Road Test: Opel Corsa OPC

Founded in 1862 by Adam Opel, the German manufacturer has been around for 150 years and has been producing cars for well over a century. Well established then. Until recently that is, because Opel hasn’t been profitable in Europe for over a decade and has become an unsightly red figure on the balance sheet of parent company General Motors. High overheads and with market share under increasing pressure from competitors such as Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motor Co., a drawn-out rescue effort in the wake of GM’s bankruptcy is underway, which includes discussions of factory closures and staff layoffs, all in an effort to reach break-even.

Amid all the corporate cunning, fancy financial footwork, an air of uncertainty surrounding the company’s future and how it will emerge from it’s own financial crisis, the fact is, Opel is still making cars. For a while now the South African model range has been limited to just three, namely; the Astra, Corsa and Vivaro. That is soon to change though, this month in fact, with the arrival of the new Meriva compact-MPV, as well as the three-door Astra GTC. If you’re in the market for a fast, performance offering from Opel, well, the Astra OPC left us a while ago now, which means the responsibility somewhat ironically lies with the smallest car, the Corsa OPC.

Now in its fourth generation (we didn’t see the first here in SA), the Corsa has been kept fresh since its introduction in 2008: with a more powerful 1.4-litre engine; the 3-door Colour Edition; and for 2011, a revised front-end with “Eagle Eye” headlights to match those of the latest Astra. The range-topping OPC variant has also been kept up-to-date in this regard, although the engine and mechanicals have remained unchanged.

It goes without saying that the Corsa OPC is targeted at a younger group of car buyers, which has led to the overtly sporty styling of the car. The roof spoiler and the revised front- and rear-bumper styling, with their distinctive ‘gills’ on either side, command attention. A dark shaded diffuser housing a triangle-shaped, centrally mounted exhaust, adds visual clout to the rear. The triangular theme continues with the distinctive side mirrors and 18-inch alloy wheels, together with the front fog lights. The styling is a big part of this car’s appeal and it also has the ‘go’ to match the ‘show’.

Inside the OPC boasts a number of unique features. Most obvious are the Recaro seats, which are based on a plastic shell reinforced with glass fibres rather than a tubular steel frame. The thermoplastic injection process used to manufacture the seats is said to offer far more control over the shape and contour of the seat than is available with a steel frame construction. Oddly enough, however, they took some getting used to, with the curvature of the lower back area feeling a little ‘out’ and no lumbar support to remedy it. Even so, they still felt comfortable, offered unwavering support and look fantastic – although we’ve yet to come across a set of Recaros that don’t!

Apart from the seats, the door-sill strips, chrome surrounds on the gauges and their red needle indicators are all typical OPC. Air vent surrounds are coloured in either silver or blue, depending on body and upholstery colour. The steering wheel has a thick grip, is leather covered and has a squared-off lower edge, along with a coloured ring to mark its top centre position (not as precisely stitched as on the Renault Clio RS though). Bare aluminium pedals, a leather gear knob and black lacquer finish for the centre console, provide a quality ambiance, which also stems from the car’s solid overall build quality and low interior noise levels.

Standard equipment includes: an air conditioner; power-operated front windows; tyre deflation detection system and 7-speaker sound system. We do have some reservations though. The Radio/CD/MP3-player could produce better sound quality and there is only an auxiliary input connection, no bluetooth and no USB connectivity – an entertainment faux pas that won’t go down well with ‘the youth of today’. The rotary dial for controlling the interior fan speed, as well as the buttons for the windows, are a transparent-like plastic, which glow a shade of yellow at night and look horrid when viewed in the context of the chrome and piano-black finishes elsewhere in the cabin.

The most powerful engine available in Opel’s current model range lies beneath the bonnet. The compact looking, 1.6-litre, 16-valve, turbocharged unit produces 141 kW at 5 850 r/min and 230 Nm of torque between 1 980 and 5 000 r/min. An ‘overboost’ function provides a momentary increase of 36 Nm when the accelerator pedal is flattened to the floor board. Opel say in-gear acceleration from 80 – 120 km/h is 6.7 seconds, but with the revs wound up it feels a lot quicker. In combination with the car’s low curb weight of 1 203 kg, the torque of the engine makes the OPC surprisingly ‘friendly’ around town, even capable of picking up speed in 6th gear from 1 500 r/min or 40 km/h. Given a chance, the Corsa OPC can be frugal too, with the lowest figure we measured being 5.9 L/100km on the freeway, with an average of 8.6 L/100km over 514 km.

With suspension tuned for sporty driving, the OPC sits 15 mm lower to the ground than the standard Corsa. The damper and spring rates have also been increased, with the rear-end benefiting from a 25 percent decrease in roll rate. Despite the stiff ride, further testament to the Corsa’s solid build, are the low NVH levels that aren’t usually associated with low profile tyres and less forgiving suspension.

Despite the lack of a limited-slip differential, the Corsa features a competent ESP system, which keeps the car within safe limits, but doesn’t kill the fun completely. With the system deactivated, however, the Corsa does not suffer clumsy driving well. Climb on the gas too early and the car will run wide. Lift off in a hurry and it will either continue to understeer, or you could require some opposite lock, depending on which end gravity is tugging on the hardest. Together with a quick steering ratio of 11.8:1 and large, eager, 308 mm front brake discs, the OPC can feel a nervous on the limit, between, or when entering, corners. It’s a car that requires a smooth operator behind the wheel to get the best out of it, but with plenty of power, makes it easy for anyone to go fast.

Acceleration to 100 km/h from a standing start takes 7.2 seconds and top speed is 225 km/h. The engine itself is relatively quiet, but the exhaust note and turbo rush are clearly audible and add to the car’s sporty nature. The 6-speed manual transmission offers well spaced ratios and has a satisfying shift action, which never left an any uncertainty.

Overall, the Corsa OPC is beginning to feel a little dated on the interior and this feeling isn’t helped by the price. Under sporty driving conditions it doesn’t have the finesse of the Volkswagen Polo, or the involvement of the Renault, but it’s always up for a fight and in with as good a chance as any. The solid build and flexible engine, go a long way to making it a pleasurable daily drive.

What we like…

• Well built small car.
• Torquey engine that can deliver both reasonable fuel economy and illegal speeds.
• New 18-inch alloys and eagle-eye daytime running lights.

What we would like…

• Steering wheel to be adjusted lower.
• Black or silver controls for the fan and electric windows, to match the rest of the cabin.
• A mechanical LSD for improved cornering.

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