The first three generations of the Opel Corsa had a rather varied fan base. On one side you had eager young car enthusiasts, attracted by the entry-level prices and the fact the design was a blank canvas, there for you to do your best to make it look sporting.
On the other side you had the earnest older motorist, "not looking for anything fancy" who sought out the Corsa for the weekly shop and the run over to Auntie Mary for bridge on Tuesday.
The Corsa served each constituency well. However, the competition has started to heat up. Toyota are currently top of the sales league here with its Yaris, Renault's Clio still pulls in the crowds and Peugeot's 206 has done remarkably well, and the new 207 should continue that trend, its lack of 1-litre engines aside.
Then there's the new Fiat Punto, the ever-popular Nissan Micra and our favourite in this class, the new Suzuki Swift.
Corsa knew it had to seriously beef up its effort to stay with the pack. So far, after several hours in the car in Germany, Opel seems up to the challenge.
Design has played an increasingly important role in these small cars and the progression through the generations of Corsas tells its own tale.
The first was boxy, the second softer, the third bigger and arguably this fourth generation is the first time any great effort has been put into adding some panache. Indeed, it bears some similarities to the new Clio from certain angles.
The car is bigger than any of its predecessors, partly because of increased customer demand and partly down to new pedestrian safety regulations. These latter requirements meant the bonnet had to be raised in this version by 40mm, and to keep some form of consistency the height increase impacted on every other dimension.
The end result is a more coupe look to what is effectively a small family car. Due to pushing the a-pillar (the one at the windscreen) forward, Opel was able to rake the windscreen more and give a more sweeping feel to the roofline.
There's a familial look to the new car as well, with several features - notably the window line - taken from the new Astra range. The end result is a car that actually looks more compact than it is inside. That's a neat trick, considering several buyers in this market have complained about the likes of the new Peugeot 207 and Renault Clio looking too big to qualify for the small car segment.
While the exterior is meant to catch the eye, those that buy will obviously spend most of their time in the cabin.
Here Opel has really excelled. The soft plastic dash is a notable feature, as is a new-look central console in either piano black or opaque white plastic with backlit switchgear. Gone is the vertical tower of buttons that features in the Vectra and Astra. This is a far more intuitive and stylish layout, closer to the likes of the Toyota Yaris than anything else from Opel. Overall, our favourite features were the circular air vents that set off the fascia, the soft-touch dashboard and the feeling of spaciousness thanks to the sweeping windscreen.
Seating is comfortable, and the five-door version is well able to cope with four full-size adults. In the sportier looking three-door version there is also plenty of legroom and access to the back seats doesn't require any of you to be double jointed at the hip.
Our 6 ft-plus colleague had no problem in the front and managed to sit in the back behind his own seat without having to eat his knees. The only real problem in the back of the three-door is that the sweeping lines of the windows means visibility is rather limited and the cabin can seem rather dark.
For the driver, there's a similar issue with the sweeping window lines and the rather high-set rear window may not suit everyone, particularly when reversing into a tight parking space. This is not helped by the wider body panels, such as the extended wheel arches, which also may take a knock if drivers aren't careful reversing.
The good news is that bootspace is comparable with any of the competition. The test cars we had featured run-flat tyres, but this will not be a feature in Ireland.
Some also had Opel's new Flexifit bike storage system. This comprises a set of arms that retract from the rear bumper and safely hold a couple of bicycles to the rear of the car. As with Opel's other flexi systems - such as its flex-seven system in the Zafira - it's very simple to use, though you do need a little elbow grease to get all the pieces in position. Then again, if you're a fit cyclist, it won't be a problem.
The bad news is that it costs a hefty �900 as an option, and also means you lose the spare wheel, replaced with a puncture repair system (for the car, not the bicycle).
The engine range starts with the 1-litre 59 bhp petrol - good news for Opel considering competitors like Peugeot has dropped its 1-litre entrant.
Next up is the 1.2-litre 79 bhp petrol and 1.4-litre 89 bhp. All petrol versions come with five-speed manual transmissions. There's a diesel offering as well, a 1.3-litre CDTi with either 74 bhp or 89 bhp.
We tested all engines apart from the 1-litre version and were surprised to find our favourite of the bunch was the 1.2-litre petrol. While the car has added some weight, the five-speed transmission seems best suited to this version and the end result is a sprightly, rather eager performance.
That's particularly the case over the 1.4-litre version where the power lagged between second and third gears even on slight inclines.
Opel has done a good job with the car's handling as well. While it's not as nimble as the likes of the Suzuki and lacks the ultra-light city steering control of the likes of the Clio or Punto, you do feel in more control and it's well weighted. The ride is comfortable, though on rough surfaces you do feel the bumps, particularly on the Sxi version with sports suspension.
In such a competitive market, potential buyers should look around before they purchase, but the new Corsa should be included in the final test line-up. Opel has not managed to keep entry-level prices below the �15,000, but they are competitive with key rivals, starting at �15,495 for the 1.2-litre 3-door Life version and �15,395 for the 1-litre 5-door.
The end result of Opel's efforts means a far more dynamic look to the Corsa range than ever before. For the earnest elders it will add some style to their motoring life, while the young image conscious buyers may just find they've less work to do in making the car look more sporting. Both constituencies should welcome the new model with open arms.
source: www.findmore.org
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