Patrick James

This week in ISM “Test Drives…” We are putting the new Opel Corsa through its paces.

As small cars go this one is full of surprises… namely in how capable the car proves to be. One of the first things that really struck me was how easily it handles on the motorway. It’s my experience that a lot of small cars tend to get just a little bit unsettled at motorway speeds but the Corsa didn’t demonstrate any scuttle wobble at all… a pleasant surprise. The next test this car got was the “Room to move test”. A friend was moving house and what better test on a small car than trying to fit as many boxes in as possible… Doctor Who’s Tardis comes to mind, as with the back seat down the room inside was mind boggling! These two elements do allow the Corsa a right to claim “small car… big feel!” and justify the numerous awards the car has won.

The Opel Corsa is by all accounts a very tidy package: The interior (while not innovatively ground breaking) looks really good with a fresh and modern feel. The interior is spacious and clearly laid out instruments. Visibility is good but the front A-pillar needs to be watched as it does present a blind spot that can sneak up on you. That said Opel has quite cleverly introduced an A-pillar window to help limit the restrictions of vision. Don’t let this put you off the Corsa though as this is a minor fault in a car that is very well built. The 1Litre engine is sufficient for use as a town car but is a little labored when asked to do motorway runs due to having only three cylinders. If you’re looking for a car capable of doing that little bit more then a worthwhile consideration is the 1.2iLitre engine with the 4 cylinder engine and it really doesn’t cost all that much more, but pound for pound it’s a superior car. The engines also come in a choice of other engines including a 1.3CDTI 16v Diesel engine and 1.4i Petrol. There is also a SXI 1.2i and 1.4i if you’re looking for something with a sporty edge.

Having driven the new Opel Corsa I am very reluctant to call it a small car, as all round, it is such a good car that it really deserves to be classed as a “super-mini” considering it quite easily checks all the boxes. The New Corsa is a car that by its own quality design, recommends its self to a wide range of people in the face of modern living.

Following a recent interview with David Ford, Fleet manager with Opel Ireland, I will be getting access to the entire range of Opel cars. The idea is that I will put the cars through their paces and coming from a background in Driving instruction and also in driving rally cars that’s what I intend to do!

Needless to say, when David suggested that Opel get the “Patrick James” test I was wondering what Opel’s terms might be! The only condition was that I live with the car for a few days and write what I honestly think, good or bad. David Ford was of the opinion that “Opel cars will speak for themselves… we’re looking forward to your findings”. With all this in mind, and in line with this exclusive opportunity each week, I will be bringing you the results of another barrage of tests.

The first car I made my own for a few days was the Opel Astra Twintop 2.0i Turbo Six Speed. With the Irish weather in mind I’ve always had to wonder about the sense of a convertible car. In Florida I can understand, but a car with a canvas roof in Ireland is akin to going swimming in your wedding suit! The twin-top, on the other hand does succeed combining the best of both worlds… A three-part folding hard top for those wintry days, that neatly folds away when it comes time to let the roof (and your hair) down! The electric roof is well engineered and has a Transformer-ish wow factor to it. The roof can be operated from in-car or from the remote keyfob.

This isn’t just a car that looks good though and it does, with its well-made quality interior the car has quite a refined and luxurious feel through out. Even with the roof down the car retains its poise and performance and at times it’s easy to forget that this is a true performance car. The turbo is extremely efficient and Opel have succeeded in minimising the turbo lag to a little under a second. There are all sorts of other safety features (I won’t bore you with) under the bonnet to assist the car when cornering and needless to say, as hard as I tried to get the car to understeer, it refused to let go of the line through the bends. When I read through all the technical specs of the car I was worried that all this safety gadgets would somehow limit the enjoyment I felt while driving the car but it didn’t… somehow, the car still manages to remain very real to drive. Believe me, this car is a whole lot of fun in a can and it doesn’t cost the Earth either.

There is very little on the negative side that I can say about this car. The back seat is cramped at best for adults but I did manage to fit a child seat quite comfortably, which is an added bonus! Until now, I’ve always been a little bit cynical of convertible cars and never really been overwhelmed by any I’ve driven but the twin top has managed to convert me. Opel really have crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s with this one. This is one car I will be sorry to give back!