Opel Corsa 2012 Overview

Opel bills itself as a "premium" brand, but you don't have to be very old to remember that Opel used to be sold here as a "garden variety" Holden; Barina and Astra. So what has changed between then and now. Not much if you look at the Opel Corsa.

PREMIUM?

We received the five-door Corsa Enjoy last week and it's very similar to all the other cars in the segment, a little behind the times in some areas, a little bigger in some areas, a little different. 

Premium? We think not. Our car had wind-up rear windows, which we thought would go down in motoring history. It lacks an armrest on the center console, an extremely rigid plastic instrument panel, and a four-speed automatic transmission.

VALUE

The Enjoy model includes many kits including climate control, trip computer, black dashboard trim, steering wheel controls, cruise, keyless entry, seven-speaker audio system and other goodies.

Our car had a $2000 technology package that included adaptive headlights, a rear park assist, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic headlights, and wipers—everything you would consider premium features. The bright light blue metallic paint costs an additional $600 compared to the $20,990 price of the Enjoy auto ticket.

TECHNOLOGY

The Corsa engine is a 1.4-litre twin-cam petrol four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing, borrowed from Cruze (non-turbo), Barina and other GM products, and has an output of 74kW/130Nm. The best fuel economy we saw was 7.4 liters per 100 km. It complies with Euro 5 emission standards.

Design

It looks daring with a cheeky rear end and eagle headlights - in this case, it comes with the optional Adaptive Surround Vision System. The cabin is roomy for a light class, and there's decent cargo space with a tricky bunk floor to stow your stuff. The seats were comfortable with some lateral support for quick turns, and the handling itself isn't all that bad.

SECURITY

It gets five stars for its crash rating with six airbags and stability control among its safety features.

DRIVING

The initial turn of the steering wheel is sharp with a sporty feel, but you push harder and the Corsa fights. It loads the front outer wheel and lifts the inner rear, so the limits are well defined. Ride comfort is good thanks to the A-pillars and torsion beam suspension, but the rear drum brakes were a bit of a shock.

We found the four-speed automatic annoying, especially on highway climbs where it hunts from third to fourth to maintain a set speed. Performance can best be described as adequate. The manual may be different. We drove the Corsa for about 600 km on highways and city roads and found it pleasant enough. The ride is comfortable, but the trip computer and other electronic controls like the air conditioning are hard to master. It has a spare part to save space.

VERDICT

The Corsa is up against a range of really good lightweight cars: the Ford Fiesta, Holden Barina, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio, just to name a few. Against such competition, the four-year-old Corsa struggles a bit.

Opel Corsa

Cost: from $18,990 (manual) and $20,990 (auto)

Guarantee: Three years/100,000 km

Resale: No

Engine: 1.4-liter four-cylinder, 74 kW/130 Nm

Transmission: Five-speed manual, four-speed automatic; FORWARD

Safety: Six airbags, ABS, ESC, TC

Accident Rating: Five stars

Body: 3999 mm (L), 1944 mm (W), 1488 mm (H)

The weight: 1092 kg (manual) 1077 kg (automatic)

Thirst: 5.8 l / 100 km, 136 g / km CO2 (manual; 6.3 l / 100 m, 145 g / km CO2)