Opel Corsa GSi - 50% of what I hoped for

There are cars that seem a little too polite, considering what aces they have up their sleeves. Virtues and strengths cannot save the situation when weaknesses come forward and overshadow the whole. This is the case with Corsa GSi. Although the symbol is known to everyone, such an idea for a "hot hatch" is unlikely to be remembered as the most successful one. In some ways, this is clearly a hot hatch, but only half...

Is the Opel Corsa GSi a hot hatch? How are you?

Let's start with the positives. There are several of them and you don’t even have to look for them for a long time. The first is a pugnacious look. Opel Corsa Gsi it attracts attention not only because of the characteristic yellow color. Full shapes, strong embossing, a large spoiler and -inch rims give it a sporty character. The black mirrors fit well, as well as the black rim of the headlights and the element imitating the air intake between them. Bright color is a matter of taste, but in this case it will suit the little troublemakers.

interior Opel Corsa Gsi also something to be proud of. The leather seats, signed by the renowned Recaro brand, are especially eye-catching. Not only do they look good, they are just that. Quite stiff, but well cut so that they do not feel tired. Surcharge for them in the amount of PLN 9500 can come as a shock. Character Corsi GSi It is emphasized by aluminum pedals and a sports steering wheel with an appropriate rim thickness and an interesting texture, flattened at the bottom. Thanks to him, the grip is reliable, and this is important when we want to squeeze out of it Corsi as much as possible.

The steering wheel and seat feel one with the car, the driving position is good, but I got the impression that I sit a little high ... I think that this is partly due to the low side windows, the lower edge of which is lowered down and thus our subject seemed less "sporty" than he really was. The center console with a multimedia screen is not overloaded with unnecessary buttons, and interestingly designed air conditioning control knobs add zest. The multimedia system itself is a poorer version of the well-known solutions of older models, but so intuitive and easy to use that you do not need to read the instructions. In addition, the Intellilink system allows you to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which is not a standard solution even in cars of several classes above.

Is the Opel Corsa GSi a hot hatchback? What happened to them?

All small three-door city cars have the same problem, namely long doors, which in some situations can cause certain inconveniences. Let's assume a typical situation in a parking lot next to a shopping mall. There are free parking spaces for medicine, but for a B-class car, finding a small gap shouldn't be a problem. Well, if there is no second pair of doors behind your back, then the situation becomes a little more complicated. Even if you manage to squeeze between two tightly parked cars, be aware that the door length is much longer than the norm and you will most likely have trouble getting out. Well, that's the beauty of three-door cars.

The drawback, which is visible every day, and not just on weekends in the parking lot of the TK, is a six-speed manual gearbox. Plus for six gears, but as a result, it gets a minus for the work of the transmission. Transfers go without emotions, sometimes it is difficult to get into the selected transfer. In a word, there is not enough sport character. The jack itself is exaggeratedly large, but you get used to it.

The disadvantages, unfortunately, include the sound of the engine. In the era of three-cylinder engines, it's good to have four "gars" under the hood, but it's even better if they sound nice. At the same time, the sound Opel Corsa Gsi It does not stand out with something special, which is a pity - because if we aspired to be a hot hatch, we would expect something more.

Little space in the cabin Corsi GSi it's hard to call it a disadvantage. After all, this is a small car and you shouldn't expect anything above the standard in this class.

Untapped potential

Time to test the possibilities of yellow Corsi GSi. We insert the key, turn it and the 1.4 engine with the turbine comes to life. So let's mention something about the device itself. A displacement of less than 150 liters provides 220 hp. and torque of 3000 Nm, available in a short range of 4500–rpm. It seems that for such a small machine these values ​​​​should be more than enough, but they are not.

Time to "hundreds" is 8,9 seconds. Is this a good result? Let's not be afraid to say it directly. This is not what we expect from a car with a GSi at the end of the name and with a flashy appearance. For example, the most popular car on Polish roads - Skoda Octavia with a 1500 cm3 TSI engine will accelerate Corsa with a result of 8,3 seconds to 100 km / h, and this is the most common, civilian Skoda. . The point is not to compare which car is better, but that Opel did not live up to the hopes placed on the model. The car is much smaller, lighter, in some ways "sporty" will lose at the start of a typical sales representative car. On the other hand, this is not a very light car, because the curb weight is 1120 kg and more.

Fortunately, driving pleasure depends not only on power and acceleration, but also on handling. And here Opel Corsa Gsi he pulls an ace out of his sleeve and is not afraid to throw it on the table. Driving down a winding road, we forget that we are not as fast as we would like. The steering is perfectly matched to the chassis, which makes driving a lot of fun. The steering wheel is stiff and straight, just the way we like it. Fast turns and tight turns are the natural habitat of a toddler. Opa. You don't have to hit the track to enjoy driving the yellow adventurer.

Driving confidence is at a very high level, including at highway speeds. It would seem that a small car body would be vulnerable to the forces of nature, but nothing like that. They help with 215 mm wide tires and 45 profile. As you can see on the road - except for noise, of course - GSi race It's not too bad either, but biting in corners is the prerogative of a small Opel. In addition, we can use the classic handbrake, and not some electrical invention of our time.

The light front end rips off the clutch on a hard start, but when it catches it, it reluctantly lets go. It is difficult to feel the tilt of the body, more we bounce from one side of the seat to the other. This is due to the stiff suspension, which for many will be too tough in everyday life. Get in Corsi GSi, did not expect such rigidity and feeling of the road on which I am going.

After all, it is a city car that will most often be operated in such conditions. Before buying, it is better to feel it on your own body and decide if this character of the car suits you. The car gets noisy at high speeds, and a lot of noise comes from the wheel arches, which leave a lot to be desired. You can hear how stones fly out from under the wheels, hitting the body protection elements at high speed, and this is transmitted directly to the cabin. During the test, fuel consumption fluctuated around 10 l / 100 km during dynamic driving in the city and 7 liters on the highway.

The new Corsa GSi is at a crossroads

New Opel Corsa GSi it's not a perfect car. Too little power limits the potential contained in this little troublemaker. You can see that he would like to show his claw and inflict some wounds, but unfortunately, Opel blunted in time ... If you add at least 30 hp. power, a bit of torque, then the whole puzzle came together. And so we have the right car, which is not entirely appropriate to call a hot hat.

What about prices? Basic version Opel Corsa Gsi it costs at least PLN 83, but retrofitting, as in this case, to more than PLN 300, is no problem. In my opinion, this is a lot for a car that offers 90% of what I expected.