Automotive

Opel finally ushers Corsa into its 5th generation

Opel finally ushers Corsa into its 5th generation
The new Opel Corsa is the successor to the current generation launched way back in 2006
The new Opel Corsa is the successor to the current generation launched way back in 2006
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The new Opel Corsa
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The new Opel Corsa
The new Opel Corsa is the successor to the current generation launched way back in 2006
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The new Opel Corsa is the successor to the current generation launched way back in 2006
The new Opel Corsa
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The new Opel Corsa
The new Opel Corsa
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The new Opel Corsa
The new Opel Corsa will be officially revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October
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The new Opel Corsa will be officially revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October
The Corsa can be fitted with a new 1.0-liter engine
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The Corsa can be fitted with a new 1.0-liter engine
The Corsa can be fitted with a new 1.0-liter engine
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The Corsa can be fitted with a new 1.0-liter engine
The Corsa's interior has been completely redesigned
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The Corsa's interior has been completely redesigned
The Corsa has been designed to look "youthful"
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The Corsa has been designed to look "youthful"
The Corsa has been designed to look "youthful"
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The Corsa has been designed to look "youthful"
A 7-inch touchscreen replaces the buttons from the old Corsa's interior
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A 7-inch touchscreen replaces the buttons from the old Corsa's interior
The Corsa has been designed to look "youthful"
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The Corsa has been designed to look "youthful"
The new Opel Corsa
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The new Opel Corsa
The new Opel Corsa can be fitted with bi-xenon headlights
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The new Opel Corsa can be fitted with bi-xenon headlights
Apps like BrinGo navigation are available
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Apps like BrinGo navigation are available
The new Opel Corsa
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The new Opel Corsa
The new Opel Corsa
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The new Opel Corsa
The Corsa is available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox
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The Corsa is available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox
The Corsa's chassis is brand new
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The Corsa's chassis is brand new
The Corsa's compact six-speed manual gearbox
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The Corsa's compact six-speed manual gearbox
The Opel Corsa family
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The Opel Corsa family
The Opel Corsa family
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The Opel Corsa family
View gallery - 22 images

Opel's Corsa is getting bit long in the tooth. The current model was launched in 2006, and simply doesn't stack up against the younger Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo. It's after a long wait, then, that Opel has released its 5th generation Corsa. The updated car combines new engines with a totally redesigned chassis, and promises to be more a more engaging and efficient drive than before.

Key to the success of any new car is its engine, and the little Opel is packing a range of new powerplants in its quest for small car dominance. The Corsa has joined the trend for downsizing, with a three-cylinder Ecotec 1.0-liter turbocharged engine that comes in 66 kW (90 hp) or 85 kW (115 hp) varieties. Both spec levels pack 170 Nm of torque from just 1,800 rpm, to give the driver plenty of punch when zipping in and out of traffic.

The Corsa can be fitted with a new 1.0-liter engine
The Corsa can be fitted with a new 1.0-liter engine

To deal with the vibrations that come with an odd-numbered cylinder count, Opel's three-cylinder motor is fitted with a balance shaft, which cuts down on unpleasant sensations from the engine.

As well as the new 1.0-liter engine, Opel is offering two naturally aspirated petrol engines and a 1.4-liter turbocharged motor making 74 kW (100 hp) and 200 Nm of torque. Diesel engines are crucial in Europe, so the Corsa is also available with a 1.3-liter CDTI that makes 55 or 70 kW (95 hp). In 70 kW trim, the engine emits 89 g/km of CO2.

The petrol engines are coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed auto, while the diesel model is available with a 5-speed manual or the 6-speed auto. Interestingly, Opel also will offer an automated manual, which it claims is as efficient as a manual and as smooth as a torque convertor.

In keeping with the more refined three-cylinder engine, Opel has focused on making the Corsa "drive like a bigger car." The German supermini has a stiffer subframe, redesigned suspension geometry and a 5 mm lower center of gravity than its predecessor, helping give the new car a more stable feel on the road. Opel says the 5th generation Corsa is so new, no chassis components have been carried over from the old car.

The Corsa's chassis is brand new
The Corsa's chassis is brand new

To complement the new chassis setup, the Corsa's steering has been given a thorough working over. The "speed-sensitive" electric power-steering system is more direct than before and can be made lighter at low speeds with the push of a button – which is useful for parking in tight city spaces. Cars can be fitted out with Comfort or Sport chassis setups, with sports models taking advantage of stiffer spring and dampers, as well as more direct steering.

On top of all the mechanical updates, the Corsa's exterior design makes a decidedly more fluid impression than its predecessor while inside, the old Corsa's button-heavy dashboard has been totally redesigned to include Opel's new 7-inch IntelliLink touchscreen. The unit integrates apps like BringGo navigation and TuneIn online radio and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

Apps like BrinGo navigation are available
Apps like BrinGo navigation are available

To keep drivers out of trouble in the city, the Corsa can be fitted with a blind spot monitor and lane departure warning. It is also available with bi-xenon headlights with cornering light that illuminates the area to the side of the vehicle at low speeds, and parking assistance for tight spots. For sporty buyers, Opel's flex-fix system can be fitted.

The new Opel will be officially revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October ahead of its 2015 release.

A video overview of the Corsa's design can be viewed below.

Source: Opel

View gallery - 22 images
4 comments
4 comments
Nairda
She has a nice nose. Will age well
The console is a fingerprint magnet however.
Mel Tisdale
I suppose it is too early to expect the sat-nav to be central to the driver's field of view (with the roadspeed shown as a water-mark on the map). As for touch screens, no thanks, there is a road to be watched and some people can only do one thing at a time. (My ex for one e.g.: avoiding a tree while checking her mother's seat-belt. She only just completed the latter before spectacularly failing to complete the former). Even simply watching the sat-nav is at the limit for some people. Get them to put their finger on a specific part of the map or perform some similar function and they had better be parked.
It also seems too early for Opel to realise that we are at almost peak everything and there will soon come a time when we will need to make cars - among a load of other things - last as long as possible by having interchangeable components carried over from previous models; something Opel seem to currently see as a minus point.
MarylandUSA
Isn't Opal still owned by General Motors? Doesn't this give GM two A-segment minicars: the Opal from Germany and the Spark from Korea? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-segment
Don Duncan
I guess the energy efficiency is assumed as no mention of mpg was provided?
For ten years, 1968-78, I drove a sexy little two seater with no guts but great milage, 46, a faux sports car. Now that dangerous "merge" problem could be fixed with an electric motor for temporary power. But will it? I doubt it.
Big corps don't innovate but they do stop little startups from doing so with their political lobbing and bars to entrance in the market, all in the name of "public safety" of course. Will people ever wise up?