Opel last week reintroduced the Corsa Lite nameplate to South Africa more than a decade after the previous Lite was removed from the market.
Starting at R349,900 – including a 5-year/100,000km warranty and 3-year/45,000km service plan – the new Lite assumes the entry-level position of the sixth-generation Corsa family, but despite this status, it boasts quite the well-rounded spec sheet.
With the looks and powertrain to match, the hatchback presents an attractive option to buyers in the market for a sleek city car.
More than meets the eye
With the same engine equipped across the line-up, the Lite name implies that the new Corsa is likely to skimp on features to keep its price down, but this is not the case.
Except for the finer, lesser-needed luxuries such as leather trimmings found in the pricier derivatives, buyers of the Lite will be hard-pressed to find something left out.
Standard fittings for this model include automatic Eco-LED headlamps with leveling control and high-beam assist, lane-keep assist, hill-start assist, front pedestrian detection, cruise control, a 7-inch digital driver’s display, and a 7-inch infotainment system with MirrorLink smartphone connection and six speakers.
Moreover, the Opel features cloth seats in Jet Black, a tilt and telescopic-adjustable multifunction steering wheel, front electric windows, a tyre pressure monitor with deflation detection, six airbags, ABS, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Following the introduction of the Lite, the entire Corsa range now employs a 1.2-litre, turbo-petrol motor instead of the naturally-aspirated engine found on the outgoing entry-level variant.
In this particular model, the engine pairs with a six-speed manual transmission for a total output of 74kW and 205Nm, while fuel consumption for the setup is measured at 5.7l/100km.
It’s not the most rapid hatch on sale, claiming the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.9 seconds, though it can reach a respectable top speed of 194km/h.
With a compact footprint of 4,055mm in length, 1,745mm in width, and 1,435mm in height, the Opel also provides a decent boot with space for 309 litres of cargo in five-seater mode and 1,081 litres with the rear bench folded flat.
Keyword: The Opel Corsa Lite is back – What you get for R350,000