Visiting Europe over the summer? The new Opel Corsa is your next rental car

2019 Opel Corsa

Opel may have pulled out of the US-marked decades ago, but they have been thriving in Europe since then. Okay, maybe thriving isn’t entirely true. Surviving is more accurate. The Opel Corsa has been in production since 1983, and having driven the previous and current generations of the Vauxhall Corsa, I can say that they’re terrible. But a new generation has just been unveiled, and it might actually be good this time.

First, a little background. Opel has always been GM’s European division, with UK-market versions badged as Vauxhall’s. And because they were made by GM, they were always worse than the competition, because GM are bad at making things unless it has a V8. But in 2017, Opel and Vauxhall were bought by PSA, who also own Peugeot and Citroen.

2019 Opel Corsa

As a result, the new Corsa sits on the same platform as the new Peugeot 208, and as a result weighs as little as 980kg (2160lbs). The GM engines, some of which date back to 1996, have been replaced by new gasoline engines and a diesel engine. They’re not very powerful, with 75bhp up to 130bhp, but its competitive with its rivals, and Opel claims that it offers improved fuel economy. These new engines are hooked up to a 5-speed manual, or an 8-speed automatic, the first car in its segment to have this option.

2019 Opel Corsa

The new Corsa has lots of new technology too, including LED matrix lights, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and “sensor-controlled flank protection” which alerts the driver if they are going to hit an obstacle, such as a wall, while doing low-speed maneuvers. The latter two features are handy, given that the Corsa is one of the most popular drivers-ed cars in Europe.

The new Corsa hits dealerships (and rental lots) on the 1st of July, and starts at 13990 Euro’s, which is equivalent to $15899.

Total
0
Shares

Let Us Know What You Think

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
2019 Toyota Tacoma Limited

2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Double Cab – Is it Just Right?

Next Post

Latest version of the Volvo XC90 is bullet-proof, literally

Related Posts
Total
0
Share