mapping, and it even enhances the engine sound too. The six-speed manual gearbox in my test car was smooth and precise , while the well-weighted clutch pedal provided just the right amount of bite. A strong feel from the brake pedal ensures that the new Corsa has the ability to stop every bit as effectively as it accelerates, while the car’s new suspension set-up protects occupants well from the effects of bad road surfaces. The new Corsa’s cool, stylish interior has been updated with the very latest technology and innovation, and is spacious, functional, and ergonomically sound, while overall build quality is very impressive.

Verdict & Pricing;

When it comes to performance and efficiency, the new Opel Corsa is engineered to make every drive more enjoyable, and more affordable too. With its bold design, the new Corsa feels modern, dynamic and poised. Pricing for the new, future-ready, Opel Corsa starts at just €17,975, with my test car specification priced from €23,000. A 3-Year/100,000km warranty comes as standard on all Opel passenger cars for total peace of mind motoring.

Visit www.opel.ie for further information.

 

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