Now owned by PSA, and losing the Germanic accent, Opel presents the 6th generation of its Corsa style and temperament very French. A new life begins.
It was in 1899 that the first Opel car appeared in Germany. The brand passed 30 years later in the fold of General Motors, knowing then its hours of glory. The decline began in the 1990s and after years of more or less successful partnerships with different manufacturers, it is finally PSA that offered, in 2017, the mark in the blitz (lightning in German) on its calenders.
The first major project was the renewal of the Opel range, ageing due to lack of investment, the bank of modern organs of the French group, where provide Peugeot, Citroën and DS, thus filling this gap. The arrival of the new Corsa is the first example since it rests on the same bases as the new 208 which arrives in September.
A true rebirth
This 6th generation Corsa marks a real break with the previous two especially as the 5th, appeared in 2014, was a big “facelift” of the 4th, lack of resources, but nevertheless presented to time as a real novelty.
Lower, with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs, the new Corsa can be adorned with a dress more in line with the cannons of the moment with a more toned and stockier, suggesting better habitability for a similar length.
Obviously, under its hood, we find PSA original engine blocks with a petrol engine offering that starts with the 3-cylinder 1.2 litre of 75 hp followed by its turbo variants of 100 and 130 hp associated with manual boxes or an 8 speed automatic … and a tariff evolving from 14,600 to 22,100 euros.
An electric version in the spring of 2020
The Corsa will also be available with a single 1.5 liter diesel engine of 100 hp and a base price of € 18,600. But it will mainly benefit from the electrification announced on the future 2008 and its engine of 100 kW (136 hp) associated with a battery of 50 kWh allowing a range of 330 km in cycle WLTP. It will then trade from 29,900 euros (excluding bonus). In other words, PSA makes the Corsa a real leap forward, making up for lost time by its former owner.
We also note the heavy work done on aerodynamics (CX 0.29) and the weight reduction of more than 100 kg passing, depending on the version, below the 1,000 kg mark.
The new Corsa will be manufactured in the Spanish plant of Zaragoza, where the Citroën C3 Aircross is already assembled, and the first deliveries in France will take place next November for the thermal versions. It will be necessary to wait until spring 2020 for the electric version.
