30 Years Opel Corsa B: Innovative Bestseller

• 1993 until 2000: Second Opel Corsa generation continued success of best-selling small car
• Safety benchmark: Opel Corsa B was first in class with double door beams and seatbelt tensioners
• Pocket rocket: Opel Corsa GSi with 80 kW/109 hp, sports chassis and sharp styling
• Start of new era: Second generation Corsa was first to be “Made in Eisenach”
• Fun to drive goes electric: Locally emissions-free new Opel Corsa Electric in two power outputs available now

Opel Corsa is a success story, a long-running hit. Since its launch in 1982, more than 14.5 million units have been produced. The bestseller goes from success to success. It was the best-selling car in the United Kingdom in 2021 and Germany's most popular small car over the past two years. Now sales of the new Opel Corsa have begun – more modern, more digital and more diverse than ever. The new Corsa is available for the first time in two battery-electric performance levels as the Corsa Electric. In addition, the adaptive IntelliLux LED Matrix light, which the Corsa brought to the small car market segment in 2019, has also been further optimised. These are just two examples of the recipe that has made Opel’s smallest such a great success: make innovations from higher classes available to small car buyers – and above all affordable.

This applied especially to the second Opel Corsa generation. After the breakthrough of Opel Corsa A, introduced in 1982, it went one step further when it was launched exactly 30 years ago. With an independent design and features that set safety standards, as well as a high level of comfort and practical benefits, it celebrated worldwide success and even cracked the four-million mark in sales by the year 2000. In addition, as of 1993, Opel Corsa B opened a new era as the first Opel Corsa “made in Eisenach”.

Rounding the edges: Opel Corsa B - variants with new styling cues

The designers led by Hideo Kodama took a risk with the successor to the first Corsa. Despite the great success of the angular Opel Corsa A, the decision was made in Rüsselsheim to make Opel Corsa B more appealing to women. So Kodama got to work and designed a much rounder, softer Opel Corsa, whose headlights looked like large eyes. The smooth, rounded shapes were inspired by the Junior concept car, which had caused a stir a few years earlier. But the softly flowing contours also had a practical effect: they improved aerodynamics and thus reduced fuel consumption.

Also noticeable was the different design of the three and five-door models. The designers had practically created two models with their own character. They gave the three-door model a sporty silhouette with a coupé-like rear, while the five-door was the “family” variant with a more upright tailgate. The rear was more spacious for the passengers in the second row and the luggage volume increased to a maximum of 1,150 litres.

Opel Corsa B especially stood out with its wide range of variants. Five equipment levels from Eco to Swing, Joy and Sport to the GSi offered something for every taste, also thanks to the matching fabric patterns and colours. In addition, Opel complemented the three and five-door hatchbacks with an estate, a four-door notchback and even a pick-up for certain markets.

Benchmark for comfort and safety: Opel Corsa B set standards in its class

The further development from generation A to B also benefited comfort and, above all, safety. Opel Corsa grew by 10 centimetres to almost 3.73 metres in length, had a longer wheelbase and extremely short body overhangs. In addition, the windscreen had been pulled further forwards and the rear of the five-door model sloped down at a steep angle. All these measures enabled the Corsa B to offer the best values in its class in terms of space and freedom of movement (head, shoulder and leg room). Large windows and narrow pillars created a light, airy interior atmosphere and enabled good all-round visibility. In order to ensure a clear view from all sides, even in bad weather, a special windscreen surround on the sides kept rainwater away from the windows; the aerodynamically designed exterior mirror housings also had a small lip that prevented the accumulation of dirt on the mirror surface and the windows.

The second Opel Corsa generation set new safety standards in the small car segment. The torsional rigidity of the body had been increased by 40 per cent compared to its predecessor. For the first time in this class, double steel beams in the doors, offering passengers additional protection in the event of a side impact, and mechanical seabelt tensioners on the front seats, were fitted as standard. Height-adjustable seatbelts at the front and rear as well as anti-submarining ramps in the seat frames were other important safety features of all Opel Corsa models. And shortly after the launch, a full-size airbag for the driver was also available.

Opel’s little sportscar: Fun-to-drive Opel Corsa GSi

A particularly sporty variant hit the road in 1993, Opel  Corsa GSi 16V. The sportiest Corsa of the time 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.

Opel Corsa GSi 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. Sports seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel created the right atmosphere in the cockpit.

Fun with responsibility: Resource conservation was built into the Opel Corsa B

At the same time, Opel showed even then that driving pleasure goes hand in hand with responsibility. Sustainability and resource conservation has always been a focal point of development for the brand with the Blitz.

The second Corsa generation set the benchmark here too, thanks to its efficient petrol engines with fuel injection and catalytic converters. With its particularly economical 1.2-litre engine (33 kW/45 hp), the Corsa already met emission standards in 1993 which came into force only three years later. And with an average consumption of 4.66 l/100 km, the Corsa Eco was “Europe's most economical car” in terms of weight and performance according to the ADAC and the ÖAMTC. In addition, with a pass-by noise of just 72 decibels in the early 1990s, it was also one of the quietest cars in Europe.

In 1990, Opel was the first car manufacturer with a recycling loop for automotive plastics. The subsequent recycling of end-of-life vehicles was therefore already considered during the design of the Corsa B. Unmixed plastic composites and easy-to-dismantle fastening techniques for individual components made an important contribution to environmentally compatible recycling. With the start of production at the Eisenach site 30 years ago, the Corsa was produced at one of the most modern and resource-efficient automobile plants in Europe.

Opel Corsa Rally Electric Driver Reiter Takes Victory at Rallye Weiz

• Rallye Weiz: Fourth round of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”
• Weiz-winner Max Reiter leads Calle Carlberg by five points halfway through season
• Pröglhöf third again on home soil, strong drives from Rumeau, Baur and Mendoza

Teams contesting the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” in their 100 kW/136 hp Opel Corsa Rally Electric cars put on another thrilling show at the Rallye Weiz, despite scorching heat. In temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, another thrilling duel broke out between Max Reiter and Calle Carlberg. This time on the tarmac roads of Styria it was Reiter who held the upper hand, the young German taking his third win of the season to put himself five points clear of his Swedish rival in the standings.

“Last year at this difficult rally we did not have our best weekend,” said Reiter, who is assisted since the start of the season by co-driver Conny Nemenich. “This time we were well prepared and immediately found a good rhythm. The fight with Calle and Luca was great fun, I hope we put on a good show for the spectators.”

Vosges winner Carlberg, who set the best time in four special stages including the final “Power Stage”, applauded his opponent: “Max showed here how fast he is. I struggled a bit from the start. The roads here are incredibly tricky because the grip level is constantly changing. In the end I tried to keep the pressure on Max without risking the important points. I expect a tough fight for the title until the end of the season.”

Like last time at the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est, the Austrian Luca Pröglhöf delivered a flawless performance alongside Christina “Dina” Ettel and placed in the top three in all but one of the special stages. The reward was the second podium in a row – and again the driver only found out about it at the finish. “Since Dina stopped showing me times, I don't worry anymore. I'm just relaxed and enjoy the rallying. I think it is great that my opponents also respect our approach and don't tell me how things are going.”

Sarah Rumeau, Joe Baur and Armiche Mendoza also put on a strong performance. The fast Frenchwoman and her co-driver Julie Amblard finished fourth for the third time in a row, just ahead of Baur (with Fabian Peter at his side). Sarah made no secret of her disappointment at having missed the targeted podium once more: “We are sad – fourth again! But it was a little to be expected. Everyone else in front knew the rally from last year. Our best special stage here was the first – and that was new for everyone. But we are not giving up, the podium will come at some point!”

“We didn't find a good rhythm last year, but things went well here from the start,” commented Baur. “Although it was difficult to estimate the level of grip and to guess where you can push and where you can't.” With sixth place, Mendoza also proved that he has arrived in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup. “After we missed the start of the season, it was important for us in the first three rallies to get used to the car and the Cup, especially as every rally so far has had different characteristics,” said the Spaniard, who is joined in the cockpit by co-driver Alejandro Falcon Caballero. “Confidence in the car grows with every kilometre, I feel good and I'm looking forward to the events to come.”

ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” will now take a short summer break. The second half of the season will begin on August 18-19 at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye near St. Wendel.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup 2023 (after 4 of 8 rounds):

1. Reiter, 126 points.

2. Carlberg 121.

3. Pröglhöf 84.

4. Rumeau 78.

5. Lemke 55.

6. Van Hoof 42.

7. Tarta 39.

8. Baur 36.

9. Gudet 34.

10. Callea and Wittenbeck, 27 each.

Opel Corsa Rally Electric Returns to Rallye Weiz

• Rallye Weiz is fourth round of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”
• Close contest between leaders of world’s first electric one-make rally cup
• Fast French lady, Sarah Rumeau, eager for first Cup podium

A close title-fight has broken out in this year’s ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”, the world’s first electric one-make rally cup. Calle Carlberg (22, Sweden) has cut the lead of Max Reiter (23, Germany) in the standings to one point, following his first win in the Opel Corsa Rally Electric four weeks ago on the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est in France. “It can go on like this,” laughed the young Scandinavian. Ambitious Reiter – who does not like to finish second – is unlikely to agree.

In hot pursuit are two more aces who have not yet written off their own title chances: Austrian Luca Pröglhöf (23), who scored his first Cup-podium in France, and Sarah Rumeau. The 28-year-old fast French lady from the FFSA Academy, together with her co-driver, Julie Amblard, is eager to score her first podium. “We have often been close, and with a little luck it could have been at the Rallye Vosges. But I have the feeling the first podium is not far away,” said Rumeau.

Scene is thus set for close combat on the Rallye Weiz on July 14/15, where the all-electric rally cars are making their second appearance. Last year’s rally in the east of the Austrian Styria region, with its demanding stages, large crowds and beautiful scenery, already received an enthusiastic reception from the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup teams.

In addition, the Austrian rally legend, Manfred Stohl, who has competed in no fewer than 126 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in his successful career, will once again pilot a Opel Corsa Rally Electric as course car and VIP rally taxi.

Action starts with the first three special stages on Friday, July 14, at 3.40 p.m. Second leg starts the next day at 9.40 a.m. with another eight stages. First Cup car will cross the finishing ramp at 8.30 in the evening. Opel Corsa Rally Electric Teams will cover 129 kilometres of special stages in total.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup 2023 (after 3 of 8 rounds): 

1. Reiter 92.

2. Carlberg 91.

3. Pröglhöf 59.

4. Rumeau 57.

5. Lemke 45.

6. Van Hoof 38.

7. Tarta 31.

8. Gudet 30.

9. Callea 27.

10. Rott 26.

First Glimpse of Stunning New Opel Experimental

• Forward looking: Opel Experimental gives an insight into the future of the brand
• Enlightening: Illuminated new Blitz sits proudly at the centre of the Opel Compass
• Attention to detail: Flush body surfacing, aero-efficiency and resource-conserving

After revealing the name of its upcoming concept car as the Opel Experimental just last week, the German brand has now offered a tantalising preview of the design study by releasing first images of the vehicle. The photographs reveal the extreme precision and high attention to detail of the Opel Experimental, which will show the future of the Opel brand with its more technical and extreme interpretation of the Bold and Pure design philosophy.

“Opel Experimental marks the start of a new chapter for our brand. It was designed to provide a tangible vision of where the Opel brand is heading. We will be revealing more details soon – so stay tuned,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

One of the most eye-catching features teased by the images is the further development of the Opel Compass, the guiding element of Opel’s design philosophy. The new illuminated Blitz sits confidently at the centre of the compass in a new iteration of the Opel Vizor, the brand’s characteristic front fascia and technology hub. It is flanked by the elongated wing signature lighting on the horizontal axis while the illuminated centre crease adds further drama. A distinctive red-light graphic on flush body surfacing, devoid of unnecessary shut lines, suggests the repetition of the compass at the rear of the Opel Experimental.

Elsewhere, aerodynamic efficiency has long been a hallmark of Opel passenger cars and the vane-like construction of the eye-catching wheels indicate that the Opel Experimental will also share this attribute. The futuristic cues are continued on the interior with the profiled seat structure hinting at a sustainable, resource-conserving approach to the ergonomic seats that are typical for Opel vehicles.

Opel Experimental will celebrate its world premiere at this year’s IAA Mobility in Munich (September 5 to 10, 2023).

Vauxhall Electric Range Shines in Latest SMMT New Car Sales Figures

• Vauxhall Corsa Electric was the best-selling Small Electric Car (Electric B-Hatch) in June, according to SMMT 
• Vauxhall Mokka Electric topped the sales charts in the Small Electric SUV (Electric B-SUV) category for the month
• Vauxhall Astra Plug-in Hybrid was the third-best selling plug-in hybrid model in the UK in June
• Vauxhall will be an electric-only manufacturer by 2028, seven years ahead of the UK Government deadline

Vauxhall’s electric car range continues to shine in the UK new car sales charts, according to the latest new car registration figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Vauxhall Corsa Electric was the best-selling Small Electric Car (Electric B-Hatch) in June, with 262 sold, while Vauxhall Mokka Electric topped the Small Electric SUV (Electric B-SUV) sales in June with 1136 sold. Petrol variants of Vauxhall Corsa also topped the Small Car (B-Hatch) segment, with Vauxhall Corsa the UK’s third-best selling car in June, with 4146 registered, and the second-best selling car so far this year.

Vauxhall Astra Plug-in Hybrid was also the third-best selling plug-in hybrid in the UK in June, with 76 registered in the month.

Vauxhall will become an electric-only brand by 2028, seven years ahead of the UK Government deadline.

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “With a growing line-up of electric and electrified models, we are pleased to see so many of our models perform well in the sales charts. This showcases the depth and quality of the Vauxhall electrified range.”

Stellantis reveals STLA Medium Platform with State-of-the-Art features including Best-in-Class Range of 700 kilometers

• STLA Medium is designed to meet customer expectations on what matters most to them: Best-in-class range of more than 700 km (435 miles), charging time, performance, efficiency, affordability, driving pleasure  
• STLA Medium is the first of four global BEV platforms to be launched less than two years after EV Day presentation in July 2021
• Flexibility of STLA Medium enables one platform to host several brands’ passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs in C and D segments – the heart of the global vehicle market
• STLA Medium will be installed in several plants to support bold electrification ambition, starting with Europe

Stellantis N.V. unveiled STLA Medium, a global BEV-by-design platform with state-of-the-art features including best-in-class range of 700 kilometers (435 miles), energy efficiency, embedded power and charging power.

STLA Medium platform offers long range combined with designed-in flexibility to host a variety of vehicles and propulsion configurations in the heart of the market, the C- and D-segments, which accounted for 35 million sales in 2022 – nearly half the 78.5 million vehicles sold globally that year. Today, Stellantis brands offer 26 vehicle nameplates in those segments on a variety of platforms. Up to two million vehicles per year can be built on the STLA Medium platform in several plants across the world, starting in Europe this year.

“What we see today is the product of just over two years of no-compromise innovation to deliver clean, safe and affordable mobility, supported by our €30 billion investment in electrification and software through 2025,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. “The STLA Medium platform demonstrates the power of the global Stellantis technical community, delivering products that are hyper-focused on our customers and rewriting long-held assumptions of transportation as we drive for carbon net zero by 2038.”

STLA Medium is the first of four global BEV platforms, outlined on EV Day 2021, that underpin the Company’s future products and are key to achieving the bold targets of the Stellantis Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, including reaching a 100% passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and a 50% passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030. Dare Forward 2030 is led by deep emission cuts to slash CO2 in half by 2030, benchmarking the 2021 metrics, and achieve carbon net zero by 2038, with single-digit percentage compensation of the remaining emissions.

STLA Medium Is Fitted to Exceed Customer Expectations

BEV-by-design STLA Medium platform delivers best-in-class range of more than 700 km (435 miles) with a Performance pack, while a Standard pack is rated at more than 500 km (310 miles) on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). With a useful energy up to 98 kilowatt-hours (kWh), STLA Medium is best in class in embedded energy between the wheels.

STLA Medium, which uses a 400-volt electric architecture, will deliver best-in-class energy efficiency and charging time and connectivity to a charging and services ecosystem that enhances every journey. Depending on the application, consumption can be less than 14 kWh per 100 km, which is best in class in energy efficiency. Owners will be able to take their battery from 20% to 80% charge in 27 minutes, a rate of 2.4 kWh per minute.

Vehicles based on STLA Medium will be sold globally and be available with front-drive propulsion or all-wheel drive with the addition of a second electric drive module at the rear, with BEV power output range from 160 kW to 285 kW.

Body styles will include passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs. The flexibility of STLA Medium gives Stellantis designers the freedom to create vehicles with:

• A wheelbase that can range between 2,700-2,900 millimeters
• An overall length range of 4.3-4.9 meters
• Ground clearance of more than 220 mm to ensure off-road capability and performance
• Wheels up to 750 mm in diameter, a key attribute for the platform design

Stellantis engineering and manufacturing experts focused on making installation of the modular, high-energy density single-layer battery pack at the assembly plant as efficient as possible, maximizing space inside the vehicle and improving ride and handling with a low center of gravity. Platform components, such as the cabin heating/cooling system, steering, braking assist and propulsion are designed to minimize energy consumption. Those efforts combine with extensive use of lightweight and rigid materials to optimize vehicle range and deliver exemplary ride and handling performance.

STLA Medium will deliver best-in-class battery packaging cost that also enhances production volumes. The perimeter dimensions of the battery pack are constant among the stored energy options, with common tray and cooling designs.

Future-Proof Platforms

The STLA platform family (Small/Medium/Large/Frame) is engineered to be future proof – modular and inherently flexible in wheelbase, width, overhang, ride height and suspension design. The capabilities and performance of STLA based vehicles will adapt and improve over the years with the implementation of the STLA Brain architecture, STLA SmartCockpit and STLA AutoDrive platforms – enabling over-the-air updates to software and enhanced hardware.

The engineered-in flexibility includes propulsion – front-drive, rear-drive, all-wheel drive and multi-energy – covered by a family of three, scalable electric drive modules (EDMs).

The platforms are designed with provisions for future battery chemistries, including nickel- and cobalt-free and solid-state batteries. This enables Stellantis brands to tailor vehicle capabilities for the ideal balance of cost and performance.

Opel Experimental: German Brand Reveals Name of Next Visionary Concept Car

• World Premiere: Opel Experimental on display at IAA Mobility in Munich
• Clear vision: Concept car will influence future production vehicles
• New emblem: New concept car first vehicle to proudly sport new Opel ‘Blitz’

Opel has teased its newest concept car by revealing the name as the Opel Experimental. The German brand will release further details in the coming weeks before presenting the Opel Experimental to an international audience at the IAA Mobility in Munich (September 5 to 10, 2023).

Opel CEO Florian Huettl said: “As the name indicates, the Opel Experimental will give a clear vision for the brand and not just for a carline. It shows where our brand is heading in the coming years – and will influence all our next generation production vehicles. It is a symbol for what we want to achieve with the Opel brand.”

Opel Experimental also represents the next stage in the evolution of the critically acclaimed Bold and Pure design philosophy first seen in the GT X Experimental. The new concept car embodies the further sharpening of the brand within Stellantis by bringing additional life to the brand pillars Detox, Modern German, and Greenovation.

In addition, the latest creation from the Rüsselsheim Design Centre will be the first Opel to proudly sport the recently revealed new Opel ‘Blitz’. The sharper, confident new ‘Blitz’ is positioned prominently at the centre of the compass, which is Opel’s key graphic design principle and the backbone of front, rear and interior design elements.

Opel Experimental continues the long and successful tradition of concept cars “made in Rüsselsheim”, a tradition that started in 1965 when Opel became the first European brand to present a design study in the form of the legendary Experimental GT.