Late last month, Opel unveiled the Corsa GSi hatchback – a potent three-door that will remain forbidden fruit in the U.S. The funky supermini is sporty, with its bigger air vents, red brake calipers, 18-inch wheels, and chrome exhaust tip. However, Opel didn't reveal any details about the powertrain. We speculated on what engine the three-door hot hatch could receive, and it appears we weren't too far off in our guess.
A turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine is standard, producing 150 horsepower (110 kilowatts) and 162 pound-feet (220 Newton-meters) of torque. That may not seem like much, but that gives the little runabout 100-hp/liter. The engine pairs with a short-ration, six-speed gearbox. Opel says the Corsa GSi will go from zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 8.9 seconds. Top speed is 129 mph.
These aren't supercar levels of performance, but for a three-door hatch, the combination will be plenty fun to drive. The use of the Sport chassis borrowed from hardcore OPC version should give the GSi a feeling of nimbleness around corners, and during spirited driving.
There are no images of the Corsa GSi's interior, but customers should expect a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel, a leather-wrapped gearshift knob, aluminum sport pedal, and optional Recaro seats. Exterior design touches include the revised fascia, red brake calipers, prominent rear spoiler, and molded side sills. The Corsa GSi looks just sporty enough without looking cartoonish, and it also differentiates itself from the less-sport Corsa models in the Opel lineup.
The Opel Corsa GSi should go on sale later this year in Europe, which will have its Vauxhall-badged counterpart heading for the U.K. market. There's little chance we'll get the Opel Corsa GSi in the U.S., even with PSA – which now owns Opel – planning a comeback to the country. This will likely be the last performance model for this generation of the Corsa.
