2023-10-16 18:00:00
In France, the small market is crushed by the Dacia Sandero – for sales to individuals – and the Renault Clio/Peugeot 208 duowho have been fighting for the title of best-selling car for many years. Hard, hard, for competition to exist. Even for those who are successful elsewhere in Europe. Like the Corsa for example which, for two years, has been the best-selling small car in Germany but also in England. (under the Vauxhall brand). The Opel is an essential reference among our neighbors, which, in its 42-year career, has sold more than 14.6 million copies since 1982!
The last Opel to succumb to the Vizor
So for the saga to continue, the German brand pulled out all the stops for the mid-career restyling of the current 6th generation, launched almost four years ago (2019). To better integrate into the range, the Corsa “phase 2” gives in to the fashion of the Vizor, this black mask which encompasses the grille, the blitz logo and stretches between revised headlights. The German gains confidence. Particularly in this high-end GS variant, recognizable by its logo and its roof/pillar assembly in the same dark shade as the Vizor. On board, the changes are less visible. We still note the new 10-inch high-definition screen powered by a revised system from the Astra – at entry level you are only entitled to a 5-inch monochrome. The mini gear lever on the automatic and electric variants gives way to a trigger. The connectivity has evolved with three USB-C sockets, while you need a careful eye to notice the new center of the steering wheel, with a lightning bolt on a black background.
Ergonomics as we like them
© Manufacturer
The serious assembly fails to make us forget that the Corsa makes do with less flattering interior materials than a Renault Clio or its cousin Peugeot 208. On the other hand, the Opel can boast of offering a more natural driving position than the lioness, without disturbing the reading of the speedometer screen. Thanks to the wide range of adjustments, particularly on the steering wheel, you can easily find your bearings in the German… even if you have to deal, in this GS finish, with very firm seats with no lumbar support adjustment for the driver. We take comfort in noting that the ergonomics of the controls are just as successful. With a special mention for the button located next to the induction charger which allows you to deactivate lane keeping assistance without having to fumble through the screen menus! The real air conditioning controls, the fairly intuitive organization of the screen and the steering wheel with well-marked buttons complete the convincing that this Corsa is an easy everyday car.
More autonomy for the new electric
On the engine side, if this Corsa “2.0” definitively turns its back on diesel, it retains three gasoline proposals, all available from the 1.2 l 3-cylinder: 75 hp, 100 hp and 130 hp associated with an automatic transmission. This range will be completed next year by a 48V hybrid variant of 100 hp (shared with the 208). The novelty of the launch is the appearance of a second 156 hp electric variant, alongside the 136 hp already known. This is now confined to the entry level, while the newcomer is reserved for the GS version. More than the slight gain in performance – 0 to 100 km/h in 8.1 s instead of 8.7 s at 136 hp – the 156 hp electric promises to be more economical and more enduring. This is due to its new electric unit made in France, combined with a new 51 kWh battery. This is only 1 kWh more than in the 136 hp variant, but the two batteries have nothing in common: the 51 kWh is made up of 102 cells and weighs 340 kg, compared to 216 cells and 345 kg in the 50 kWh. In fact, if the 136 hp electric Corsa announces 357 km of autonomy on the WLTP cycle, the 156 hp claims 405 km.
German firmness
© Manufacturer
At the wheel, as electric cars have an unfortunate tendency to all look the same, it’s difficult to distinguish this 156 hp from its little 136 hp sister. Smooth operation and effective restarts are however at the rendezvous of “our” Corsa, which ensures even more thatthere is no need to drive in economy for the on-board computer to display an average appetite of less than 15 kWh/100 km. The brake pedal, as is often the case with electric ones, does not offer an ideal feeling and we would not be once morest more regeneration modes (limited to mode B). Otherwise, as Opel has not revised the suspensions in depth but simply adapted the chassis of this new electric to its new traction chain, we are not surprised to find the same comfort/handling compromise of its predecessor. The Germans appreciate fairly firm suspensions and this Corsa does not offer the softness of a 208 with which it shares its underside. Nothing insurmountable, but our French glutes are used to more softness. Otherwise, the Corsa remains this small car that is welcoming in the front seats, but not the most spacious in the rear – especially to accommodate your legs. Finally, Opel has a heavy hand on prices: the 136 hp electric Corsa, available only in basic finish, costs €36,050, while the 156 hp, only in GS version, requires €37,600… which is, without counting the bonus, €10,600 more than a Corsa 1.2 130 hp turbo with automatic gearbox.
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