New vs used Opel Corsa: What are the top 3 differences?
The sixth-generation Corsa was recently released in South Africa, so we decided to investigate the differences between the first Peugeot-based Corsa and its GM-sourced predecessor. At is turns out, the differences are substantial and wide-spread, but we decided to only highlight the three most-significant changes.
Opel’s supermini certainly has grown in size and sophistication over the years, evolving from a cuddly and friendly little runabout to a rather high-tech machine over the course of its long and successful life. It’s also grown heavier and more expensive, unfortunately, due to increasingly stringent safety requirements and emissions standards.
The latest Corsa looks to reverse some of these trends, largely due to its manufacturer’s new owners' influence. Instead of General Motors supplying the parts bin, the new Corsa raids the Peugeot toy chest, turning it into a very close relative of the Peugeot 208 and Citroën C3.
That’s no bad thing, mind you: Groupe PSA’s “EMP1” platform has a clever design, and is about as future-proof as currently possible. Oh, and Peugeot’s cars are usually very nice to drive, so adding that aspect to German quality control (we hope) should make for an appealing package.
Related: The top 4 things you need to know about the old Opel Corsa GSi.
1. A successful weight-loss programme
Compared to the fifth-generation Corsa, which still rolled on the skeleton that dated back to about 2006 (and GM’s short-lived collaboration with Fiat Group), the new one is a lot more advanced in concept and execution. In spite of slight expansion in length, the sixth-generation Corsa sheds up to 108 kg (depending on the variant), by making extensive use of high-strength steel and optimised design of individual components.
In short, these improvements mean that the new Corsa should have more cabin space and improved cargo capacity, but consume less fuel than a similarly-powerful variant from the old range. And, with reduced body weight comes some other handy advantages, such as improved agility, slower brake wear, and spritelier performance. All this, without compromising on crash safety – in fact, the new car should be safer as well.
Related: Previous-generation Opel Corsa test drive – be sure to check these features out!
2. Rationalised model range
While the old Corsa was available with a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo engine, or a 1.4-litre 4-cylinder either with or without a turbo (and an even wider variety in global markets), the new model cuts that variety down to a single 1.2-litre 3-cylinder mill. This power unit stems from Peugeot’s PureTech engine family, and can also be had in either turbo- or non-turbo forms in Europe.
It should eventually come here with forced induction as well, we hope. As the range looks at launch, only the entry-level, naturally-aspirated unit is available, giving a modest 56 kW and 118 Nm (down 10 kW and 52 Nm on the old 1.0T), and driving the front wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission. A hot hatch, the new Corsa definitely is not.... yet.
Related: The old Opel Corsa gained a 1.4T Sport derivative soon after launch. We review this generation’s first attempt at a “warm hatch” here.
3. LED lighting across the board
The largest part of the outgoing car’s model range featured old-fashioned halogen headlamps, and the only upgrade in this department came with the old 1.4T variants’ bi-xenon lights. Upgrading to standard LED headlamps across the range consequently marks a big step forward for this nameplate’s lighting technology, and puts it on par with the best standard systems in its class.
Tail lamp clusters and cabin illumination also get the all-LED treatment, leading to a reduced power drain from the car’s charge system (and thus using a little bit less fuel). And, in another first for the Corsa, the headlights can be upgraded to adaptive 8-section matrix LED units with dynamic beam control. That’s pretty much state of the art for 2021, reflects the new Corsa’s conscious step upmarket, and illustrates that Opel still sticks to their philosophy of “democratizing” technology – making high-end features available on less-expensive cars.
Related: Near the end of its run, the old Opel Corsa gave a nod to olden days with the 1.4T GSi, as we discovered in this review.
