The Opel Corsa has received a major update. The nose is completely Opel today and as an EV. Is the update big enough or does it miss the connection with the competition?
The Opel Corsa now has more efficient electric drive technology and is equipped with the new family nose with the black area between the headlights. Are those the ingredients for a successful second phase of life?
What’s the biggest news?
As with all other modern Opels, you can immediately recognize the refreshed car by the shiny black panel between the headlights. These headlights are now available with 14 LEDs, called Intelli-Lux LED Matrix in Opel jargon. Furthermore, the name ‘Corsa’ is now displayed in large letters across the full width of the tailgate. However, the most important news is hidden from view: new drive technology.
The headlights are now available with 14 LEDs.
Does the Opel Corsa have a new interior?
No, the Opel Corsa has been largely left untouched on the inside. However, in the version where you do not have to shift gears yourself, the gear lever has been replaced by a switch with which you choose the direction of travel. We also know the button from other Stellantis cars. It results in a slightly more spacious experience. Furthermore, the multimedia system has been revised and made slightly faster, although it is still not the benchmark for the rest of the car industry. The interior looks neat, but you are still largely surrounded by hard plastics. As long as you can sit in the front, you have plenty of headroom. We would like slightly longer chair seats. As an adult, you have no business sitting in the back, because it is tight in all directions. The luggage compartment is available in two sizes: the versions with a petrol engine have a loading volume of 309 liters and with an electric powertrain you can store 267 liters under the parcel shelf. That’s not exactly groundbreaking.
The interior of the Opel Corsa has largely remained the same.
Is the Corsa now mature as a compact EV?
A little. The electric Corsa is still available with a 136 hp electric motor and a 50 kWh battery pack. This technology has been further improved, which has reduced consumption slightly and, according to WLTP, you should now be able to travel 354 km, 20 km more than before. That sounds nice. It is even more pleasant that the Corsa is now also available with the new Stellantis e-drivetrain with the 156 hp engine and the 51 kWh battery pack as it debuted at the beginning of this year in the DS 3. With this drivetrain you can keep up with traffic smoothly. , although in practice the car is not much faster than before. The new technology is above all a lot more efficient. Partly thanks to the lower electricity requirement of the new engine, according to WLTP you should now be able to travel 406 km on a full battery. According to the information on our on-board computer, if you don’t go too crazy, 350 km is certainly feasible. That is certainly a leap forward. With both versions you can charge the battery at the AC charging station with 11 kW and at the DC fast charger with 100 kW. Neat values.
With more efficient EV technology, the range has become a lot greater.
How does the new Opel Corsa drive?
Although in practice hardly faster than with the 136 hp engine, you can still keep up with traffic quickly enough with the 156 hp version. Contrary to what the letters GS after its name suggest, the Corsa does not have a sporty character. The chassis is not like that either. The car is nice and stable on the road, partly thanks to the battery pack placed under the seats, but when tuning the suspension, the emphasis has been more on comfort than on dynamics. Especially when you turn a corner a little quickly in Sport mode, the front wheels can hardly control the driving forces.
The chassis has a comfortable character, without rocking too much.
Is the updated Corsa a strong offering?
The starting price for the Corsa-e with 136 hp is unchanged at €34,999. The 136 hp version in GS trim is listed for €36,999. With a 156 hp electric motor, the Corsa is only available as a GS and costs €37,999. Compared to many other electric Stellantis cars, these are certainly competitive prices, but now that Citroën has presented the ë-C3 for around €20,000, the cards are slightly different. And outside of Stellantis, for the same money as a Corsa you can get, for example, a BYD Dolphin or an MG 4, both more spacious cars with a much more mature electrical performance. The electric Corsa with the improved drivetrain is certainly a step forward, but that step is not enough to keep up with the competition, let alone be one step ahead. Its second phase of life will not be an easy one for the Corsa. It will be a tough final.
Opel has taken a step forward with the updated Corsa.