Photo: Opel
Now that the Corsa OPC is no longer available for configuration, where does this leave Opel in the subcompact segment? Enter the Corsa GSi, a hot-but-not-properly-hot hatchback that Opel claims to offer “pure driving precision thanks to the OPC sports chassis.”
The German automaker and half-brother of Vauxhall insists the chassis is tuned just like the one in the Corsa OPC. The red-painted brake calipers are a nod to the sporting nature of the Corsa GSi, more so if matched with the optional 18-inch light alloy wheels wrapped in 215/40 tires. The visual drama continues with the sculpted hood, oversized air intakes, prominent roof-mounted spoiler, and sporty side sills.
Behind the Opel Blitz and honeycomb grille, the fury hiding in the engine bay is a four-cylinder turbo connected to a six-speed manual transmission that sends the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the front wheels. The 1.4-liter plant is rated at 150 horsepower and 220 Nm, which is far off rivals such as the Fiesta ST and Clio RS.
Opel quotes 8.9 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a top speed of 207 km/h (128 mph), figures that once again pale in comparison to the American and French competitors. For spirited driving, the automaker recommends keeping the engine in the 3,000 to 4,500-rpm plateau for maximum torque. And as opposed to the OPC, the GSi complies to the Euro 6d-TEMP emissions standard.
What about the interior? Whichever way you look at it, the Recaro performance seats, sports steering wheel, and aluminum pedal covers aren’t out of the ordinary for a car that Opel itself refers to as a “hot hatchback” in quotation marks. Adding insult to injury, the carbon-fiber elements on the outside aren’t real carbon fiber.
Pricing, you ask? As you would expect from an automaker as bland and troubled as Groupe PSA-owned Opel, the Corsa GSi isn’t listed in the configurator. On the other hand, the Corsa S with the same 150-horsepower engine starts at 18,740 euros. Leveling up to the five-door Corsa S translates to 19,440 euros, which means the GSi is certain to top the lineup at €20,000 or thereabouts.
Behind the Opel Blitz and honeycomb grille, the fury hiding in the engine bay is a four-cylinder turbo connected to a six-speed manual transmission that sends the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the front wheels. The 1.4-liter plant is rated at 150 horsepower and 220 Nm, which is far off rivals such as the Fiesta ST and Clio RS.
Opel quotes 8.9 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a top speed of 207 km/h (128 mph), figures that once again pale in comparison to the American and French competitors. For spirited driving, the automaker recommends keeping the engine in the 3,000 to 4,500-rpm plateau for maximum torque. And as opposed to the OPC, the GSi complies to the Euro 6d-TEMP emissions standard.
What about the interior? Whichever way you look at it, the Recaro performance seats, sports steering wheel, and aluminum pedal covers aren’t out of the ordinary for a car that Opel itself refers to as a “hot hatchback” in quotation marks. Adding insult to injury, the carbon-fiber elements on the outside aren’t real carbon fiber.
Pricing, you ask? As you would expect from an automaker as bland and troubled as Groupe PSA-owned Opel, the Corsa GSi isn’t listed in the configurator. On the other hand, the Corsa S with the same 150-horsepower engine starts at 18,740 euros. Leveling up to the five-door Corsa S translates to 19,440 euros, which means the GSi is certain to top the lineup at €20,000 or thereabouts.
Google News