Had the all-new OPEL Corsa on test recently, this 6th Generation is more modern, more digital, and more diverse than ever. Captioned as fun to drive, it’s not hard to see why, once we had it for a week.
Opel has always had a following in SA, going back to the racing days and when Opel & VW duked it out on the roads for the fastest hatch. In Germany it is one of the more popular small cars, and it has been best selling car in the UK as well.
Now Opel brings the Corsa with great new design and up to date tech, which make it feel like it has big car boots. Coming in three awesome new trim levels, it begins with the Lite with new trim levels, then the Elite, which adds more value, and finally the GS line tops the range with boosted performance.
Exterior.
Of course like it’s sibling the Mokka, the new Corsa impresses with OPEL’s distinctive Vizor front end – a single smooth panel that sits between the LED headlights, housing the advanced OPEL driver aids and safety technologies, with the logo at the centre.
Other styling updates include 16-inch black alloy wheels for Lite and Edition models, as well as black roof, black badging and black Corsa lettering on GS Line models. The GS Line is differentiated by bi-colour diamond cut 16-inch alloy wheels.
All Corsa models are fitted with LED headlights, the Edition and GS Line also featuring fog lights as standard. We drove the red & black model, and quite a few conversations were had on test drives with inquisitive prospective car buyers.
The Cabin.
Inside, the cabin is comfortable and quite spacious for a small car. It has an upgraded infotainment system that includes what they call Pure Panel. In the Edition and GS Line, this really comes to life with a new 10-inch Intellilink Infotainment touchscreen featuring Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™.
A 3.5-inch digital instrument cluster is fitted as standard on the Lite. This is upgraded to a 7-inch display on all other trims. In front of the instrument display, the new Corsa features an updated steering wheel design, while new front heated seats are available on the GS Line.
Safety.
Being German engineered, The new Corsa is not light on comfort nor safety, being impressively equipped with front and rear electric windows, air conditioning, Eco LED headlamps and safety features such as Active Lane Keep Assist.
Edition models continue to impress with additional features such as front and rear parking sensors and Side Blind Zone Alert as well as traffic sign recognition.
GS Line models are packed with tech that includes too many big car features to mention for the compact hatch. Automatic climate control and an electric parking brake as well as heated front seats in leatherette enhance the top-of-the-range Corsa. My daughter much loves the heated seats, especially in the chilly Winter mornings on school run.
Engines.
The Lite name has returned to the sixth generation Opel Corsa. The entry-level model may be Lite in name, but it is far from light in specification, including spearheading the use of OPEL’s turbocharged 1.2-litre engine across the range. It delivers a lively 74kW, which makes it nippy in traffic and quite zesty on highways. The Elite variant shares this engine, but the GS Line gets a pepped up version of this engine to punch 96kw.
We found the drive to be good, with good fuel economy of around 5.9 L/100km
OPEL PRICING.
Opel has dealers across the country and offers a standard five year / 100 000 km Warranty and a three year / 45 000 km Service plan.
Pricing | Recommended retail (incl VAT) |
Corsa Lite 1.2T 74kW 6MT | R 374,900 |
Corsa Edition 1.2T 74kW 6MT | R 394,900 |
Corsa GS Line 1.2T 96kW 6AT | R 459,900 |
Summation.
Opel is a SA favourite, and the new Corsa comes with new variants, great styling, updated tech, and a fun feeling drive.