Opel Corsa wins prestigious AUTOBEST 2015 award

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• “Best Buy Car of Europe for 2015″: Opel’;s new small car wins over expert jury


• First car in AUTOBEST history to win with consecutive model generations

26 JANUARY 2015 - Rüsselsheim. Just 3 months after its European launch, Opel has already received over 55 000 orders for the fifth generation Corsa. In addition to the enthusiastic reception from European buyers, the Corsa has been recognised by a panel of judges who have bestowed it with the AUTOBEST 2015 award.

At the large test finale in Belgrade, Serbia, the newcomer prevailed with a total of 994 points over similarly brand-new competitors including the Hyundai i20 (906 points), Skoda Fabia (871 points) and Citroën C4 Cactus (830 points) making it the first ever car in AUTOBEST history to win the prestigious award with consecutive model generations.

The AUTOBEST expert jury is made up of leading motoring journalists from 15 central and eastern European countries. Comprising around 300 million people, the award is extremely popular and highly respected in this market. Only cars with a compelling price-performance ratio can win this title, because next to classic vehicle characteristics, the jury also carefully considers maintenance costs, spare-parts distribution and dealers’; range of services.

Ultimately the best deal for the normal, average customer is victorious – and the Opel Corsa proved to be unbeatable. Dan Vardie, chairman of the AUTOBEST jury, stated: “The new Corsa proved to be a great small car. All the jury members noticed the arguments that made the new Opel `The Best Buy Car of Europe in 2015′. The new generation Corsa is a meaningful evolution of the Opel model that won AUTOBEST award 6 years ago.”

“We are convinced that the Corsa is the best new small car, and now the AUTOBEST jury has confirmed this,” commented Opel Group CEO, Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann. “We are very proud of this. The new-generation Corsa stands for the art of German engineering, emotional design and excellent value for money. Safety and assistance systems as well as new, state-of-the-art engines and transmissions are real technological highlights.”

The Corsa is one of Opel’;s most important models and accounts for around one-4th of the tradition-rich brand’;s total sales. In the 32 years since the first-generation Corsa was introduced to the market, over 12.4 million units of the small car have been sold. The 4th-generation alone, the Corsa D, sold around 3 million units between 2006 and 2014 and won the AUTOBEST award in 2007. The new Corsa is also a cornerstone of Opel’;s ongoing product offensive: to 2018, the brand will introduce 27 new cars and 17 new engines to the market.

The all-new Corsa reaches South African roads during the first quarter of 2015.

Opel Corsa wins prestigious AUTOBEST 2015 award

Opel Debuts New Corsa Hatchback in Paris, Nails Most Confusing Engine Lineup Ever Award

Mainstream automobile, hot entrance: This is the script Opel followed for the introduction of its new fifth-generation Corsa hatchback. The profitable subcompact Opel debuted with a small aid from German supermodel Claudia Schiffer at the 2014 Paris auto show. Oh, and the less blonde and even less leggy Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel’s CEO, also was there.

In Europe, the Corsa competes with automobiles like the Ford Fiesta, the Volkswagen Polo, the Renault Clio, and the Fiat Punto, the final of which shares its platform with the now-defunct 4th-generation Corsa. The little Opel will go on sale in other markets, too expect to see it in locations as diverse as Latin America and China, where it will be supplied below the Chevrolet and Buick monikers, also. At launch, the Corsa lineup will consist of 3- and 5-door physique styles, but a notchback version may possibly join these 2 choices later.

Unlike some of its competitors, the new Corsa can be fitted with a number of high-finish systems such as HID headlights, auto-dimming mirrors, speed-limit recognition, lane-departure warning, a panoramic sunroof, ambient cabin lighting, and an auxiliary heating method. That’s all effectively and great, but the car’s breadth of decision gets a little out of hand when it comes to powertrain options.

Opel offers the new Corsa with 2 naturally aspirated 4-cylinders (a 1.2-liter with 68 horsepower and a 5-speed manual and a 1.4-liter with 89 horsepower and a 5-speed manual, a 5-speed automated manual, or a 6-speed torque-converter-style automatic) and a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4 with 99 horsepower and a 6-speed manual and 2 turbocharged 1.-liter 3-cylinders with 89 and 114 horsepower that each come mated to a 6-speed manual. With us? Great, due to the fact there’s a lot more: Diesel-lovers can decide on between 2 1.3-liter 4s with 74 and 94 horsepower, both of which get a 5-speed manual. Oh, and there are positive to be larger-overall performance possibilities in the future.

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Layering on the option, Opel delivers 4 curiously named trim levels: Selection, Edition, Colour Edition, and Innovation. But wait, there’s more: The German-engineered Corsa also will be rebadged as a Vauxhall for the U.K. industry. The Brits get a lowered engine portfolio but an even much more creative set of trim-level designations: Life, Sting, Sting R, Design and style, Excite, SRi, SRi VX-Line, SE, and Restricted Edition.

If the Opel Corsa ever comes to the States as a Buick—no word on that as of now—we suspect the portfolio will be severely de-cluttered. If only to avoid salespeople and consumers alike from diving off the deep end.

Opel Debuts New Corsa Hatchback in Paris, Nails Most Confusing Engine Lineup Ever Award

Opel Debuts New Corsa Hatchback in Paris, Nails Most Confusing Engine Lineup Ever Award

Mainstream auto, hot entrance: This is the script Opel followed for the introduction of its new fifth-generation Corsa hatchback. The productive subcompact Opel debuted with a tiny assist from German supermodel Claudia Schiffer at the 2014 Paris auto show. Oh, and the less blonde and even less leggy Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel’s CEO, also was there.

In Europe, the Corsa competes with cars like the Ford Fiesta, the Volkswagen Polo, the Renault Clio, and the Fiat Punto, the final of which shares its platform with the now-defunct 4th-generation Corsa. The tiny Opel will go on sale in other markets, also count on to see it in locations as diverse as Latin America and China, exactly where it will be offered under the Chevrolet and Buick monikers, too. At launch, the Corsa lineup will consist of 3- and 5-door body styles, but a notchback version may possibly join these 2 choices later.

As opposed to some of its competitors, the new Corsa can be fitted with a quantity of high-finish systems such as HID headlights, auto-dimming mirrors, speed-limit recognition, lane-departure warning, a panoramic sunroof, ambient cabin lighting, and an auxiliary heating technique. That is all nicely and great, but the car’s breadth of decision gets a little out of hand when it comes to powertrain alternatives.

Opel gives the new Corsa with 2 naturally aspirated 4-cylinders (a 1.2-liter with 68 horsepower and a 5-speed manual and a 1.4-liter with 89 horsepower and a 5-speed manual, a 5-speed automated manual, or a 6-speed torque-converter-style automatic) and a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4 with 99 horsepower and a 6-speed manual and 2 turbocharged 1.-liter 3-cylinders with 89 and 114 horsepower that each come mated to a 6-speed manual. With us? Very good, simply because there’s a lot more: Diesel-lovers can choose in between 2 1.3-liter 4s with 74 and 94 horsepower, both of which get a 5-speed manual. Oh, and there are certain to be higher-overall performance choices in the future.

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Layering on the option, Opel offers 4 curiously named trim levels: Selection, Edition, Color Edition, and Innovation. But wait, there’s far more: The German-engineered Corsa also will be rebadged as a Vauxhall for the U.K. industry. The Brits get a reduced engine portfolio but an even much more inventive set of trim-level designations: Life, Sting, Sting R, Design, Excite, SRi, SRi VX-Line, SE, and Limited Edition.

If the Opel Corsa ever comes to the States as a Buick—no word on that as of now—we suspect the portfolio will be severely de-cluttered. If only to avert salespeople and customers alike from diving off the deep finish.

Opel Debuts New Corsa Hatchback in Paris, Nails Most Confusing Engine Lineup Ever Award