Got €20k To Spare? Then Take A Look At The 150 PS Opel Corsa GSi

Opel has kicked off sales in its home market, where the Corsa GSi becomes the second GSi-badged model in the current lineup after the Insignia.

German customers can have the Corsa GSi for prices that start at €19,960 ($20,850 at current exchange rates), including VAT, undercutting the Suzuki Swift Sport by €1,440.

For that kind of money, Corsa GSi customers get a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine rated at 150 PS (148 hp) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque from 3,000 to 4,500 rpm. The four-cylinder unit is hooked to a short-ratio, six-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels.

Performance specs comply with the Corsa GSi’s “warm hatch” status: 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes 8.9 seconds and top speed is 207 km/h (129 mph). Remarkably, the small Opel needs just 9.9 seconds to accelerate from 80 to 120 km/h (50-75 mph) in fifth gear — a testament to the engine’s elasticity.

Perhaps more important is how the Corsa GSi puts the power down, and the fact that it comes with the OPC’s chassis sounds very reassuring. The chassis and the disc brakes with red calipers have been honed on the Nürburgring, with Opel guaranteeing “agile handling and short braking distances,” especially with the optional 18-inch alloys shod with 215/40 ZR18 sports tires.

Those concerned about fuel economy figures won’t be disappointed. Opel claims the GSi averages 6.4-6.1 l/100 km (36.7-38.5 mpg UK), with CO2 emissions of 147-139 g/km. The values are measured according to the new WLTP standard and converted to NEDC for comparison.