New Car Review: Opel Corsa e

The Opel Corsa e is the fully electric version of Opel’s longstanding Corsa model. Like other cars in the PSA stable, it is built on the eCMP platform. So under the skin it is basically the same car as a Peugeot e208 and Opel Mokka e.

Although it shares most of its DNA with the other cars, the designers were thankfully allowed put their own stamp on how the Corsa looks. It does lack a little of the flair possessed by the Peugeot e-208, but this was part of the design brief and will be welcome to some buyers looking for a dependable and comfortable electric hatchback.

The Corsa e has a decent WLTP range of 337km. In summer testing, we managed to surpass this figure and get more than 370km out of a single charge. Although, something just under 300km is a more realistic figure in general driving. It charges well also, peaking at 100kW on a DC charger. Having said that, we’re a little disappointed not to see 11kW AC charging as standard.

The Corsa e has a high level of specification compared to the other models, so you don’t need to load up on the options list. Apart from choosing your colour, there’s not a lot else to do. Having said that, it would be good to have a cheaper model coming in under €30,000 for those that don’t want upgraded wheels or trim levels inside.

The Corsa e is quite decently appointed inside. You get heated seats, automatic air conditioning and the upgraded seat fabrics as standard. There is a nice 7” drivers display that you can customise to suit your preferences. It can show navigation, traditional dials, driving statistics and much more. The infotainment system has a colour touchscreen centred between the driver and passenger, which nicely integrates with Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

As the Corsa is a relatively small car and doesn’t have a sunroof or panoramic roof, the inside doesn’t feel airy. Adults in the front have plenty of space. However, the back gets a little cramped. Four adults of 6ft or more will struggle for space. Baby seats do fit, but the driver will have to inch forward a little if they are tall.

The flat-bottomed leather-covered steering wheel has a smattering of buttons, and allows you to control audio, cruise control and toggle between various settings.

The Corsa e is quite decently appointed inside. You get heated seats, automatic air conditioning and the upgraded seat fabrics as standard. There is a nice 7” drivers display that you can customise to suit your preferences. It can show navigation, traditional dials, driving statistics and much more. The infotainment system has a colour touchscreen centred between the driver and passenger, which nicely integrates with Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

As the Corsa is a relatively small car and doesn’t have a sunroof or panoramic roof, the inside doesn’t feel airy. Adults in the front have plenty of space. However, the back gets a little cramped. Four adults of 6ft or more will struggle for space. Baby seats do fit, but the driver will have to inch forward a little if they are tall.

The flat-bottomed leather-covered steering wheel has a smattering of buttons, and allows you to control audio, cruise control and toggle between various settings.

When you think of small city hatchbacks, solid and comfortable is probably not your first thought. But the Corsa e has a 50kWh battery pack tucked into the floor of the car, so it weighs a beefy 1.53 tonnes. This weight gives it a more solid feel and belies the size of the car.

With the battery pack where it is, the centre of gravity is very low. This makes it feel very stable, and really cuts down on body roll. If you throw it into a few corners, you can feel the weight, but it handles quite well and remains poised thanks to the stiffer coils.

The Corsa e has a 100kW motor which is good for 136PS and 260Nm of torque. That gives the Corsa e a 0-100km/h time of 8.1 seconds, which is faster than the rest of the Corsa range. As this is the electric version, the acceleration is seamless and effortless. Regenerative braking makes city driving much more comfortable, but lacks one pedal driving that you can find in a select number of the Corsa’s rivals such as the Honda e.

Cruise control and lane keep assist help when on longer journeys. The ride is quite refined and there is a greater level of sound insulation than we expected. The Corsa e will do 250km of motorway driving so a cross country trip is easier than you might expect.

There really is only one option, as Opel have packed most of the options into the Elite spec that comes as standard on the Corsa e. It makes the car nearly €12,000 more expensive than the cheapest petrol option. However, the level of spec and performance is vastly different.

As with most modern cars, you are getting a full suite of safety features. ABS, ESP and EBD come as standard. As does Active lane keep assist, forward collision alert and pedestrian detection alert.

A nice feature is the rear facing camera. It scans what’s behind the car as you are reversing and paints a bird’s eye picture that gets displayed on the infotainment screen. It makes car park manoeuvres that bit safer and more comfortable.

The NCAP ratings were reviewed in May 2021 to take the electric variant into account and the car scored 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information, visit Opel Ireland