Tested: Opel Corsa Sport
That should hardly be relevant to Opel because, before the advent of Yaris, the Corsa has been the closest challenger to the top-selling VW Polo on the sales charts. Its success no doubt lies in the good value it offers, but the car is showing its age these days.
Even though an all-new Corsa hatchback should arrive within a year, the current shape is not about to become redundant as it'll likely continue alongside its newer sibling as a budget model for quite some time.
The reason we're running this test is because the Corsa has had a slight upgrade for the 2006 model year, and we've never tested the 1.4-litre version before. What a pity, because this is easily the best all-rounder in the range.
The upgrade brings little visual difference to the fold, besides a chrome strip across the grille and some new interior trim, but the 1.4 Sport featured here does benefit from an upgraded specification sheet and can now boast to have all the bells and whistles as standard. Well almost. The alloy wheels, sport seats, audio system, electric windows and on-board computer do give it an upmarket countenance, but the car is let down by a few missing details.
Firstly, the huge steering wheel has no adjustment whatsoever, although with a little effort, the driver seat can be lifted — not a fun thing for a medium-sized driver who wants to sit low.
GM's designers also clearly had a Tupperware party in the cabin 'cos apart from the classy silver central fascia, interior plastics are from the hard, shiny and cheap-looking mould. Interior and boot space is adequate and on par with the segment, although you won't find all those clever little nooks and crannies that newer rivals offer.
We really enjoyed the thickly-bolstered front seats, they're impressively supportive, but if you had to argue that cars like this were never meant for enthusiastic cornering manoeuvres, you'd be in for a surprise.
The Corsa's cornering prowess is easily its most impressive trait — it turns in very precisely with minimal body roll, and never fails to inspire confidence in the driver.
Expectedly it does lack a little in the fireworks department, but the Corsa's dated eight-valve 1.4-litre engine is impressive for what it is. Its sporty exhaust note is certainly pleasing to the eager driver's ear, although it is on the noisy and droney side at higher revs.
Despite its lack in technological advancement the engine knocks out a decent output for its size. Against the clock, it outgunned the Kia Rio from 0-100km/h and didn't trail far behind rivals like the Citroen and Peugeot 1.4s. Its tractability from 80-120km/h also proved class competitive.
So Opel's protagonist in this segment might not be at the cutting edge that many of its rivals cling to, but for that reason it's able to offer a better value package with some sporty touches and all the essential comfort and safety features, including dual airbags and ABS brakes. It might be old school, but it's still cool in our book. Page: 1 of 2 - next
