New Opel Corsa: all the latest developments

Opel has comprehensively overhauled the current-generation Opel Corsa. The end result is a car that is effectively all-new, despite being based on its predecessor. Discover every development in this German best-seller.

Opel has released the first official images of the new Opel Corsa. Although it shares its underpinnings with the outgoing model, it has received changes so extensive that it can be regarded as an entirely new car. It will be the fifth member of a family with 32 years of history and almost 12 million units sold in Europe alone.

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Opel Corsa exterior design and revised interior

Externally, the front-end design follows the styling of the Opel ADAM, while the rear adopts a more contemporary look, with horizontally arranged light clusters. At the front, the prominent grille and headlamps stand out, the latter featuring the “wing” LED light signature. This is one of the elements of Opel’s new design language. Only the body profile may reveal certain similarities with the generation that remains on sale.

Completely redesigned interior: IntelliLink takes centre stage

However, it is inside where Opel has made its greatest departure from the past. The entirely new cabin features clearly defined, elongated lines and refined materials. With ergonomics, comfort and a quality ambience as priorities, the new Corsa’s interior is centred around a dashboard with horizontal lines that visually enhance the sense of space. The IntelliLink system, with its seven-inch colour touchscreen, sits in the centre console. It allows external devices running both iOS (Apple) and Android to be connected, and supports voice commands.

Among the available applications are BringGo for navigation, plus Stitcher and TuneIn for internet radio and podcasts. Opel also offers a smartphone dock, enabling devices to be secured in place while their batteries are charged.

The new-generation Corsa also comes with a comprehensive selection of driving-assistance systems. These include directional bi-xenon headlights, blind-spot warning and the Opel Eye camera, which provides traffic-sign recognition, lane-departure warning, automatic dipped/main-beam switching, an indication of the distance to the vehicle ahead and an imminent-collision warning. To ensure maximum safety, the collision alert uses a red warning light projected onto the windscreen.

New engine range: the 1.0 Turbo ECOTEC is the star

One of the fifth-generation Corsa (‘E’) model’s biggest highlights sits beneath the bonnet. It is the brand-new three-cylinder 1.0 Turbo with direct petrol injection, an engine that forms part of the extensive powertrain renewal programme Opel recently introduced. A new petrol 1.0 Turbo ECOTEC engine, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, makes its debut. This new direct-injection three-cylinder unit will be offered with 90 or 115 hp. Employing the latest technology, it is the only series-production 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine fitted with a balance shaft, bringing clear benefits in refinement and vibration levels.

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From launch, the engine line-up will include a new 1.4 Turbo developing 100 hp and 200 Nm of maximum torque, alongside updated versions of the familiar naturally aspirated 1.2 and 1.4 units. The turbodiesel option will be the 1.3 CDTI, available in two power outputs: 75 hp and 95 hp. It should be noted that the diesel variants have been completely revised and now meet the Euro 6 emissions standard. At launch, the most economical Corsa version – with 95 hp, a five-speed manual gearbox and Start/Stop – will emit just 89 g/km of CO₂. Further low-emission versions will arrive in spring 2015.

Both direct-injection 1.0 Turbo versions will be paired with an all-new, extremely compact six-speed manual gearbox. The range will also include the latest six-speed automatic transmission and a new Easytronic 3.0 automated manual gearbox, which is smoother and more efficient.

New suspension and steering for greater control

Total control: new suspension and new steering

With new suspension and steering, straight-line and cornering stability have been enhanced by a centre of gravity lowered by 5 mm, a stiffer subframe and revised suspension geometry. Improvements to the damping also give it a greater ability to filter and absorb road imperfections. This is one of the most significant developments across the entire project.

As with the current Corsa, the chassis will be available in two configurations: Comfort and Sport. The Sport option will feature firmer springs and dampers, as well as different steering geometry and calibration, ensuring more direct responses.

SEE ALSO: The most radical Opel Adam version has 150 hp

The fifth generation of Opel’s best-seller will make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, which opens on 4 October. Production will begin before the end of the year at Opel’s factories in Zaragoza, Spain, and Eisenach, Germany. Take a look at the gallery and videos: