Opel Corsa Electric facelift review: top comfort, but now a bit pricey - AutoReview.nl

What is striking about the Opel Corsa facelift (2023)?

Of course there are some external changes. For example, every Corsa (petrol and electric) now has LED headlights and the Vizor grille as standard, bringing it back into line with the latest Opel fashion. Imitates at the back Opel many other brands by spreading the letters 'Corsa' large over the tailgate.

Anyone who follows the electric news from Stellantis can dream of the changes to the Opel Corsa Electric (formerly Corsa-e): thanks to a new electric motor, the power increased from 136 to 156 hp. The battery is also new and uses electricity more efficiently. The range increased from 357 to 405 kilometers. There is even more good news, because consumption fell from 15.7 kWh/100 km to 14.3 kWh/100 km. Fast charging is possible unchanged at 100 kW. Opel is not childish and installs a heat pump as standard.

The large 10-inch touchscreen in the interior is new, but fortunately you can simply adjust the climate control via rotary knobs.

What is good about the new Opel Corsa (2023)?

If you have never driven an electric car, the comfort may convince you. An electric motor is much more efficient and quieter than a gasoline engine. Even in a relatively small car like the Opel Corsa, the noise level is so low that you feel like you are in a car from a higher segment. Sprinting at traffic lights or merging via a short merge lane is a piece of cake thanks to the on-demand torque of 260 Nm (in Sport mode).

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On the highway you will be slightly more bothered by wind noise due to the quiet drivetrain, but the overall comfort is top notch. The tuning of the chassis is also neat, which is a perfect Stellantis compromise between French comfort and German sportiness. Opel offers a choice of three driving programs: Eco, Normal and Sport. This influences the available power and torque and also adjusts the directness of the steering. In Eco you have to make do with limited air conditioning.

What could be improved about the electric Opel Corsa?

Then we come to a tricky point: the price of an Opel Corsa with a plug is slowly rising. When it came on the market in 2020, you paid 30,499 euros for the electric Corsa with 136 hp. This version already costs 35,990 euros (Belgian price: 36,350 euros); a price increase of 5491 euros! You even pay 37,999 euros for the Corsa with the new battery pack.

Opel wants to make electric driving affordable with the slogan 'The future is for everyone', but almost 40,000 euros for a B-segment car is something to swallow. Especially now that cheaper plug models are slowly but surely trickling into the market. A Dolphin WORLD with a larger battery (60 kWh) and more power (204 hp), for example, also costs 35,990 euros. The larger MG4 is even cheaper and Kia will start a huge offensive in 2024, including with the Let's EV3. Officially no prices have been announced, but it is expected to cost less than 35,000 euros.

Furthermore, the space in the back is limited and you cannot recover maximum braking energy even in B-mode.

When will the Opel Corsa facelift (2023) come to the Netherlands and Belgium and what is the price?

The Corsa will already be in the Dutch and Belgian showrooms at the end of October. The price of the Opel Corsa on petrol is a lot lower than that of the electric Corsa. You can take the basic version - a 1.2 three-cylinder with 75 hp - for 23,349 euros. The same engine is also available with 100 hp and a turbo, so you can choose from a manual gearbox (6 speeds) or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The top version is the 136 hp Corsa 1.2 Turbo GS, which costs 28,549 euros and has an automatic transmission as standard.

Things will become more exciting in 2024, when the same 1.2-liter engine will be available as a hybrid (48 volts). It will then receive support from a 28 hp electric motor. In the city you can drive largely electrically, making the hybrid Corsa more economical than the conventional petrol version. This version has bestseller potential.

What do I think of the electric Opel Corsa facelift (2023)?

The comfort of an electric car is higher than that of a petrol car, thanks to the whisper-quiet and powerful electric motor. In that area, the fine-steering Corsa Electric feels like a more expensive car and you don't want to consider the petrol version. Until you look at the price...