Photo: X-Tomi Design
Where daddy Peugeot leads, Opel now follows. But both companies would like to offer something super-exciting using their new platforms. It's just that the European Union is putting a clamp on all greenhouse gas emissions.
If you ask us, the market isn't ready for electric cars and won't be ready until some drivers are forced off the road by legislation. Carmakers are only making things worse by strengthening the development of diesel engines. Yes, they work with 2-ton luxury vehicles, but we might get another Dieselgate out of it.
In any case, Opel just revealed the all-new Corsa yesterday, but only as a purely-electric sister car to the Peugeot e-208. It's can run on batteries for about 330 kilometers and with 136 horsepower should prove very nimble around town.
Opel said nothing about the internal combustion engines, but we're sure they will stop at 130 horsepower with no chance of a hot hatch to bring back the GSi or OPC badges. Peugeot did the same thing recently, announcing the end for the 308 GT and GTi, which had just the right engine need, a 1.6-liter turbo.
Two separate reports indicated both the 208 and Corsa might eventually get performance versions, but these would be fully electric as well. The information also ties in with the development of a 200 HP e-motor for a 508-based concept.
It's a shame, as the Corsa OPC was the first small hot hatch to adopt turbocharging. A new model might look a bit like this X-Tomi Design rendering, which adds big wheels and refreshed grilles to the existing bodywork.
Honestly, we're a bit disappointed with the rendering too, as even the Polo GTI looks hotter. But Opel hasn't made anything since the lack-luster Insignia GSi and is largely focusing on crossovers now. We're not even sure they've kept the engineers for the go-fast projects.
In any case, Opel just revealed the all-new Corsa yesterday, but only as a purely-electric sister car to the Peugeot e-208. It's can run on batteries for about 330 kilometers and with 136 horsepower should prove very nimble around town.
Opel said nothing about the internal combustion engines, but we're sure they will stop at 130 horsepower with no chance of a hot hatch to bring back the GSi or OPC badges. Peugeot did the same thing recently, announcing the end for the 308 GT and GTi, which had just the right engine need, a 1.6-liter turbo.
Two separate reports indicated both the 208 and Corsa might eventually get performance versions, but these would be fully electric as well. The information also ties in with the development of a 200 HP e-motor for a 508-based concept.
It's a shame, as the Corsa OPC was the first small hot hatch to adopt turbocharging. A new model might look a bit like this X-Tomi Design rendering, which adds big wheels and refreshed grilles to the existing bodywork.
Honestly, we're a bit disappointed with the rendering too, as even the Polo GTI looks hotter. But Opel hasn't made anything since the lack-luster Insignia GSi and is largely focusing on crossovers now. We're not even sure they've kept the engineers for the go-fast projects.
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