Opel promises the new Corsa will wow customers here with its fresh looks, efficient engines, clever safety and driving technologies, and its overall driving experience. It will start from €14,895 for the three-door S entry model.
Dave Sheeran, managing director of Opel Ireland, says over the past 32 years, the Corsa has had an enduring success with customers in Ireland and the fifth generation is no different.
“Key to Corsa’s success is its outstanding design, German engineering, and the everyday value it provides. This is the best Corsa we have ever built and comes with a wide range of standard and optional technologies offered, we are sure it will set the benchmark.”
According to Opel, perhaps the biggest visible change in the new Corsa is its interior. A new interior has been designed for driver comfort and the infotainment system and seven inch colour touchscreen will seamlessly connect mobile devices to the Corsa. Customers can stream music wirelessly and access a host of apps to enhance the driving experience, including BringGo for navigation, as well as Stitcher and TuneIn for worldwide radio and podcast reception. The integration of Apple iOS devices within IntelliLink enables 'Siri Eyes Free' voice control. This makes it possible for drivers to hear an incoming SMS read aloud or dictate an SMS or email – all while keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road ahead.
Opel prides itself on the new Corsa wide range of standard and optional innovative driver assistance systems. For example, Corsa will offer park and go technology that assists parking, and a front camera system with road sign recognition that will display traffic signs on the road. Meanwhile Following Distance Indication and Forward Collision Warning alerts drivers when there is an imminent danger of crashing. Corsa will feature as standard hill start assist which will not let the car roll back on a hill.
Opel says key to the new Corsa driving experience are improved engines, chassis smooth shifting transmissions, the new suspension, and optimised steering deliver class-leading levels of comfort and precision. The new chassis does not inherit a single component from the current model.
At the heart of the Corsa is the new EcoTec direct injection turbo three-cylinder petrol engine which is available in the sporty three-door Limited Edition model with 115hp and has CO2 emissions of 115g/km or €200 in annual road tax. Top speed of this pocket rocket is 195km per hour, it accelerates from 0 -100km in 10.3 seconds, but at the same time has a combined fuel consumption 4.9 l/100kms or 58mpg, but obviously not at the higher speed capabilities.
Meanwhile the premium SE model comes in a 90hp variant, and with CO2 emissions of 106g/km, has an annual road tax of €190. These new engines sit alongside the existing 1.2i (70hp ) and 1.4i (90hp ) petrol engines offered across the Corsa range. The 1.4i petrol engine has a combined fuel consumption of 119g/km of Co2 emissions or €200 in annual road tax.
There are two diesel engine variants offered - the 1.3CDTi turbo diesel engines is available in 75hp and 95hp featuring start/stop fuel saving technology. The most frugal Corsa diesel variant, with 95hp, comes with a five-speed manual gearbox and braking energy recuperation system can reduce the three-door model’s CO2 emissions down to 85g/km and fuel consumption down to 3.2 l/100km (or 88mpg ) over the combined cycle.
The introduction of new transmissions also contributes to the enhanced driving experience and improved efficiency.
New damping characteristics also give the fifth-generation Corsa better filtration of disturbances from potholes and uneven road surfaces, providing exemplary comfort in a small car. The development of a new electrical architecture enables a more sophisticated level of interaction between the car’s various systems. New steering geometry and steering software calibration benefit the new, speed-sensitive electric power steering system: it has a more precise response and improves both driving pleasure and comfort.
At just 4.02 meters in length, Corsa still offers plenty of space for up to five occupants in both five-door and sporty three-door body formats. Designers of the new Corsa have combined its popular flowing, sculptural lines with precise details that characterise Opel’s award-winning design philosophy.
The new frontal styling incorporates elegantly chiselled headlamps, with wing-shaped LED daytime running lights, a dominant chrome bar and the Opel logo. The rear end has a lean, stretched and athletic look: the wide horizontally split tail lights help to visually widen the car and also flow round to the rear shoulders, giving the Corsa an even better stance.
Opel Ireland will offer four trims; entry level S, the new Excite trim, generously specified SE, and the sporty Limited Edition model. Standard features on the S model include hill start assist, meanwhile the Excite model comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, Bluetooth® connectivity, USB connection with iPod control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control, LED daytime running lights, and a leather-covered steering wheel.
