All New Opel Corsa in Depth

Press Release

Page 1: Short Version (I)
Page 2: Short Version(II)
Page 3: Market/Model
Page 4: Design
Page 5: Comfort
Page 6: Powertrain
Page 7: Chassis
Page 8: Safety
Page 9: Quality/Running Costs
Page10: Specifications
Page 11: Glossary of Technology

• Exciting combination of taut lines and vibrant surfaces

• Three and five-door models distinctively different

• Interior with high-quality design elements

Be it the three or five-door version: sporty, athletic contours always emphasize the new Opel Corsa's design language while simultaneously giving both models a distinctively different look. The three-door Corsa??????????????????????????????????????s body is stretched tautly over its technology like a muscle shirt on a bodybuilder, with athletic contours, muscular shoulders and a roof line reminiscent of a coup??????????????????. In the family-oriented five-door model, the long roof line and generous window surfaces indicate additional headroom and visibility for the rear passengers.

While both body versions have the same length and height (3999 / 1488 mm), there is a small difference in their width (3-door: 1713 mm, 5-door: 1737 mm). The H-point and roof line are 40 millimeters higher than the previous model, enabling easier entry and better visibility. Thanks to the long wheelbase (2511 mm) and wide track (front/rear: 1485 / 1478 mm), both Corsa versions have distinctively sporty proportions. The up to 17-inch wheels are placed at the body corners leaving a very short rear overhang. The designers successfully created a well-proportioned car while maintaining a compact base area. This is enhanced by the front overhang, which has a remarkably short appearance despite elaborate pedestrian protection measures.

Large, iconic headlamps mimic the Corsa????????????????????s suave, energetic personality, further enhanced by the design of the lower front bumper which articulates a friendly smile. The steeply raked A-pillars are extended forward, optically shortening the front hood and concentrating the bulk of the body between the axles.

The exterior mirrors mounted on the body shoulder come with power adjustment as standard, enabling an additional small, triangular window in front that improves forward visibility.

The three-door Corsa only shares the five-door??????????????????????????????????????s front fenders, bumper, headlamps, hood and A-pillar. Its rear window inclines at a significantly steeper angle, coupled with an almost coup??????????????????-style roof line. This look is emphasized by the side-window graphics reminiscent of the Astra GTC, forming a large, stretched arch from the A-pillar to the rear. Pronounced fenders over the rear wheels highlight the Corsa??????????????????????????????????????s powerful, sporty stance, while the rear window tapers downwards accentuating the characteristic V-shaped rear theme, a typical trademark of the Opel form language. The five-door Corsa????????????????????s window line resembles that of the five-door Astra, but has a unique C-pillar transition to the rear window.

The stylish interior design with high-quality materials and clever new features creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. Turn buttons for climate control, radio and lighting are backlit. The Lighting Package (reading lights, footwell lighting) in the Cosmo and Sport variants comes with further translucent control buttons. Piano-lacquer finish used in selected equipment variants on the center console, with a matching finish on the steering wheel spokes and air-conditioning vent rings, is of a much higher quality than normal in this class. And the new Corsa??????????????????????????????????????s high-quality interior does not just look great right down to the last detail, it is also very practical. The steering column is height and reach-adjustable, while the height-adjustable driver??????????????????????????????????????s seat, which is also standard, ensures that drivers can easily find and set their optimum individual seating position. The angled center console is optimized for reach and visibility, and the many large and small storage compartments offer plenty of space for stowing all kinds of items.

Three and five-door Corsa: Body data at a glance

How surfaces originate

A high-quality first impression of the interior is dependent on design, the materials used, the fits ??????????????????????????????????????? and the graining of the surfaces. At the same time, these no longer have to be "grained" in the original sense of the term, when the surface of the instrument panel, side cladding, storage areas and many other parts were almost exclusively finished in sympathy with the graining of the tanned animal hide. Today, finely fashioned patterns or geometrical textures are the order of the day. They are sometimes evocative of leather and, not uncommonly with a little imagination, parts of plants or even finely sprayed raindrops. Responsibility for implementing the current design concept has been assumed ??????????????????????????????????????? in close consultation with the General Motors Design Center Europe in R??????????????????sselsheim ??????????????????????????????????????? by specialists working for highly qualified suppliers who develop special tools for different surface finishes for the interior components.

The elaborate "graining" process starts with the designers' ideas and drafts. Inspired by crocodile skin, nut grains, honeycomb, lemon peel or even the dully-shimmering skin of an Amazonian frog, the creative geniuses transfer their ideas for the surface finish of the interior parts onto the screen. From this graphical master, known as the "grain concept", a black and white film is first produced before all patterns and structures are coated with an acid-resistant varnish. The film is then fitted into the tools with millimeter accuracy.

In the following step, known as "photo-chemical etching", nitric acid or hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve those parts of the tool metal that have not been covered by the acid-resistant varnish on the film. This leaves behind the required pattern, i.e. the surface design is completely transferred to the metal mold, which will emboss plastic or metal surfaces such as polyamide, vinyl or aluminum in later batch production. The dwell time in the acid bath, between two and three minutes at 22 to 25 degrees Celsius, determines the depth of etching, which lies between 0.12 and 0.3 mm. In the case of multiple etching ??????????????????????????????????????? the "multilayer process" ??????????????????????????????????????? different depths and therefore particularly plastic, three-dimensional textures are achieved.

The most important quality factor in the implementation process is the handwork: the retouching of the film when fitting it into the tool before the etching process. In order to achieve absolutely clean transitions in the structure of the interior surfaces at the edges and bends, which occur with a number of components, experienced specialists work with a magnifying glass, scalpel and touch-up pens to harmonize the sections of film, which are immediately adjacent to one another as separate segments in the tool. This activity, which is dependent on outstandingly fine motor functions and requires comprehensive graphical knowledge, creativity and patience, has not as yet been replaced by any electronics. And when designing and finishing the surface design, there must be no disturbing refraction on the finished component, as a matt and reflection-free surface that is unobtrusive and ultimately safe for the driver is required.

Creatively designed surfaces in the automobile are gaining in importance. A general development is that more and more consumer goods, including for example cell phones, electrical equipment and kitchen utensils, have textured surfaces that borrow from nature. This is particularly so in those places where the human hand acts as a sensor. The artistic efforts are enormous: 200 design concepts for widely differing surfaces have been developed for the new Opel Corsa alone.

Flexibility and Everyday Suitability

Setting the Pace in On-Board Flexibility

• Always ready for use: Flexible innovative carrier "Flex-Fix"

• Always room for more: Plenty of storage space and double load "DualFloor"

• Always ready for fresh air: Large panorama power sunroof

Be it a space-saving foldable third row of seats like in the Zafira, or the Meriva and Signum's easily adjustable individual outer rear seats: very few vehicle models adapt to their owners' comfort and transport needs as flexibly as Opel cars do. The designers display their creativity once again in the new Corsa with many stylish and practical ideas. One of these is also a world novelty: the optional flexible integrated carrier Flex-Fix, which further develops the innovative carrier system first introduced in the Opel TRIXX concept car in 2004.

The integrated rear carrier, which stows away almost invisibly into the rear bumper, can easily be pulled out as needed and can carry up to two bicycles (tire dimensions: 18 to 28 inches). Even the required additional rear lights are stored in the drawer-like carrier and can be fitted quickly. One particularly clever feature: to ensure that parking remains child's play even with bicycles mounted, a parking assist function specially developed for the Flex-Fix system can be retrofitted by Opel service partners.

Other practical features include the double load floor DualFloor, standard with the Edition, Sport and Cosmo equipment lines. Providing a flat load floor at sill height that extends to the front seat backs when the back seat is folded forward, it facilitates loading and unloading of heavy or bulky items such as beverage crates, as they can simply be slid into and out of the trunk. When the load floor is in this upper position, there are 135 liters of separate storage space available underneath it. Alternatively, the ???????????????????????????????????DualFloor???????????????????????????????? can also be lowered flat.

The Corsa??????????????????????????????????????s total storage volume in the luggage compartment up to the cover is 285 liters, and 300 liters to the top of the rear seat back. If the 60:40-split rear seat back is folded down, storage volume increases to 700 liters and to a considerable 1100 liters if the car is loaded to the roof. The rear bench seat back can also be inclined by 7.5 degrees, which provides exactly the few centimeters of space that are often missing to fit in a bulky piece of luggage, such as a folded-up stroller. Another clever idea: if the luggage compartment cover is not needed or hinders the transport of bulky items, it can be stored vertically behind the rear bench seat, keeping it out of the way but always on board for quick re-fitting.

Plenty of storage space is also available in other locations: in the front doors, for example, there is even room for 1.5-liter bottles. Between the door pocket and arm rest, a further compartment provides space for items such as mobile phones. Further storage space is also available next to the rear seats, in the conveniently partitioned glove compartment and even in a drawer beneath the front passenger seat (Edition, Cosmo). Coins and parking garage tickets can be kept in special trays in the center tunnel. In the three-door model, the side pockets are large enough for 2-liter bottles.

In addition to the clever ???????????????????????????????????FlexFix???????????????????????????????? transportation system, practical ???????????????????????????????????DualFloor???????????????????????????????? load floor and many storage compartments, the Corsa is also optionally available with a large panorama power sunroof, a design element that extends across the width of the roof. Featuring an opening which is 25 percent larger than its predecessor????????????????????s sliding roof, this new sunroof enables Corsa passengers to enjoy open-air driving at the touch of a button. A special dual-space sealing system and wind deflector effectively reduce wind noise, and a sliding blind protects against direct sunlight.

World Premiere: Flexible Integrated Carrier Flex-Fix

The idea seems simple, which is why it has already been around for several decades: to increase vehicle transport capacity by adding an integrated cargo carrier that disappears into the car body when not in use. Hendrik Hofmann, Opel Project Engineer, Bodyshell Product Development, knows why this intriguing idea never reached series production before the new Corsa: "My colleagues and I put in two and a half years of intensive work to make this seemingly simple concept reality."

The team of engineers posed itself three main questions:

Packaging: How can a rear carrier be stored without affecting other vehicle functions such as crash safety and ground clearance? A further development goal: the system should not just be suitable for the Corsa, but also adaptable to the company's other vehicles without much modification. Following the carrier's successful presentation on the small prototype TRIXX car, Opel decided to develop the first production carrier for the Corsa, a particularly tricky task given the car's short length.

Functionality: How can Opel ensure that the carrier operates safely in all weather conditions - even after hours of driving on gravel roads in Sweden or during a sudden snowstorm in the Alps?

During extensive testing, the engineers assessed the system's functionality ??????????????????????????????????????? and were even more motivated by the results: "You should have seen the astonished faces of our colleagues from other brands when we pulled our carrier out of the car's completely snow-encrusted rear during winter test drives," says Hofmann, still smiling today. Other aspects of everyday use were also carefully thought through. For example, the Flex-Fix carrier's unlocking lever is located right on the luggage compartment rim, ensuring easy access even when the trunk is full. And a special warning signal sounds when reverse gear is engaged to remind drivers that the Corsa is currently 50 centimeters longer. "We don't want customers bumping into their garage walls with the Corsa's carrier," adds Hofmann. In addition to the system for all Corsas, Opel also offers a special Park-Pilot for Flex-Fix.

Long-term durability: How can Opel ensure that Flex-Fix will last the car??????????????????????????????????????s lifetime? As an integral part of the Corsa, the system must conform to this strict Opel requirement, in contrast to carriers from accessory stores. "Our rear carrier is designed for a maximum load of 40 kg and weighs 23.5 kg itself. With a little technical imagination, it's easy to understand just how intense the pressure on the lever arms can become while traveling on uneven roads," says Hofmann, outlining the problem that had no textbook solution - a common predicament of innovation.

So the engineers mounted a carrier prototype to a test vehicle, fitted all the anchor points with sensors and subjected the car to endurance tests in Dudenhofen on the Opel test circuit's roughest tracks. The resulting data were analyzed and transferred to a special program for hydropulse testing at the R??????????????????sselsheim development center. From then on, each new enhancement could be screened for durability at the laboratory. As a result, all Flex-Fix Corsas feature extensive reinforcements in the rear floor panel area. At the rear, Opel uses the modified cross member to which a trailer hitch is normally fastened. The trailer hitch cable harness is also used for the carrier lights.

The Flex-Fix team also made no compromises when it came to corrosion protection. The integrated carrier's steel parts are not only galvanized, but are also primed via cataphoresis and protected by a resilient topcoat to even withstand years of gravel and road salt, as proven by extensive testing. In addition, the pull-out carrier's interlocking components are Teflon-coated.