Car review: Opel Corsa supermini packs a punch with a 1.2L turbo engine and fierce looks

Launched locally earlier last year, the Opel Corsa is Opel’s latest and smallest addition to its carried fleet in Singapore. It's a 1.2L turbocharged supermini, with a price tag of under $100,000.

Fierce looks

From the front, the Corsa sports a mean-looking facade, with its angled headlamp cluster resembling a pair of squinted, scrutinising eyes. 

Inside the headlamp cluster are full-LED headlamps, signal lights and of course, highly sought-after daytime-running lights (DRL). The headlamps come with white LED lamps, which are more in fashion today over the halogen lamps, so bonus points for the modern-feel the Corsa gives off without any modification.

At the lower corners sit fog lamps and though fog-illumination is hardly required here in Singapore, like a watch to the modern man, it's a fashion statement more than a utility need. The signal lamps are doubled up with the DRL on the same piece, so when the signals or hazards aren’t turned on in amber, the DRL shines through in white. 

Strips of piano-black plastic finish can be found along the side view mirrors and door panels. It gives the vehicle a more elegant look but also makes fingerprints stand out. 

Signal indicators also run along the side view mirrors to help your signalling stand out while on the road. The rims on the Corsa are a decent 16-inch size, the right balance between the better looks and feel of larger rims and the fuel economy of smaller-sized rims provide. 

Inside the rims on both the front and the rear are the visible disc brakes, which is a welcome sight over drum brakes.

In the rear, you’ll find LED rear combination lamps on its sides and a high-mount rear brake light. The placement and design of the lights give the Corsa extra points for looking good in our books. 

Under the number plate, you’ll find a rear fog light, which is not a common addition. While you might have chanced upon cars with brake/fog lights in a similar area, it's usually done by aftermarket body kits, otherwise known as “F1-style” brake lights. 

The Corsa also comes with a dual tailpipe set up, and thankfully, it’s a set of real pipes. There’s not much more ridiculous about a car than a set of fake pipes and/or fake exhaust vents that are just there for looks.

Small but powerful

Though its the smallest of the Opel passenger cars fleet, the Corsa more than makes up for its size with its power, with 128 horsepower and 230 Newton-metres (Nm) of torque. Even at its 1.2L engine, the Corsa is punchy and zippy without missing a beat. And all that is even before the turbo spools up. 

The speediness of the Corsa is owed in part to its kerb weight of just under 1.2 tons. Coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the switches between gears are almost unnoticeable, if not for the lack of a dual-clutch transmission. 

But for its price, even an eight-speed is a treat. You won’t find a cheaper eight-speed car on the market than this (at time of writing).

While seated in the cabin, the Corsa’s cabin noise insulation puts you in a comfortable bubble as it does a superb job in blocking out road and traffic noise. The only thing that might affect you is the low-rumble of the 1.2L engine. 

With plenty of amenities like wireless charging and cabled Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, the Corsa is well suited for the daily commuting driver. The 10-inch infotainment display’s interface looks elegant, matches the finishing of the cabin and is responsive to the touch. However, the 7-inch instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is a tad small. 

It's an economical car too. On paper, the vehicle boasts an impressive 21.3 kilometres on a litre of petrol.

It’s not all sunshine and roses though. The rear is a tad squeezy for three people, especially if it's a long car ride. The rear doors also don’t open very wide and the C pillar of the car overlaps where the passenger sits, so getting out requires a bit of a twisting action. That said, the car is a supermini after all, so back seat space should not weigh heavily in consideration.

All in all, the Corsa makes for a fun drive. It can seat four people (five if everyone's willing to squeeze), with decent trunk space to boot. Its exterior makes it quite the looker and the interior comes with plenty of comforts that add to your driving experience.

If a punchy, German hatchback is what you’re looking for, the Corsa should be one to look into.

Specifications

jayjaylin@asiaone.com