By Lalit Manaktala

The new Opel Corsa was introduced by General Motors India today in a ceremony presided over by GM's global President and Chief Operating Officer, G. Richard Wagoner.

Dubbed India's "Millennium Car," the new Opel Corsa will be available in a notchback, sedan body style. It is scheduled to roll out from GM India's Halol plant in early 2000.

The Opel Corsa is being simultaneously launched across three continents: South America, Africa and Asia.

The 'customized' features for India's unique driving conditions make interesting reading -

reinforced transmission to suit city driving

reinforced suspension with gas charged shock absorbers

engine under body protection plate

engine recalibration to suit Indian fuel quality

high ground clearance

pollen micro dust filter

improved engine and body insulation systems to minimize noise and heat and ensure water and dust resistance

tropicalized a/c system for hot, humid conditions and frequent stop and go traffic

Techy Specs - 1.4 GL, 1.4 GLS, 1.6 GLS Overall Length (mm) 4056 Overall Width (mm) 1608 Overall Height (mm) 1420 Wheel Base (mm) 2443 Fuel Tank Capacity (ltrs) 46 Turining Radius (mts) 4.75 Trunk Capacity (ltrs) 390 Engine & Transmission - 1.4 GL & 1.4 GLS e-TEC X14 NE In-line, Transverse Mounted, S.O.H.C microprocessor controlled MPFI Displacement - 1389cc Cylinders - 4 Max. Power (PS/rpm) - 88/6000 Max. Torque (Nm/rpm) - 110/3200 Kerb wieght (kgs) - 1060 Engine & Transmission - 1.6 GLS e-TEC X14 NE In-line, Transverse Mounted, S.O.H.C microprocessor controlled MPFI Displacement - 1589cc Cylinders - 4 Max. Power (PS/rpm) - 92/5600 Max. Torque (Nm/rpm) - 126/3200 Kerb wieght (kgs) - 1070 Transmission - 5 Speed Manual Front Suspension - McPherson with Anti-Dive Geometry Rear Suspension - Crank Compound suspension with torsional stabilizer bars Front Brakes - Ventilated Disc Front Brakes - Drums Hydraulic Power Assist for Brakes - Dual Diagonal Circuit Steering - Rack & Pinion, Power Assisted Tyre Size - 175/70 R13 Know all about Opel Corsa- visit cybersteering CarBazaar

According to Mr Wagoner the Opel Corsa has sold more than 8 million cars in 75 international markets throughout the world and is the best selling model in the world. He said that GM is confident that with its outstanding style, performance and reliability, the new Corsa will soon be a favorite car of the people of India. "We at General Motors have over the years spent millions of crores (sic) researching the unique conditions prevailing in the region and then developing premium products that offer optimum performance. The Corsa features the latest in German engineering and design, at the same time it has been tailored to meet the unique driving conditions of India." The new Corsa is an example of the importance of India to General Motors.

The Corsa is targeted at style conscious, young at heart, upward mobile families. This reminds one of the similar target aimed at by Ford's Josh Machine. Indeed, its shape also is not very different, though it has more muscular front panels than the Esteem. Actually the lines remind one of the Astra itself, albeit a shorter truncated version. The streamlined hood with crease lines and curvaceous tail lamps with ripples in the glass tell it apart from other look-alikes.

It will be offered with two 'e-TEC' engine variants - the 1.4 liter and the 1.6 liter. Both are microprocessor controlled Multi-Port Fuel Injected engines. The maximum power and torque of the 1.6 liter engine is 92PS/5600 and 126 Nm/3200 respectively. The 1.4 liter delivers 88PS/6000 and 110 Nm/3200.

The safety features of the Astra have been retained. Dual side impact bars, rounded body panels with crumple zones, seats with anti submarining ramps, height adjustable inertia seat belts for even the rear seats, thick gauge galvanized sheet metal and energy absorbing bumpers are standard.

Sitting in the driver's seat was comfortable with plenty of leg room, even for a 6 foot person. The back seat would however be somewhat cramped for a tall person if the front seats are moved all the way back. Power steering and central locking is standard on all models as is the a/c, centrally operated fuel flap and trunk opener, fabric door trim and body coloured bumpers.

Specs and features for three models were revealed (1.4 GL, 1.4 GLS, 1.6 GLS) but in their wisdom, GM held back revealing the prices. This makes any discussion on the value of the features meaningless. Some persistent questioning revealed that the Corsa would compete with the Esteem, Accent and Ikon and we were left to draw our own conclusions. The playing ground is getting crowded and all this competition will surely be good for the consumer. The later launches have to give better value to get noticed so I expect the base model Corsa to be priced very near the Ikon's Rs 4.99 lakh. We shall have to wait till the Auto Show in Jan 2000.

TOP

By
© cybersteering.com 1999