Opel Corsa 1.0 115 HP - a qualitative leap
Opel Corsa is one of the most popular cars on the market. A good price, good equipment and a very practical interior have already taken care of this. The city car segment is adopting new solutions from higher-end cars - but isn't that an exaggeration?
The automotive ecosystem hasn't changed much in decades. Still, new technologies appear first in more expensive cars, where buyers have the right amount of cash, and only then, gradually, are transferred to cheaper models.
Previously, this was the case with the ESP or ABS system. The new Audi A8 will be equipped with the so-called third degree of autonomy, ie. up to 60 km / h, the car will move completely alone. It's probably only a matter of time before such systems drop into the B segment, and perhaps even become standard on all cars.
The new Corsa perfectly shows where the B-segment is now. Where?
It merges with the city
Opel Corsa D looked quite specific. He soon got the nickname "frog" - and, probably, quite rightly. The new one will be a frog only because of the color of the paintwork, besides it will be much smoother. By the way, it is worth considering the choice of this green varnish - it attracts all kinds of insects like a magnet. There are a total of 13 colors in the offer, of which 6 are shades of black and white, and the rest are interesting, expressive colors, such as yellow or blue.
The style refers to artistic sculpture. That is why there are many curves, smooth lines and three-dimensional shapes, for example, on the trunk lid.
Looking at this car from the outside, we will see bi-xenon headlights - they are standard on the Cosmo version. In addition, we get a cornering light function and LED daytime running lights. At lower equipment levels, we can also get all this, but for PLN 3150.
Regardless of the size, the car must be practical enough. For the Corsa, we can order the FlexFix bike rack integrated into the rear bumper. It costs PLN 2500, but it's great that we can order something like this in this segment at all.
Woodcarving
The first thing that catches the eye inside is the continuation of this "artistic sculpture". The lines run through the dashboard. Just look at the shape of the watch case or notice how the lines run along the cockpit. Quite interesting.
Opel does not overdo it with the number of buttons. They were grouped into three groups with single zone air conditioner handles underneath. At the lowest level of equipment, Essentia, we will not even see a manual air conditioner. However, starting with Enjoy, manual air conditioning comes as standard, and the Cosmo even has automatic air conditioning. The surcharge for automatic air conditioning is PLN 1600 for the Enjoy and Color Edition versions, and for the Essentia it will be PLN 4900, which is more than 10% of the cost of a car with such equipment.
The Corsa price list does not include things like the Porsche 911 price list. For example, we cannot order the optional rear window wiper for PLN 2000. Here it is standard.
We can order for it: a panoramic roof window for PLN 3550, a DAB digital radio tuner for PLN 950, a rear view camera for PLN 1500, a Driver Assistant 1 package for PLN 2500 (for cars without bi-xenon) in which we can find a photochromatic mirror, an eye Opel cameras, a system for measuring the distance to the vehicle in front, collision warning and lane departure warning. For PLN 2500 we can also buy an advanced parking assistance system that also serves as a blind spot warning. If the car is equipped with bi-xenons, the Driver Assistant 2 package for PLN 2900, in addition to being on the first level of this package, adds a traffic sign recognition system. There is also a winter package for PLN 1750 with heated front seats and steering wheel.
A little bit of Opel here in the style of the premium segment. There are many tempting accessories, and we can buy such a Corsa "to its fullest", but then its price will no longer be reasonable. However, it will be wise to choose two or three of the most interesting options.
As far as cabin space is concerned, front passengers have nothing to complain about. Moreover, the range of adjustment of the driver's seat and steering wheel is quite large. Rear passengers are highly dependent on those in front - if there are short people in front, it is quite comfortable in the back. Behind a two-meter driver it can be crowded. The trunk has a standard volume of 265 liters with the possibility of increasing to 1090 liters when folding the sofa.
Nimble Citizen
Corsa with 1.0 Turbo engine producing 115 hp. is not a speed demon. It accelerates to 100 km/h in 10,3 seconds and has a top speed of 195 km/h. However, the maximum torque of 170 Nm is available over a wide range from 1800 to 4500 rpm.
It pays off in the city. Acceleration to 50 km / h takes 3,5 seconds, and from 50 to 70 km / h in just 2 seconds. Thanks to this, we can quickly squeeze into the second lane or accelerate to an acceptable speed.
Outside the city Corsa also feels good. He willingly obeys our commands and does not lose stability in corners. The chassis can handle quite a bit of speed in corners, and understeer doesn't show up all that often. This is also due to the light engine over the front axle.
The offer also includes 1.3 CDTI diesels with 75 and 95 hp. and petrol engines: naturally aspirated engines 1.2 70 hp, 1.4 75 hp and 90 hp, 1.4 Turbo 100 hp and finally the 1.0 Turbo 90 hp. Let's not forget the OPC with a 1.6 Turbo engine with 207 hp. This is a completely different story - you can even put a differential on the front axle on it!
A small engine is content with a small amount of fuel. In the combined cycle, 5,2 l / 100 km is sufficient. On the highway 4,5 l / 100 km, and in the city 6,4 l / 100 km. While those numbers are actually a bit higher, this is still a very fuel efficient car.
Is "Urban" still cheap?
Some of us, when we hear about the equipment of the Corsa, may begin to wonder - will the Corsa become more expensive? Not necessary. Prices start at PLN 41, but in this case, the equipment is rather scarce. As I said, there is not even air conditioning here. However, such an offer may be of interest to tenants or companies that are not looking for luxury in their fleet.
For private customers, the Enjoy, Color Edition and Cosmo versions are suitable. Prices for the Enjoy models start at PLN 42, for the Color Edition from PLN 950 and for the Cosmo from PLN 48. The price list of such "civilian" versions ends with Cosmo with a 050 CDTI engine with 53 hp. for PLN 650. The version we are testing costs at least PLN 1.3. There is also OPC - for which you have to pay about 95 thousand. PLN, although it is still not visible in the price lists. 69-door models are PLN 950 more expensive than 65-door models.
Opel is moving forward
Opel has been nibbling at the higher end in recent years, with the Astra, Corsa and the new Insignia doing it. They are fine. They show that the standard of equipment depends not only on the positioning of the brand and segment of the car, because if you wish, you can put everything in cheaper cars.
The new Corsa is a great example of this, but that's not the only reason for its success. It rides better than the previous one and has a decently laid out price list. One way or another, we can often meet this model on the streets of Polish cities, which probably speaks for itself.
Opel just knows how to build a car for the widest possible audience.
