Opel has revealed the first official details about
the upcoming sixth-generation Corsa supermini model, which is set to arrive in
the European market before the end of the year. Thanks to the adoption of PSA’s
CMP architecture, the next
Opel/Vauxhall Corsa benefits from a significant weight reduction, making it up
to 10 percent lighter than the outgoing model.
Opel goes as far as saying that the lightest version
of the 2020 Corsa will tip the scales at just 980 kg, making it 108 kg lighter than its predecessor and despite retaining a similar
footprint. The weight savings came from various measures; for starters, the use
of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels make the body-in-white 40 kg lighter while the new all-aluminum three-cylinder engines save another
15 kg.
Body panels such as the engine bonnet are made out
aluminum, saving an additional 2.4 kg while the new optimized seat
structure weighs 10 kg less than the seats in the outgoing model. The 2020 Opel Corsa will employ
PSA’s turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine offered in different
states of tune, with the company also planning a full-electric version -just
like the Peugeot 208- that’s set to go on sale in mid-2020.
Despite the common platform and components with its
French cousin, the new Opel Corsa is expected to feature its own design
character, both inside and out. When it arrives in the market, the new Corsa
will be available only with a five-door bodystyle. Opel has already teased its
upcoming Ford Fiesta rival with a preview image showing its new adaptive LED
headlights.
