The Corsa is one of GM’s badge-engineering successes, as it is actually the Brazilian Chevrolet Corsa, which itself is merely a booted version of Opel’s European Corsa hatchback. It is the smallest car in the class, which makes it brilliantly suited for the city. The upright D-pillar does not set well with the short, high boot, giving the car a slightly hunchbacked look, and the modifications made to the front bumper and tail-lamps. Despite its minuscule size, the Corsa is one of the heaviest cars in the class.  The Elite comes with a chrome-tipped exhaust and 14-inch alloy wheels, though they don’t help much in visibly differentiating the car from other Corsas on the road.

 

The Corsa’s interiors are limited, with poor legroom and an upright rear seatback that can make long journeys a chore. One failing is the cramped driver’s footwell: your feet foul with both the pedals and the wheelwell; combined with the wooden feel of the pedals, this can make for a slightly uncomfortable driving experience.

The Corsa Elite’s interiors are mixture of beige and black. Artificial deep burl wood trim inserts that cover most of the centre console’s panel and the instrument cluster complements the beige leather seats. The three-spoke steering wheel comes wrapped in leather, and offers a meaty grip.

 

The dashboard is nicely designed though, sparse-looking but solidly built, with large, positive controls and a good, solid feel. The new device comfort also brightens things up, and is clear and simple to understand. A useful feature is the triple information display (TID) which displays outside temperature as well as the time and date. And aluminium pedals come standard. The split seats are a good touch, and there are a fair number of cubby-holes. The steering feels somewhat numb, the chassis unresponsive, but get the car up to high speeds on roads like the Expressway and its manners are impeccable.

 

The Corsa offers a 1.4 and 1.6 engines; both designed more for drivability than aggression, which can make them feel slower than they actually are. The 1389cc 1.4 belts out 87.5bhp, and feels adequately powerful.  The initial gearing is pretty short, so it accelerates very smartly off the line. The gearbox is fairly precise but unsporting, and too dignified for hurried downshifts. The 1.6, surprisingly, has only 4bhp more, and though it’s more drivable in the city. Fuel economy is good — 9.4 and 13.7kpl from the 1.4, and 8.1 and 13.5kpl from the 1.6 city and highway respectively.

Filed under: Opel Cars in India