The updated Opel Corsa has officially gone on sale in South Africa, rocking a sleek new design and an expanded feature list.
The hatchback series now consists of three units, with prices ranging from R374,900 all the way up to R459,900.
The Corsa has long been one of the country’s most beloved nameplates, though its ever-growing price tag means that its sales figures have dropped substantially over the last few years.
With all that in mind, it’s interesting to take a close examination of the new model to see just how far the Corsa badge has come, and whether these improvements are enough to justify its showroom sticker in 2024.
What you get
All three iterations of the Opel run on a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, though the output varies from model to model.
The first two units – the Lite and Edition – have access to 74kW and 205Nm, letting the hatch climb to 100km/h in 9.9 seconds before maxing out at a top speed of 194km/h.
The flagship GS Line, meanwhile, ups the ante with 96kW and 230Nm, giving it a faster 0-100km/h time of 8.7 seconds and a higher cap of 208km/h.
Regarding the gearbox, the 74kW models use a six-speed manual, which means buyers will need to splash out for the GS Line if they want a six-speed automatic.
The only downside to the top-end unit is that it has a greater fuel consumption, clocking in at 6.3l/100km compared to the others’ 5.7l/100km.
On the styling front, the facelifted hatchback uses the brand’s signature “Blitz” lightning bolt logo in black, which is subtly displayed on a “Black Vizor” grille flanked by slim Eco-LED headlights and daytime running lights.
The Corsa also features a more angular front bumper, and new designs for its 16-inch alloy wheels.
Standard equipment across the range includes automatic headlights, Jet Black cloth seats, manual air conditioning, a multifunction steering wheel, a 3.5-inch multi-info driver’s display a 10-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth, and six speakers.
The German hatch also comes with safety and assistance items comprising cruise control, hill-start assist, lane-keep assist, front pedestrian detection, rear parking sensors, tyre-pressure monitoring, and six airbags.
Upgrading to the mid-spec Edition will then add auto-folding wing mirrors, LED fog lamps, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, MirrorLink smartphone pairing, front parking sensors, a rearview camera, and blind-spot monitoring.
As for the GS Line, you can expect even more nice-to-haves such as rain-sensing wipers, partial cloth and leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, a leather steering wheel, climate control, driver attention monitoring, and automatic emergency braking at low speeds.
The flagship also benefits from a flashier exterior with a two-tone black roof, a rear spoiler, and chrome accents.
By default, the boot has space for 309 litres, but this can be expanded to 1,081 litres when the rear bench is folded.
Each purchase comes with a 5-year/100,000km warranty, 3-year/45,000km service plan, and 5-year/100,000km roadside assistance.
Join the discussion