GM India launched its Corsa 1.6 Swing. The Swing 1.6 is available with a 92bhp 1.6 engine. The Swing is the most compact estate car. It looks quite the part with the ski-rails on the roof and a good pair of alloys. It uses 1.6-litre powertrain suspension. The Swing’s estate section has been neatly integrated with the rest of the body to give it a better proportioned stance. The fantastic ‘wet’ paint finish, the quality matt black plastic ski/ luggage rails and the alloy wheels look good. Parked alongside its competition, the Swing is clearly the smallest car.

 

The interior is styled and well built, but suffers from a lack of space and poor quality plastics. Space, especially in the rear, is at a premium, and in front, the driver’s footwell is too narrow, so his feet are likely to foul with the pedals. The large front seats are very comfortable. There’s plenty of equipment, except for the excellent dash-top Multi-Information Display from the 1.6 saloon. The steering is a bit over-sized and is placed higher than usual which is good for taller drivers. The back seat remains a sore point though it’s not quite wide nor is there enough legroom compared to its rivals. The upright backrest further compromises comfort. The boot is not too large, it is up to the waistline, cargo space is smaller than in the saloon, and it is only when you go above the luggage cover that you actually get the benefits of an estate. The suspension also intrudes into the luggage area. The oversized steering wheel is placed higher than usual and clearly the front seats have been designed for tall Germans. The load area of the Swing has by far the least volume and it offers less space. It’s only when you load the luggage to the roof that you get the advantage of an estate car. Still, the Swing can’t take much more than three full-sized suitcases.

 

It’s pretty useful in urban traffic and very good at in-gear response, but tends to run out of breath at high revs, especially when fully laden. The gearbox is unimpressive, with a notchy shift and the gearlever set too far back. As a result, the Swing is a commendable performer when moving through heavy city traffic.

 

Its short overhangs and small dimensions mean less cumbersome handling on paper. With most of its weight carried within the wheelbase, the Swing is flexible, changes direction more easily, darting into corners in comparison to the other wagons here. Ride, both at low speeds and at high speeds, is superb, the Swing skimming over even the worst of our roads without the directional stability being adversely affected in any way. Even mid-corner bumps fail to unsettle the Swing or kick the tail out.

 

Fuel economy was never expected to be superb in an estate, and at 8.1 and 11.9kpl on city and road respectively. The Swing is the best looking compared to its Corsa siblings — saloon and Sail.

Filed under: Opel Cars in India