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on 23
Oct
2014 |
All rights reserved.
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8 long years have passed
since the 4th generation Opel Corsa was introduced, yet what
substitutes it is merely a facelift. Well, Opel calls it the 5th
generation Corsa, saying all the body panels, interior packaging and
underpinnings are new, but from the same body profile as well as the
same wheelbase we are sure it is only a mid-life overhaul rather than
an all-new development. In other words, this is the Volkswagen way of
“new generation”.
Undoubtedly, the basic monocoque chassis is kept unchanged, although
Rüsselsheim attempted to “Adamize” it with a prominent front
grille, sloping bonnet and new headlights and taillights. It is better
looking, of course, but since all hard points and glasses are unaltered
it is impossible to deliver the cuteness of Adam or the classy feel of
Peugeot 208. In 5-door form it still looks a bit bulky beside a Ford
Fiesta or Renault Clio. This means you still won’t buy it for style.
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Thanks to its generous 2510 mm wheelbase, which is nearly the longest
in the class, its cabin continues to shine in terms of accommodation.
Two adults up to 6 feet tall can sit quite comfortably behind front
occupants of the same size, something you can’t say to Fiesta or even
Polo. As expected, the all-new dashboard is more stylish and made of
higher grade plastics. Material quality still falls short of the
standards set by Polo and 208, but it is perfectly decent for the
class. There are some gloss panels and an Adam-style console (with
touchscreen) to lift the ambience, although part of the effect is
offset by the cheap switch knobs located underneath. The Corsa is a
bread-and-butter car, so don’t expect class-leading build quality.
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Most engines are carried over from the old car, but
fortunately there is an all-new 1.0-liter 3-cylinder direct-injection
turbo – Opel finally responds to the excellent Ford 1.0 Ecoboost! Like
the recent 1.6 SIDI engine found on Astra, it is packed with modern
technology, such as an all-aluminum construction, direct injection,
dual-continuous VVT, roller finger followers and cylinder
head-integrated exhaust manifolds. The latter shortens the path from
combustion chambers to the small turbocharger thus quickens spool up.
It has two states of tune, i.e. 90 hp or 115 hp, each is 10 hp less
than the equivalent Ford engine, but the peak torque is comparable at
125 lbft from 1800 to 4700 rpm.
On the road, the 115 hp engine offers surprising amount of punch from
low rpm and sustains well to high rev. It is also remarkably quiet and
smooth, thanks to acoustic seals as well as a counter-rotating balancer
shaft running in the oil sump. Compared to the Ford engine, which has
none of these features, it is noticeably more refined. Not just by the
standards of three-pot engines, it is even more refined than most
four-cylinder engines in the class. No wonder Opel sells it as the
premium choice.
The 1.0 Ecotec turbo mates with a new 6-speed manual transmission. Even
so, its fuel economy and emission are not as good as the equivalent
Fiesta with 5-speed gearbox. The gearshift is also a little notchy.
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In the chassis, Opel said the front suspensions adopt new
knuckles, modified geometry and are mounted on a stiffer subframe. The
rear torsion-beam axle has been retuned to improve directional and
cornering stability. The dampers are not adaptive, but you have a
choice of softer or stiffer dampers. The electrical power steering is
now speed-sensitive, and it offers a lighter City mode to ease parking.
Having said that, in terms of driving thrills the new Corsa still
trails Fiesta by quite a margin. Its body control is less good,
pitching more noticeably and the damping fails to calm down the
motions. The steering is too light for the taste of keen drivers and it
doesn’t deliver a lot of messages. The ride is generally good, but then
the car is nowhere as relaxing to drive as a Polo. In other words, it
fails to delight either worlds.
The end result is a disappointment. It seems that Opel has lost the
last 8 years in fighting losses rather than equipping itself for
rebound. When the market recovered, it found its cars are outdated thus
it rushed to introduce some quick and cheap updates. Corsa is the first
unfortunate victim. I guess Astra could be the next.
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Verdict:  |
Published
on 17
Apr 2015
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All rights reserved.
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Corsa OPC
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A couple of decades
ago most small hot hatches offered just over 100 horsepower. Twice that
number would make a decent coupe or GT. Today, 200 horsepower becomes a
reality for B-segment hot hatches. Renault Clio RS has 200. Peugeot 208
GTi is recently upgraded to 208. Mini JCW and Audi S1 have even more,
although their high prices actually put them out of the reach of boy
racers. Speaking of boy racers, Opel Corsa OPC has long been a
favourable choice to them, especially the Nurburgring edition launched
in 2011. It offered not only 210 horsepower from its 1.6 turbo motor
but also goodies like limited slip differential, beefier tires,
stronger brakes, stiffer suspensions etc. Following the renewal of the
Corsa line, the OPC model is also updated.
Like the rest of the range, Corsa OPC is a mild update from the last
generation, so its proportion is familiar. Its new nose and headlights
add some more character to the design, whereas the twin-exhaust,
replacing the old car’s centrally-mounted single-exhaust, appears
sportier. The rear spoiler and good-looking 18-inch alloys (which come
with Performance pack) add further sporting flavors. It should delight
boy racers, if not more matured drivers. Unfortunately, the exterior
mods are not mirrored to the cabin, whose dash is ordinary to look and
cheap to touch. The optional Recaro bucket seats are the only
mentionable upgrade in the cabin.
Although lesser Corsa now runs an advanced 3-cylinder direct injection
turbo, the OPC keeps the tried-and-trusted 1.6 Ecotec turbo with cast
iron block and port-injection. It sounds outdated, but OPC did a great
job to extend its life, giving it modified intake, intercooler, fuel
injection and lower back-pressure exhaust. This lifts its output to 207
horsepower, 15 hp up from the old version and very close to the
Nurburgring edition. Meanwhile, the torque curve gets flatter, with 181
pound-foot of peak torque spread between 1900 and 5800 rpm. There is
also an overboost to 206 lbft for 5 seconds to aid overtaking. 0-60 mph
is now accomplished in 6.5 seconds, while top speed is extended to 143
mph. Both figures are near the top of the class. Although the new
engine is not the most responsive among rivals, it certainly feels
stronger and more flexible than the old one. The power delivery is also
more linear. On the downside, the engine refuses to rev high and the
exhaust note is uninspiring.
The 6-speed manual gearbox gets revised linkage to give a shorter
throw. It’s more satisfying to use, but the gearshift is still not to
be described as slick or precise.
The OPC carries over the old car’s brakes, wheels and tires, but the
suspension is heavily retuned. Geometry of the torsion-beam rear
suspension is revised, while spring rates, bushings and anti-roll bars
are new. Most important, the dampers have been upgraded to Koni FSD
(Frequency Selective Damper) to adapt to road conditions (stiff for
low-frequency bumps and soft for high-frequency motion). This greatly
improved the ride comfort on long-distance driving while tightening
body control in the twisty. On motorway, while the old car was stiff
and bouncy, the new car feels much more composed and refined. It is now
one of the best riding cars in the class.
The car still displays more body roll than keen drivers desired. That’s
why this time OPC offers an optional Performance pack. For a reasonable
£2400 you get a mechanical LSD, larger (330 mm vs 308 mm) Brembo
front brakes, 18-inch wheels shod with 225/35VR18 Michelin Pilot Super
Sport tires (vs 215/45VR17s), stiffer springs and dampers (still FSD).
Inevitably, the ride quality suffers, though not painfully so, but in
return you get fine body control, excellent traction, grip and braking.
The LSD enhances front-end grip a lot and aids the car to thread into
tight corners heroically, although there is a slight corruption of
steering feedback occasionally. At other times, the steering is pretty
accurate and faithful, although the strong self-centering feels a bit
artificial. Its ride and handling should be rated very high in the
class.
Can it beat Ford Fiesta ST? In terms of outright speed and cornering
prowess, yes, definitely. In terms of feel, steering response and
chassis balance, the Fiesta still enjoys a slim but noticeable
advantage. Peugeot 208 GTi 30th edition is also slightly sharper. Other
rivals can hardly match its combination of performance, handling and
comfort. Most important, this car is fun to drive, something not many
OPC models managed to be.
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| Verdict: |
Published
on 11
Sep 2018
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All rights reserved.
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Corsa GSi
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The
worst Opel for a while, but perhaps not the last.
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Since Opel was transferred
from GM to the French PSA, it has been downsizing. Factories might be
kept for a while because of the acquisition agreement, but the next
generation cars will be either cancelled or transferred to PSA
platforms. Part of the Rüsselsheim R&D center is being sold at
the time of writing. There are talks of turning its focus to EV
technology, but the plans are sketchy. What’s more concrete is the
demise of the OPC performance brand (or its British version VXR). Since
late last year, the OPC is dead. To fill its vacancy, Opel resurrects
its GSi badge from the store room. However, as you might remember, the
GSi has always been a warm rather than a hot label. While it might
capture some sales thanks to keener prices and an easy going manner, it
is simply impossible to boost image, which is evident in the recent
Insignia GSi.
The second model to resurrect the GSi badge is Corsa. While the
outgoing Corsa OPC was good for 207hp, 143mph, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and
served with an LSD, the Corsa GSi gets only an old iron-block,
port-injected 1.4-liter Ecotec turbo engine from Adam S, not the newer
direct-injection 1.4 Turbo of Astra. It offers only 150hp, manages
129mph and 0-60 in 8.4 seconds. In other words, it is one of the
slowest cars in its class. Mind you, Suzuki Swift Sport is good for 7.6
seconds, while Ford Fiesta ST is even faster at 6.2 seconds. Not just
slower, the Opel engine is also dull – unresponsive low down, not
particularly strong at the mid-range, unwilling at the top end and
accompanied with a dull exhaust note. It is also much thirstier than
its newer rivals. You can’t get much worse these
days in the B-segment hot hatch crowd. Worse still, the Corsa GSi is
overpriced, exactly at the same price as the entry-level Fiesta ST. I
don’t know who would buy it instead of the very good Fiesta.
Certainly not for its outdated look, which dates back from 2006
actually. Not for its ride comfort and refinement either, because after
losing the Koni frequency selective dampers it reverts to the very
stiff ride of the pre-2015 OPC. Strangely, the GSi is supposed to be
softer than OPC in chassis tune, but it seems that its development team
ran out of money and decided to keep things unchanged, except ditching
the expensive dampers. On the flipside, this means the car corners and
steers nearly as well as the OPC, sans the tight cornering prowess of
LSD. That said, to match the newer and better sorted Fiesta ST is
simply impossible.
I am really sorry to see this car. It shows how bad things can go
before a brand is sentenced to death.
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| Verdict: |
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