New Opel Corsa GSE: Hot Hatch Tradition Reloaded

• Back to the future: Opel Corsa GSE revives the tradition of sporty Corsa models
• Small, strong, fast: 207 kW (281 hp), 345 Nm, from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds 
• From the Opel Corsa A GSi to the new Opel Corsa GSE: Each Corsa generation enthuses fans with at least one highly dynamic version

Compact, quick and seriously powerful: the new Opel Corsa GSE 1 delivers electrifying driving pleasure in its purest form! This new everyday performance car – which will arrive later this year and will celebrate its exhibition premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October – is turning heads not just with its striking, racy ‘hot hatch’ design. Above all, its performance figures speak for themselves: With 207 kW (281 hp) and 345 Newton metres of torque it will offer just as much electric power as the Opel Mokka GSE. Added to this is the fastest acceleration of any current Opel production model: in just 5.5 seconds, the Opel Corsa GSE propels the speedometer needle from 0 to 100 km/h 1. This is high performance in a compact package and makes the new Corsa GSE the most powerful production Corsa to date.

At the same time, the new high-performance version of Germany’s and UK’s bestselling small car takes the sporty GSi genes of the first Corsa generation into the future. Ever since the first generation of the model, Opel has been offering Corsa fans the chance to drive an extra-hot and sporty version of the beloved small car. The ‘hot hatch’ fun all began in 1988 with the Corsa GSi. Since 2007, the various versions and generations of the Corsa OPC have been providing adrenaline rushes. And now the new, all-electric Corsa GSE is on the starting blocks, ready to deliver the ultimate driving experience a small car can offer!

The first Opel Corsa GSi: A car as dynamic as a motorcycle

In 1988, the first Opel Corsa GSi entered the market. A car as dynamic as a motorcycle: ultra-compact, 820 kilogrammes light, with prominent wheel-arches, sports seats, 74 kW (100 hp) and 188 km/h fast.

The 1.6-litre injection engine newly developed for the launch accelerated the sportive first-generation Opel Corsa to 100 km/h in around 9.5 seconds. With powerful low-end torque, the car has always brought a smile to Opel Corsa GSi drivers’ faces when they step on the accelerator pedal. To bring the higher performance and agility onto the road, Opel engineers adapted the chassis and brakes of the Corsa to the GSi specification. The extra features included stiffer springs, specially tuned shock absorbers as well as larger, internally ventilated front disc brakes. Anti-roll bars at the front and rear kept the car safely on track in corners.

The designers also reflected the sporty character of the first Opel Corsa GSi in its appearance. The standard specification at the time already included sports seats, a three-spoke sport steering wheel, a rev counter, sports alloy wheels and wide tyres. With its technology and design, the first-generation Opel Corsa GSi paved the way for future generation sporty Corsa models.

GSi = fun-to-drive: Opel Corsa B GSi and Opel Corsa C GSi boost performance

A particularly sporty model variant hit the road in 1993, the Opel Corsa GSi 16V. It featured colour-keyed side-sills and bumpers as well as front and rear spoilers. The standard equipment also included electronically controlled ABS, a rev-counter and wide tyres.

As most powerful Corsa model of its time, the second-generation Opel Corsa GSi offered 80 kW (109 hp) and impressed once more with plenty of power from low revs (‘low-end torque characteristics’). The small car could sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 195 km/h. A sporty chassis and gas-filled shock absorbers helped to bring the performance onto the road. The Corsa driver could shift gear using the five-speed sports gearbox, and the standard power steering helped to steer through tight bends with ease. Sports seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel created the right atmosphere in the cockpit.

In 2001, the Opel Corsa C GSi followed in the footsteps of its predecessor – stronger, faster and more powerful than before. With a top speed of 202 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.0 seconds, the third-generation Corsa GSi was the fastest production Corsa to date. At the same time, the Corsa GSi’s 92 kW (125 hp) 1.8-litre engine impressed not only in terms of power but also, thanks to 165 Newton metres of torque, with sporty bursts of acceleration while maintaining modest fuel consumption. This was made possible by an advanced engine management system controlling sequential fuel injection, particularly precise fuel distribution, ignition and other functions. Even back then, the developers focused on delivering sporty driving pleasure in the most resource-efficient way possible.

Start of the Opel Corsa OPC era in 2007: Even sportier, stronger and more expressive

From 2007 onwards, the ‘OPC’ abbreviation had finally come to stand for pure dynamic driving fun in the Opel Corsa as well. In that year, Opel presented the Corsa D OPC with 141 kW (192 hp) and 266 Newton metres of torque. With a dark-contrasting diffuser, striking gills, powerful front and rear aprons and a roof spoiler, the OPC showed at first glance what drivers could expect. But the end of the line had not yet been reached. In 2010, the Corsa OPC ‘Nürburgring Edition’ – the most powerful Corsa to date – followed. Its characteristics: 154 kW (210 hp), 280 Newton metres of torque, from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h! The newly developed Bilstein performance chassis and the special high-performance braking system from Brembo brought the power safely to the road.

Opel continued to cater to GSi fans amongst Corsa drivers too: For all those who preferred a more discreet sportiness with superior power delivery, Opel had also the fourth-generation Corsa GSi on offer. With 110 kW (150 hp) and a top speed of 210 km/h, the for the first time turbo-charged car closed the gap between the ‘ordinary’ production Corsa and the high-performance OPC variant.

 

The OPC of the fifth-generation Corsa, which followed in 2015, also demonstrated right from the start that, whether on the famous Green Hell of the Nürburgring race track or in the urban jungle, the Corsa E OPC feels at home anywhere. Once again being the fastest member of the Corsa family with a top speed of 230 km/h, it combined uncompromising sportiness with superb everyday practicality. This sporty car, just under four metres long, impressed with its powerful turbo engine delivering 152 kW (207 hp) and 280 Newton metres of torque, its agile handling and, last but not least, its sporty design: Recaro performance seats, a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel and sports pedals inside, as well as large air intakes, a strongly contoured bonnet, bold side skirts, a dominant rear spoiler and the twin exhaust tailpipes flanked by a diffuser on the outside all bore witness to the power of the Corsa OPC. And to channel this power onto the road in a controlled manner, the Corsa E OPC featured, for the first time, a suspension system with Frequency Selective Damping technology.

‘Hot hatch’, the next level: The new Opel Corsa GSE electrifies the public

To all who want to experience an exhilarating, high-performance driving experience in a state-of-the-art small car before the end of this year will not have to wait much longer. The new Opel Corsa GSE is on the way. It succeeds the Opel Corsa OPC as the most powerful Corsa to date and takes the ‘hot hatch’ experience to the next level – uncompromising, thrilling and, above all, fully electric and locally emissions-free. After all, that is exactly what GSE stands for: Grand Sport Electric!

 With 207 kW (281 hp) – that is 181 hp per 1,000 kilogrammes of vehicle weight! – and 345 Newton metres of torque, the new Opel Corsa GSE will offer just as much electric power as the Opel Mokka GSE. At the same time, however, the top-of-the-line version of the model family becomes even more dynamic. With an acceleration of just 5.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h1, the high-performance Corsa pushes its driver into the GSE sports seat more vehemently than any other current Opel production model.

Sophisticated technology also contributes to the exceptional performance, handling stability and direct feedback: the Opel Corsa GSE has front-wheel drive with Torsen-multi-plate limited-slip differential and a lowered sports chassis with specifically designed axles, stabilisers and hydraulic shock absorbers. GSE-optimised steering and pedal tuning underlines the highly dynamic driving experience. And if necessary, four-piston performance brakes ensure immediate deceleration from high speeds.

The new Opel Corsa GSE confidently showcases its performance. Numerous details – from the GSE-specific front and rear to 18-inch wheels, performance seats, yellow seatbelts to digital displays with performance data and much more – create a Corsa GSE design with genuine wow-factor and demonstrate what emotional, all-electric ‘hot hatch’ driving fun is all about in its purest form.

[1] All data are provisional. Vehicle not yet homologated and not yet available.

[2] The values of a vehicle depend not only on the efficient use of fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behavior and other non-technical factors.

Order Books now Open: New Opel Mokka YES with Extra Slice of Style

• Character at first glance: YES special edition from €30,340 (RRP incl. VAT in Germany) with Koral Orange paint and orange accents in the interior
• Attractive YES advantages: Roof in carbon black, black 17-inch alloy wheels, wheel arches and elements in front and rear bumpers, reversing camera, six-way adjustable front seats, armrest in the centre console
• Wide range of drive options: Battery-electric, hybrid or with efficient combustion engine
• Real statements: Opel Mokka YES becomes an absolute eye-catcher next to the top variant Mokka GSE

The Opel Mokka stands out as an extravagant eye-catcher among compact SUVs. Now Opel is making the Mokka even more individual and distinctive. From now on, it is also available as a colourful Mokka YES special edition with attractive extras for prices starting at €30,340 (RRP incl. VAT in Germany). After the success of the Opel Corsa YES, customers who want to stand out from the crowd even more can now also do so with their very special Opel Mokka. With this, Opel is adding further flavour to the Mokka range after already introducing the highly dynamic top-of-the-line Mokka GSE.

 “The Opel Mokka is a real eye-catcher in every variant. But we wanted to make the compact customer favourite even more varied. This is exactly what the new YES special edition stands for. At the same time, we are increasing the selection for all those who want to make a personal, extra-stylish statement with their vehicle. From now on, YES fans can choose between the Corsa, Germany's most popular small car, and the confidently designed Mokka,” said Patrick Dinger, Head of Opel Germany.

Like its Corsa counterpart, the new Opel Mokka YES also relies on strong colours and attractive series extras. The special edition is recognisable at first glance thanks to the unusual Koral Orange paint finish. The interior design is specially matched to the unmistakable colour. The decors around the instrument panel, the seat inserts as well as the stitching in seats and doors also shine in radiant orange. On the outside, the standard black 17-inch alloy wheels, the black roof and the matching lower front, side and rear areas, as well as the optional black bonnet, provide a characteristic contrast and an independent appearance. Those who prefer to set accents with a different paint finish, can alternatively choose from the colour palette of the GS line with a matching interior.

Comfort in the Opel Mokka YES is increased by standard additional features such as the six-way adjustable front seats and the armrest between driver and front passenger. All the necessary information is provided by the 10-inch driver information display and the 10-inch multimedia infotainment system’s colour touchscreen. Smartphones can be connected wirelessly via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Parking and manoeuvring in the city is made easier by the reversing camera, which is also standard. Privacy and protection from sunlight in the rear are provided by the dark-tinted rear windows.

In addition, various packages are on offer that further enhance the new Opel Mokka YES. While the tech packages include features such as front parking assist or adaptive cruise control, the infotainment package has integrated navigation with over-the-air updates, natural voice recognition and wireless charger. The comfort package offers, among other things, a double load floor and the winter package features heated front seats and steering wheel.

Opel Mokka YES customers can choose from three drivetrains. The locally emissions-free Opel Mokka Electric YES offers 115 kW (156 hp) and the hybrid version comes with 107 kW (145 hp) and electrified six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Alternatively, a classic 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 100 kW (136 hp) is also available.

[1] The values of a vehicle depend not only on the efficient use of fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors.

Opel Confirms Strategic Steps Towards Local Vehicle and Engine Production in Algeria

• During the German-Algerian Economic Forum in Berlin today, the already announced Opel vehicle plant was confirmed as part of the cooperation between Germany and Algeria
• In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Berlin between Opel Automobile GmbH and AGM Holding Company SpA to localise the first engine production in Algeria
• The project will support the development of Algeria's automotive ecosystem while creating the required local production capacity for Opel

During the German-Algerian Economic Forum in Berlin, Opel confirmed to establish a full-scale vehicle manufacturing plant in Algeria producing cars. The project follows a local-for-local approach designed to strengthen the carmaker's long-term presence in the Algerian market.

In addition, Florian Huettl, CEO of Opel Automobile GmbH, and Mohamed Fawzi El Kabir, Managing Director of AGM Holding Company SpA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming their intention to integrate a local engine manufacturing line into Opel's future industrial footprint in Algeria. Through this initiative, Opel is set to become the first automotive manufacturer to produce engines locally in Algeria

Both projects contribute to a broader economic and industrial cooperation between Germany and Algeria and will support the development of Algeria's automotive ecosystem by creating new investment opportunities for companies across the value chain.

These announcements were made during the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria’s visit to Berlin on July 16 and 17, an occasion chosen by the company to officially announce this new milestone in its industrial development in Algeria.

"I was delighted to meet His Excellence the President of Algeria. We discussed the importance of the market that has significant potential for Opel. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding represents a strategic milestone as we continue to expand our international footprint beyond Europe," said Florian Huettl, CEO of Opel Automobile GmbH. "Our ambition is to make Opel's German engineering expertise and mobility solutions accessible to even more customers around the world. Today's agreement lays the foundation for long-term cooperation with our Algerian partners and reinforces our shared ambitions to create sustainable value. The project will support the development of Algeria's automotive ecosystem while creating the required local production capacity for Opel."