Opel’s first electric car, the new Corsa-e, competes well with others in its class
OUTWARDLY, the new Opel Corsa-e differs little from its fossil-fuel Corsa siblings apart from a few little e-badges on the side windows and boot - but it gets a fair old dollop of extra equipment compared with the diesel and petrols.
That helps, considering the opening price is €27,000 or thereabouts, while the higher-trim version costs nearly €31,000. It is a lot of money for an admittedly roomy supermini, but the main reason for the cost is the simple fact it is electric. We should never forget that it would be €10,000 more again, only that we taxpayers are subsidising it so significantly.
To be fair, the price/package is competitive as it is for perceived rivals such as the Peugeot e-208, Renault Zoe, Mini electric, Hyundai Ioniq and Nissan Leaf.
Technically, the Opel is a match for any of them. There is 100kW (136hp) of power and it felt spritely when I pushed for pickup. It can nip from a standing start to 100kmh in 8.1 secs.
The 50kWh battery pack (216 cells arranged in 18 modules) can manage a range of up to 337km between charges. Fast charging will get you 80pc of that in 30 minutes.
On a test drive it was grand in urban driving at low speeds, especially where the driver could capture deceleration and braking energy. But, predictably, anything approaching motorway velocity burnt up range rapidly.
The Corsa is a sturdy little number but, after driving its Peugeot first cousin (they belong in the same group), it has to be said it doesn’t have its exterior design or interior flair. Whatever about the former, the latter will become an increasingly distinguishing priority.
That said, the Peugeot has a stand-out cabin that outshines the others too.
Nonetheless, the Cosa-e is nicely set up to drive; there was an excellent feel to it on the road and it was easy to get around in general thanks to excellent steering and feedback.
Within the PSA Group, Opel is emphasising its German-build quality as a distinguishing feature. That is reflected in the more straightforward, direct design lines and comes across in the sturdy looking dash/ central console. This is easy to use and key driving information and infotainment are presented clearly. It’s an area that can be overlooked. Some can be really fussy and poorly positioned, which can force you to peer for much longer than should be the case.
It tips about nicely on the sort of nip-around urban journeys for which it was made. It was grand on longer drives, too but, understandably, like all the others in that respect, could not escape the physical reality: the faster you go, the more power you use more rapidly in an EV.