Thanks to a series of enhancements, mainly to the engine and transmission, the new Corsa 1.3 CDTI is claiming the title of the most economical diesel model that Opel and its sister company Vauxhall have ever built.
The latest generation of the three-door Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX Start/Stop returns a fuel economy of 3.3lt/100km or 85.6mpg UK / 71.3mpg US, with corresponding CO2 emissions of 88g/km. That’s a 0.2lt/100km or 2.4mpg UK and a 6g/km improvement over the 2011 model.
The respective figures for the five-door version are 3.4lt/100km or 83.1mpg UK and 89 g/km CO2.
“In just five years, from the first Corsa ecoFLEX to today, we have been able to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions by 26 per cent, while at the same time increasing performance by over 26 per cent,” commented Mike Ableson, Vice President Engineering at Opel/Vauxhall.
The changes that allowed a 7 percent improvement in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions include a revised version of the Corsa’s 1.3-liter turbo diesel that gains a variable displacement oil pump delivering only the necessary oil pressure to reduce the energy needed for oil circulation, the use of special low-viscosity transmission oil and a reprogrammed ECU.
The list also includes a new generation of the Opel/Vauxhall-engineered manual transmission with new gears and modified parts (available on all Corsa models from November 2012), and a newly designed set of 185/65 R15 low-rolling-resistance tyres.
In its latest iteration, the Corsa ecoFLEX’s 1.3-liter oil burner develops an output of 94Hp (95PS) and a maximum torque of 190Nm (140 lb-ft) available between 1,750 and 3,250rpm, for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 12.3 seconds and a top speed of 177km/h (110mph)
Along with the new Corsa EcoFlex, and aside from the new gearbox that we mentioned earlier, the automaker announced that all Corsa models except the OPC / VXR Nürburgring Editions benefit from a revised suspension with new dampers that will improve ride comfort on rough roads and urban areas at low speeds without affecting handling.
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