Zippy and zooty: The new Opel Corsa is here, finally

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

Did you know that the new Opel Corsa is one of the lightest vehicles in the segment, tipping the scales at a mere 980kg in its lightest form? By the way, Opel is one of the largest European car manufacturers and was founded by Adam Opel in Rüsselsheim, Germany, in 1862.

Hit for six

This sixth generation of the Opel Corsa is the perfect car right car for almost everyone. The model features two of the Stellantis Group latest combustion engines, the 1.2 naturally aspirated and 1.2 turbo.

The two engines are offered in South Africa in conjunction with two gearboxes the five-speed manual and the six-speed automatic shifter. The powertrains offer significant advantages such as lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions, and high driveability. They are more advanced and more dynamic than ever.

Aerodynamics

Opel Corsa is one of the most aerodynamically optimised vehicles in its class – thanks to the Opel Engineers putting this vehicle through its paces with rigorous testing and fine-tuning in the wind tunnel of Stuttgart University. The results are impressive and reduce the drag coefficient significantly.

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

Simply put, this means that the Opel Corsa experiences less air resistance while in motion and more importantly, coupled with the lightweight of the vehicle, The Opel Corsa needs less energy to move and stay in motion. Also, the rear roof spoiler helps cut the lift on the rear axle of the vehicle which means the Opel Corsa is one of the most-stable vehicles.

Enjoy

In the midstream of the Corsa range, there are two Enjoy models – manual and auto with six ratios to choose from in both cases. That’s where the mechanical similarity ends though and as before the manual is the 85kW version of the turbo triple, while two-pedal versions are equipped with the 1.4 litre normally-aspirated four-cylinder.

Pacy and Ultra-Modern Engines

The improvement in efficiency through the engine range is reflected in the driving performance. The new Corsa Elegance with 96kW reaches a maximum speed of 208km/h but you really do not that initial thrust.

Image credit: Naresh Maharaj

You can set the wheels in motion with a nice and smooth take-off but remember this: I managed to obtain zero to 100km/h acceleration in just 8.7 seconds and I was in complete control of the vehicle or maybe the vehicle was in full control of itself.

The Opel Corsa: Best-in-class safety systems and driver assistance systems

Instead of explaining each one, allow me to enumerate the many features that make driving a real pleasure with user-friendly technologies.

• 180⁰ view reverse camera
• Lane keep assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Forward collision alert
• Front pedestrian detection
• Collision mitigation braking
• IntelliLink infotainment
• 7” touchscreen on Edition and Elegance derivatives
• 7” Digital cluster on Elegance
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity on Elegance
• Big car technologies on the Elegance Trim
• Heated front seats
• LED headlamps and high beam assist

Model range and pricing

• Corsa,1.2 55kW 5-speed manual - R274,900
• Corsa Edition, 1.2 55kW 5-speed manual - R294,900
• Corsa Elegance, 1.2 Turbo 96kW 6-speed automatic - R386,900

The Corsa range also impresses with its long-term ownership appeal, featuring a five-year/120,000km warranty and generous three-year/60, 000km service plan.