Photo: Opel
The hot hatch segment used to be a very unforgiving battleground with little room for mistakes. If one manufacturer came up with a sub-par model, it could be dead-certain its sales would have reflected that.
At the same time, if the new car were significantly better than the rest, it would immediately become the new benchmark and the one everyone tried to beat. The Opel Corsa OPC didn't find itself in any of these two cases. Instead, it was one of the platoon members who didn't stand out in any way.
These days, the new trend is to offer a more affordable, less extreme option for those with less prolific persuasive skills who can't convince their wives a 200-something hp small car is exactly what the family needs. A red or yellow cute one with just 150 hp, on the other hand, makes for a much easier pitch.
Mind you, despite this being an official introduction, we still don't know what hides under the hood of the Opel Corsa GSi. The Peugeot-owned company somehow decided to keep us guessing about that very important part - some might say "crucial."
If the same template used for the Insignia GSi is carried over, then the Corsa GSi should receive the 150 hp 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbo, which is far enough from the 210 hp of the OPC version to ensure there won't be any cannibalism going on.
But while the engine is likely to be considerably more feeble, the same can't be said about the chassis. Opel is proud to announce the GSi Corsa uses the same on as the more potent version, meaning handling should be a joy.
The exterior of the three-door sporty hatchback looks on par with the likely performance of the vehicle - not over the top, but bold enough to justify the slit air intake in the hood, the more aggressive front bumper, and that prominent rear roof spoiler.
It's the same story on the inside: Recaro seats are optional, but the sports steering wheel, the leather gearshift knob, and the aluminum pedals aren't. “We are continuing our long GSi tradition with the new Corsa GSi. There was already an especially sporty variant of the very first Corsa, which is a sought after classic-to-be. Our latest athlete will set new standards in the segment with its OPC sports chassis,” said Peter Küspert, Opel Managing Director Sales and Marketing.
These days, the new trend is to offer a more affordable, less extreme option for those with less prolific persuasive skills who can't convince their wives a 200-something hp small car is exactly what the family needs. A red or yellow cute one with just 150 hp, on the other hand, makes for a much easier pitch.
Mind you, despite this being an official introduction, we still don't know what hides under the hood of the Opel Corsa GSi. The Peugeot-owned company somehow decided to keep us guessing about that very important part - some might say "crucial."
If the same template used for the Insignia GSi is carried over, then the Corsa GSi should receive the 150 hp 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbo, which is far enough from the 210 hp of the OPC version to ensure there won't be any cannibalism going on.
But while the engine is likely to be considerably more feeble, the same can't be said about the chassis. Opel is proud to announce the GSi Corsa uses the same on as the more potent version, meaning handling should be a joy.
The exterior of the three-door sporty hatchback looks on par with the likely performance of the vehicle - not over the top, but bold enough to justify the slit air intake in the hood, the more aggressive front bumper, and that prominent rear roof spoiler.
It's the same story on the inside: Recaro seats are optional, but the sports steering wheel, the leather gearshift knob, and the aluminum pedals aren't. “We are continuing our long GSi tradition with the new Corsa GSi. There was already an especially sporty variant of the very first Corsa, which is a sought after classic-to-be. Our latest athlete will set new standards in the segment with its OPC sports chassis,” said Peter Küspert, Opel Managing Director Sales and Marketing.
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