2012 Opel Corsa Reviews

Opel is pitching itself as a "premium" brand, but you don't have to be very old to remember earlier Opel products sold here as 'garden variety' Holdens; Barina and Astra. So what changed between then and now. Not much really if you look at the Opel Corsa.PREMIUM?We got hold of a Corsa Enjoy five door auto last week and it's pretty much like all the other cars in the segment, a little behind the times in some areas, a bit bigger in some areas, a little different. Premium? We think not. Our car had wind up rear windows, something we thought had been consigned into car history. It misses out on a centre console arm rest, has an overwhelmingly hard plastic dash and a four-speed auto.VALUEThe Enjoy model brings with it plenty of kit including climate control, trip computer, piano black dash trim, steering wheel controls, cruise, keyless entry, seven speaker audio and other goodies.Our car had the $2000 tech pack that included adaptive headlights, rear park assist, auto dim rear view mirror and auto lights and wipers all what you'd consider premium features. The striking light blue metallic paint costs an extra $600 on the Enjoy auto's ticket price of $20,990.TECHNOLOGYThe Corsa’s engine is a twin cam 1.4-litre petrol four cylinder with variable valve timing lifted from the Cruze (without the turbo) Barina and other GM products and is good for 74kW/130Nm. The best fuel economy we saw was 7.4-litres/100km. It passes Euro 5 emissions regulations.DESIGNIt looks cheeky with a pert rear end and eagle-eye headlights -- in this case fitted with the optional adaptive see-around-corners system. The interior is roomy for the light class and there's a decent load space with a cunning two-tier floor for hiding stuff. The seats were comfortable with some side bolster support for fast cornering and the handling itself isn't too bad to a point.SAFETYIt gets a five star crash rating with six air bags and stability control among safety features.DRIVINGInitial steering turn-in is sharp with a sporty feel but push harder and the Corsa struggles. It loads up the front outside wheel and lifts the inside rear so the limits are clearly defined. Ride comfort is good from the strut front and torsion beam suspension but the rear drum brakes were a bit of a shock.We found the four-speed auto annoying particularly on highway uphills where it hunts from third to fourth to maintain a given speed. Performance can best be described as adequate. It might be different in the manual. We drove the Corsa for about 600km on the highway and urban roads and found it pleasant enough. The ride is comfortable but the trip computer and other electronic controls such as the air conditioning are difficult to master. It has a space saver spare.VERDICTCorsa is in against a swag of really good light cars: Ford's Fiesta, Holden Barina, Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio to name a few. Against competition such as this, the more than four-year-old Corsa struggles a bit.Opel CorsaPrice: from $18,990 (manual) and $20,990 (auto)Warranty: Three years/100,000kmResale: N/AEngine: 1.4-litre four cylinder, 74kW/130NmTransmission: Five-speed manual, four-speed auto; FWDSafety: Six airbags, ABS, ESC, TCCrash rating: Five starsBody: 3999mm (L), 1944mm (W), 1488mm (H)Weight: 1092kg (manual) 1077kg (auto)Thirst: 5.8L/100km, 136g/km CO2 (manual; 6.3L/100m 145g/km CO2 (auto)

Turning up to the party in old clothes rarely makes a good first impression but the Opel Corsa has no choice. The brand has arrived in Australia and has to launch with the cars already on sale in Europe.The Corsa is a car that first rolled off the production line in 2006 and despite a nose job and suspension update in late 2010, the interior is right down there with the Nissan Almera. Except it's $2000 more. And that does few favours to the pretender to VW's throne as an aspirational mainstream brand.VALUEThe Corsa starts at $18,990 with a five-speed manual mated to a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine. The four-speed auto adds $2000 and a tech pack, that adds adaptive and automatic halogen headlamps, rear park sensors, a self-dimming rearview mirror and rain-sensing wipers is another $1250.Standard gear includes cruise control, keyless entry and 16-inch alloys, along with Bluetooth connectivity. USB/iPod inputs have also been added to model year 2013 cars, in another sign the Corsa is playing catch-up with the VW Polo 77TSI and Ford Fiesta LX, both of which kick off at the same $18,990 price and come with more modern interiors. Opel does include fixed fee scheduled servicing ($249 a hit) for the first three years or 45,000km, though.TECHNOLOGYWhen you're trying to kick goals in the light car class, age does weary you. The Corsa's chassis is solid enough and the "FlexFloor" boot is a smart piece of kit but that's about it for the baby Opel. The Bluetooth system doesn't stream audio and the infotainment display, while it has plenty of features, is presented in an orange monochrome that certainly won't be highlighted by the sales staff.DESIGNThe exterior is conservative, especially when parked alongside newer vehicles. The lines are simple but effective - functionality is at the fore in what is a smartly packaged light hatch. Rear seat leg and headroom is good enough for occasional adult use and more than up to the task of transporting young teens. There aren't enough storage spaces in the interior compared to its more modern rivals ... but there's a new Corsa on the way in 2014, at which point it should jump back to near the top of the heap.SAFETYEuroNCAP gave the Corsa a five-star rating for adult protection when it was tested in 2006, though it hasn't been crashed locally. European engineering ensures the basic structure is well designed and put together. The brakes - front discs and rear drums - are competent and linked to the ABS software with traction and stability control. Six airbags soften the blow if things go wrong.DRIVINGAs basic transport the Corsa doesn't disappoint... but it doesn't excite, either. Sprinting from rest to 100km/h takes a lethargic 13.9 seconds in the manual, reflecting the lack of torque from the 1.4-litre engine. Carsguide can't see the $2000-dearer four-speed auto version doing any better. The electric steering is direct, though it favours lightness over feedback.And that doesn't inspire confidence to push through corners, despite the chassis and suspension keeping the car tidy even on roughed-up roads. The false-floor hatch set-up is a smart addition, but it isn't going to put bums in seats. In short, you'd really have to want the Opel badge to consider the Corsa. It's not Opel Australia's fault - they had to launch with the products in the range, but I'd be holding off for the new car which will be much more representative of the brand.VERDICT A solid car that was up there with the class leaders when it launched. Times have changed and others - the Polo, Fiesta and Mazda2 - reflect the advances in technology and represent better value.Opel Corsa EnjoyPrice: $18,990Warranty: Three years/100,000kmResale: N/AService Intervals: 12 months/15,000kmEngine: 1.4-litre four cylinder, 74kW/130NmTransmission: Five-speed manual, four-speed autoSafety: Six airbags, ABS, ESC, TCCrash rating: Five starsBody: 4m (L), 1.94m (W), 1.48m (H)Weight: 1092kg (manual) 1077kg (auto)Thirst: 5.8L/100km, 136g/km CO2Spare: Space-saver

Two long-time Australian favourites, Astra and Corsa - think Barina - are back for business as Opel sets up shop down under. There are actually three models in the Opel start-up crew for September 1, but it's the Astra that is doing the heavy lifting with the baby Corsa as the price leader and the larger Insignia aimed at families.All three feel Germanically strong and solid, based on a 'speed dating' introduction drive today in rural NSW, but it's the price and value that will be crucial as Opel positions itself against Volkswagen in Australia. "The countdown is over. Our arrival in Australia will be something special," says Bill Mott, managing director for Opel Australia.He admits that Opel is getting a head start with the Astra, which was a long-term winner as a Holden, but says the car's following could also cause problems."This Astra is both a real help to us but, as a new brand, an issue that we've got to address. We have to tell the truth and tell the truth well. The truth is that Astra was here and it was always an Opel," he says.We cannot reveal the pricing details yet, but the early impression is pretty good. Especially since Opel picked some truly awful roads that are never going to flatter any car.The Corsa is chunky and solid - although the cabin quality is more like a superseded Korean baby - with the driving feel that will impress people who might shop it against a VW Polo. The seats are a bit bench-like and the dash is dated, but it's still a car that is nice enough to drive.The Insignia is roomy, comfortable and nice to drive. It's also well equipped, but goes up against a huge range of mid-sized rivals from the VW Passat to the Ford Mondeo and the Skoda Superb, a long-term Carsguide favourite.Which brings us to the Astra, which comes as a five-door hatch, five-door wagon and great looking GTC coupe. They will turn heads and also drive well, although we can quibble about details like the overly-firm suspension in a wagon running 18-inch wheels.The headliner is the GTC 1.6 turbo, complete with magnetically-adjustable suspension similar to the system used by HSV, and it will be a solid rival to the Golf GTi. it's not nearly as brisk, but it has a good chassis and nice touches including an adult-sized rear seat.So the first signs are promising, although there is a long way to go and a lot that is still to be discovered.