In the very competitive B segment the Opel Corsa is a very interesting EV since a few years now, and like its Peugeot and Jeep sister models it has now also received a new, more efficient 156 HP electric motor and a slightly larger 54 kW battery. But there is more: it received a facelift, and now has also the iconic Opel “Visor” grille at the front. Also the infotainment system has been revamped and the driving assistance systems have been further refined. Its seats are as fine as ever and it has therefore excellent long distance qualities… just read further.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We always had a weak spot for Opels. They were always part of my motoring life, from the Kadett A onwards to the Opel Rekords, the fantastic Manta, Commodore GS, the Admiral V8 and later the potent Ascona’s.

I found these Opels sturdy, touch, no nonsense, perfect Autobahn cars as well as excellent (urban) touring cars with pleasing docility.

All these memories come back when you slide behind the wheel of this Corsa. No wonder it has been a top bestseller for years in its B segment.  The car feels nice, the seats are “just right” and give marvelous support, in the good Opel tradition.

The infotainment is now up to scratch with, as Opel calls it, “Snapdragon® Cockpit Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.”. With now also an up to 10 inch large colour touchscreen.
Happily, virtually all the essential controls are physical knobs and buttons, so it’s easy to feel at home in this Corsa, as you would in virtually every Opel by the way.

Smooth power

We repeat ourselves here over and over. EV’s drive super nice. They seduce you with a velvety power stream and lots of pulling power at every speed, in any situation. With no noise and no vibration whatsoever. So charming, invariably making you feel totally ”Zen” behind the wheel. This electric Opel should carry the nickname “RAK”, as it goes, like its famous predecessor, like a rocket. It will, despite its more than 1,5 tonne kerb weight, catapult you in 8,1 seconds to 100 km/h. The engineers set the top speed at a sensible 150 km/h, which is only for the better, as the range will otherwise dwindle too drastically. And let’s face it, you would only lose your driver’s license in many countries…

The new electric motor is more efficient than the previous 136 HP variant, which is by the way still available. This means indeed, that with some restraint in your driving style, you can achieve consumption’s in the region of 15 kW/100 km. The WLTP range of 402 kilometers is realistic when you drive mostly in slow (urban) traffic, and maintain reasonable (legal) cruising speeds on the open road.  Otherwise, something in the range of 350 kilometers is more realistic.

Of course, the Corsa can be charged rather quickly: on a 100 kW fast charger, it costs typically around 30 minutes to recharge it from 10 to 80 pct. On a (AC) wallbox, 3-phase at 11 kW it will take about 3 hours and 10 minutes.

State of the art electronics and infotainment in the cabin

The Corsa is very important for Opel and Stellantis, and therefore much attention has been given to keeping this bestseller up to date. Just like in the development of the latest Astra generation, the “Detox to the max” principle

was applied: the navigation system offers connected services, natural speech recognition “Hey Opel” and even more important, over-the-air updates. In addition, the displays in the 10-inch colour touchscreen of the navigation and multimedia system and in the driver information display have been made even clearer. Apple

CarPlay and Android Auto compatible smartphones can now be connected to the vehicle’s multimedia systems and also recharged – both wirelessly.

Let there be light…

The Corsa now also receives not less than 14 controllable elements in its Intelli-Lux LED® matrix light system, instead of the eight it had already since its introduction in 2019. There is also the new, high-resolution panoramic rear-view camera, an adaptive cruise control and speed limiter and the forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection.

All this makes an impressive car, and it is no surprise therefore that the Opel Corsa Electric has been named the “2024 EV of the Year” by the Association of Business Drivers in the Netherlands in the so-called ‘Mid Segment’ category.

Practical and offering driving pleasure with a sporting touch…

Indeed, it offers room for four, has practical storage spaces in the cabin and sufficient boot space too. Besides the smoothness of the drive train, the Corsa offers a hint of sporting driving pleasure. It steers precise, and does not protest when you drive it with verve. High speed stability is important for the German market, and therefore the Opel engineers did not hesitate to make the suspension rather firm, also taking into account its impressive kerb weight of 1544 kg. You can choose between thee driving modes, Eco, normal and sport.

Conclusion 

If you opt for electric transport, the Corsa merits a long hard look. Well built, it makes you instantly feel at home with its intuitive controls, its no-nonse simplicity, its excellent seats and quality finish. It handles and drives well, is practical, and last but not least good looking. Our test car was finished in Grafik Grey, and it suited it very well…

Hans Knol ten Bensel