2023-05-26 00:01:13
Since its launch in 1982, the Opel Corsa has been a true success story for Opel. To date, more than 14 million have been sold. With the new generation of the Corsa, Opel’s small bestseller begins the sixth chapter of its success story. And it is that the Opel Corsa revolutionized the segment of small vehicles in its debut in 1982 and today, in its sixth generation, it is more in demand than ever. Last year, the current Corsa was the most popular small car in germany and the best seller in the UK. The Opel Corsa-e won the ‘2020 Golden Steering Wheel’ and now already accounts for around a quarter of Corsa sales.
But to get to understand the popularity of the Corsa since its debut in 1982, it is first necessary to see another successful model with the Blitz, the Opel Kadett. A small car thought and designed to bring mobility to more people at a time when driving a car was still a real luxury. Later, and over the decades, customers quickly became more demanding as their purchasing power improved. The little Kadett became bigger and more powerful in the second half of the 20th century, moving closer to the compact segment in each of its new versions. This left a gap in what was the usual entry-level model from Rüsselsheim.
Thus came the time for a new small vehicle, the Corsa. The new model rolled off the production line for the first time in the autumn of 1982 at the newly built car plant in Zaragoza, and immediately set off on the path to becoming a bestseller for Opel. To date, 40 years after its launch, more than 14 million units have left the factories, the majority produced in Zaragoza and Eisenach.
This success is due in large part to the numerous advances in cutting-edge technology that have been introduced into the various generations of the Corsa and that were previously only available in vehicles in higher segments. This includes safety and assistance systems such as ABS and airbags, as well as the front camera with distance indicator, traffic sign recognition and lane keeping assist, and most recently the glare-free Intelli-Lux LED® adaptive matrix light. . Now in its sixth generation, the best-selling small car shows just how ready it is for the future. Since 2019, it has been offered emission-free for the first time, with the Opel Corsa-e.
Opel Corsa A 1982 a 1993
The Corsa A featured tight proportions with a length of just 3.62 meters. It had striking, flared wheel arches like a rally car and an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.36 that was possibly a record-breaker in its segment. Chief designer Erhard Schnell had created a sporty small car with sharp, chiseled lines. The most prominent was the 100 hp Corsa GSi, and a diesel engine was also incorporated. The two-door and sedan bodies were expanded in 1985 with the addition of the popular five-door model. The Corsa A became a highly acclaimed bestseller, with 3.1 million units built.
Opel Corsa B 1993 a 2000
Legendary Opel designer Hideo Kodama got down to business and created a much rounder and smoother Corsa, with attractive ‘flying saucer’ headlamps that fit perfectly with a beautiful and childish look. The Corsa B was four inches longer and much more spacious inside than its predecessor. It also introduced higher safety standards in its segment, such as ABS brakes, side impact protection, and front airbags. For some markets, along with the two volumes, Opel again offered a three volumes, as well as family and pick-up variants. The gasoline engines already had fuel injection technology and catalysts, while the GSi offered 16 valves and the diesel with turbo. The second Corsa was successful all over the world, with sales exceeding four million.
Opel Corsa C 2000 a 2006
With the philosophy of never changing what wins, Hideo Kodama was once again asked to design the Corsa C. And the styling was oriented towards its successful predecessor. The Corsa again grew four inches in length, was wider and had a longer wheelbase, which considerably increased interior space. For the first time, the body was fully galvanized. Sophisticated four-valve ECOTEC petrol engines and new direct-injection turbodiesel engines ensured high power, low fuel consumption and lower emissions: all variants already met Euro 4 emission standards. The Corsa C also became into a star and 2.5 million units of it were sold.
Opel Corsa D 2006 a 2014
From then on, the three-door and five-door versions would go their separate ways: the uniquely styled, coupe-like three-door Corsa aimed at sporty customers, just like the original Corsa A. The five-door variant became a spacious family vehicle. The Corsa D was just under four meters long, reaching exactly 3,999 meters.
With Opel’s ecoFLEX technology, the Corsa featured fuel-saving Start/Stop systems and highly efficient engines. The 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX version consumed just 3.3 l/100 km in the combined cycle and emitted just 88 g/km of CO2 (according to NEDC). The fourth generation Corsa sold more than 2.9 million units.
Opel Corsa E 2014 to 2019
Dynamic, practical and elegant, the Corsa E was also a bestseller with around 1.3 million units sold. The fifth generation was also produced at the Opel plants in Zaragoza and in Eisenach. For the first time, the little star exceeded four meters, offering high comfort and the best technologies with a length of 4.02 meters. In addition, it was offered with a heated steering wheel, heated seats and automatic climate control, with a front camera with a distance indicator, traffic sign recognition and lane keeping aid. Corsa drivers were seamlessly connected with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible IntelliLink infotainment systems, including a seven-inch color touchscreen. The sporty model of the small car was initially the Corsa OPC with 152kW (207PS) and then the Corsa GSi with 110kW (150PS).
Opel Corsa F electric version introduced in 2019
Opel is optimally equipped for future challenges with the sixth generation of the Corsa. The latest generation of the small car, which celebrated its world premiere at the 2019 Frankfurt International Motor Show, is also available for the first time in a 100% electric and emission-free version. A notable feature is also the adaptive glare-free Intelli-Lux LED matrix light, which Opel is also offering for the first time in the small car segment with the current Corsa. In addition, there are numerous state-of-the-art assistance systems, such as Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Emergency Braking and pedestrian detection, as well as radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control, which make driving even safer and more relaxed. At 4.06 meters long, the five-seater Corsa’s handling, design and practicality remain exemplary. The coupe-like roofline is 48 millimeters lower than its predecessor, without losing headroom. The driver sits 28 millimeters lower. The low center of gravity benefits driving. The latest Corsa is more direct and dynamic, to offer more fun behind the wheel. With this successful combination, the small vehicle with the Blitz has once again become the most popular and best-selling in its segment in countries such as Germany and Great Britain.
The electric’s bestseller is proving an electrifying effect on the public in different ways: in Germany, the stock Corsa-e won the “Volante d’Or 2020” award, and with a modified Corsa-e Rally, it is proving itself in motorsport. sporty how top performance and environmental friendliness can be combined. With this small emission-free vehicle, Opel is the first manufacturer to develop an electric rally car that has been competing since 2021 in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, the world’s first single-make electric rally cup, thus showing the future of the rallies.
New Opel Corsa 2023
Opel Corsa
Now, this 2023, the new Opel Corsa arrives. Even bolder, even more emotional, even more intuitive to drive with completely new electric and hybrid drives, the newcomer will take Opel’s traditionally strong offering in the small car segment to the next level.
The new Corsa impresses with its new design, which includes the distinctive Opel Vizor brand front at the front and our Opel brand lettering confidently placed in the center of the tailgate. Cutting-edge technologies make driving more relaxed. As an option, the new Corsa offers a fully digital cockpit based on Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Cockpit platforms1 with intuitive new infotainment and up to a 10-inch color touchscreen. The glare-free Intelli-Lux LED matrix light, which the Corsa brought to the small car segment in 2019, is also even better and more precise, now with 14 LED elements.
And the latest interpretation of the small car bestseller also has high-tech under the hood. The Corsa Electric now also comes with more power and an improved battery that allows a range of up to 402 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle. The Corsa is the first Opel model to be available as a hybrid with a 48-volt system. Therefore, the new Corsa offers customers a choice of options, from combustion engines to pure electric to highly efficient hybrids, which are unrivaled in this segment. Likewise, it debuts the ECO badge for its new 48v hybrid engines, which are added to the already available Label 0 for the electric model and C for traditional combustion engines.
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