GSi does not earn its badge
ROAD TEST/ Hard suspension with lukewarm engine gives the Opel Corsa GSi an identity crisis, writes Denis Droppa
Admittedly, Opel doesn’t claim that the new Corsa GSi is some kind of GTI beater. So intent is the company on not pitching this car as a hot hatch that it doesn’t even quote its top speed or 0-100km/h acceleration figures.
It refers to this Corsa as a “sport luxury car with a powertrain which focuses on everyday driving needs”.
“Opel is pioneering this new trend by gently distancing the new GSi badge from its historical pure performance roots,” says the press release.
That may be a tough nut to crack given how GSi has become a synonym for speed since the glory days of the Opel Kadett GSi that raced in Group N in the 1980s and 1990s.
It would have been easier to give this Corsa a different moniker and reserve GSi for an Opel with more passion in its pants than a 1.4l turbo engine with outputs of 110kW and 220Nm. This is the same engine that powered the now discontinued Corsa 1.4T Sport model, and that was a car I liked because it didn’t pretend to be anything it wasn’t and offered good bang for the buck at a R290,000 price tag.
The new Corsa GSi has the same engine, is dressed up with a sporty body kit, rock-hard suspension, and sells for R365,900. There’s the rub.
In fairness there is a feelgood factor to driving the Corsa GSi as the engine revs sweetly and has decent midrange torque, while the short-shift sixspeed manual gearbox makes this an enjoyable visceral driving experience in an age of auto cars. It shifts gears smoothly enough, and there’s enough power here to elicit slight torque steer at the front wheels, but ultimately it’s no hot hatch and the more powerful Polo GTI will run circles around it.
The experience of driving the Corsa GSi is generally overwhelmed by the brutally hard suspension, which feels like it’s been tuned to suit a car with a snarlingly powerful engine.
The suspension and brakes were set up on the Nurburgring Nordschleife and the package is topped off by 18-inch light alloy wheels and high-grip tyres. This makes the Corsa GSi sharp and well mannered in fast curves, as long as they’re not too bumpy. But pairing an exceedingly sporty chassis with lukewarm
power is jarring, like a heavyweight boxer with tiny arms.
The car certainly looks the part, with its large air intakes, honeycomb grille and moulded side sills. The external mirrors are in racing-look carbon colour and there’s a prominent spoiler on the derriere.
Inside, the GSi continues the sporty show-and-tell with nappa leather-clad Recaro seats, a flat-bottomed sport steering wheel and alloy pedals.
As for the rest, the Corsa has aged pretty well for a four-yearold car. The interior fabrics and surfaces look smart and the infotainment and connectivity is all right up to date.
This top-of-the-range Corsa is well stocked with features, including some you wouldn’t expect in a small car including heated front seats, heated steering and a Driver Assistance Pack that includes lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and forward collision alert.
One curious omission is that the onboard computer lacks an average fuel consumption reading, meaning we couldn’t verify the 5.8l/100km figure claimed by the factory.
With its hard ride and three doors the Corsa GSi doesn’t offer much family practicality, but the rear seats flip down to create a large cargo hold that’s big enough for bicycles and other bulky toys. There’s no spare wheel, just a puncture repair kit.
The Corsa GSi is fairly entertaining to drive but it doesn’t do justice to a badge that was forged on racetracks by drivers such as Mike Briggs and Grant McCleery.
One can’t just hand out GSi badges like finisher medals at a 5km fun run. A car has to earn the tag and this Corsa just doesn’t quite make the grade. Value for money
Overall
Opel Corsa GSi, 110kW/220Nm R365,900 Suzuki Swift 1.4T Sport, 103kW/230Nm R315,900 VW Polo GTI, 147kW/320Nm R398,400