Opel Corsa OPC: driving test and video
Posted on 11-05-2015 to 16:00 by CasperH – 53 Comments”
A new player in the pretsegment: has the Opel Corsa OPC have the right ingredients for the established order of compact hot hatchbacks making life miserable?
[ First look, then read? Watch the video HERE! ]
Admittedly, the competition for the new Opel Corsa OPC is hot. The Peugeot 208 GTi is a topkarretje, the Renault Clio RS is the more mature option, and the Ford Fiesta ST is nothing short of brilliant. That last is to date also my favorite, but the Corsa OPC can perhaps bring about change.
The first acquaintance is in any case well: he looks nice and aggressive. The instance that Opel has for us and served is carried out in Magma Red. Therefore, the aggressive bumpers, side skirts and roof spoiler (in this case, an optional, slightly more aggressive-looking copy than standard) good. Two STAINLESS steel uitlaatsierstukken stitches from beneath the rear bumper, just like the Nürburgring Edition was the case, all we are missing into the triangular copy of the previous generation. The “brievenbusje” in the hood gives some extra aggressiveness to the nose. The car that we receive is also equipped with the optional Performance Pack, which we feature 18-inch alloy (17-inch is standard) and Brembo brakes with discs of 330 mm. A nice thick plate.
Inside, the sports seats and the sports steering wheel striking. There are also dials with a carbonprintje mounted, but that’s a little bit further on. Secretly, I still had a bit more silliness as beautiful. The gear lever is also provided with an OPC different logo, and is also re-designed to provide you with a shorter stroke by the six-speed gearbox to help. That is, in and of itself is good, though the shift knob on the clumsy side. The seats are from Recaro and they sit fine. Overall I find the interior a little bleak, almost boring, and the materials would be best a little more luxurious may be in a car with this price, but more about that later.
A small source of frustration is the navigation. This is via Mirrorlink coming from a phone that is linked with a USB cable. In our case, an iPhone 4 you navigation only via the touchscreen of the car can be set as the homescreen on the phone is not locked. The navigation itself anticipates slowly to changing conditions, for example, if you a different way then originally the plan was, take recalculation for a while. In urban area it is a bit of a gamble which side street you should have, because the connection with the satellites is not in the best of. Also tells the navigatiedame us, two miles in advance that we tunnen in to drive. And at the entrance to confirm them that one more time. Combined with a two-second-long interruption of your music before they start talking.
Also with the specifications is the good: with 207 hp, the Corsa OPC in standaardtrim almost the strongest player on the market. Only the Peugeot 208 GTi 30th is a pk little further with 208 pieces. Also the torque is very good, with standard 245 newton-meters and in overboostfunctie even 280 Nm. Coming from a 1.6 turbocharged engine that is developed with know-how that they are under more from the racing with the Adam R2 rally car.
Because we have the previously mentioned Performance Pack on our testauto have to sit, reach, the pk’s and Nm’s to the pavement via a mechanical differential from Drexler. Also, the car has harder suspension (the OPC is 10 millimeters reduced t.o.v. the standard Corsa) with Koni FSD shock absorbers, which FSD stands for Frequency Selective Damping. These shock absorbers adapt to the circumstances without the intervention of complicated software or electronics. We work with a valve system, which depending on the frequency of the input whether or not an additional cover in the shock open.
In practice, it comes down to that on the Spanish roads where we drive the veercomfort still leaves something to be desired. On smooth asphalt it works nice, but sometimes you literally loose from the chair with a firmer rub. At the limit, the Corsa a joy to drive, but you have to continue to be awake. There is a lot of grip, but if you go over the border, can the ESP (which is completely out of can or in a “Competition Mode”) you will sometimes not save.
The OPC feels a tad on the large side, especially for a car in this class. That if you have plus or minus experience, personally I find that a small hot hatchback for something more compact and lighter would must feel. Lift-off oversteer, for example, is not as easy or predictable to wake up in the Fiesta ST, I personally find that a pity because it is precisely that playful as well with a small hot hatch fits. It is a foolish packet and the sperdiff makes it a ridiculously fast car. On a circuit this OPC may be faster than the competitors mentioned above, but sometimes that is not where you are looking for. As an all-round fun – and gumkar is the OPC not my first choice.
Overall would give the Corsa OPC a formidable competitor for the previously mentioned fun-hatchbacks should be. To be honest, the competition also does not have the most beautiful interiors and they all have their drawbacks. But for me it loses the OPC the release of the previously named things final of the competition on the price list. A Corsa OPC will cost you at least €32.995€. Some competitors are nearly 7,000 euros cheaper and the only direct competitor with differential (the 208 GTi 30th) is to get from slightly more than €30,000 euros. That differential will cost you (in combination with the Performance Pack) $ 2000 euros more at €5 euro after €35,000 euro from. Even though the Corsa OPC is just as fun or more fun than a Fiesta ST (which it is not) then I would not know how I got that price difference to justify. Then you must be very fan of the OPC tag to the purchase price to justify. The same problem had the Astra OPC also… The Opel Corsa OPC is really cool to see, but put oneself in advance is offside. Sin. Movie!
Gallery: Opel Corsa OPC 2015
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