Opel Corsa GSE debuts in Paris after 1,555 km drive from its Zaragoza plant
Opel's most powerful Corsa yet, the all-electric Corsa GSE, covered 1,555 kilometres from its Zaragoza production plant to make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show.
- 1,555 km
- 207 kW (281 hp)
- 5.5 seconds
- 20 minutes
What Happened
The new Opel Corsa GSE is making its exhibition debut at the Paris Motor Show, where Opel says the most powerful Corsa so far is wowing the audience with its design, performance and technology. The car rolls off the production line at the Spanish plant in Zaragoza, home of Opel's small car bestseller since 1982, with well over eleven million units manufactured at that site alone to date. The Corsa GSE is already available to order. Opel frames it as the new customer sports car for the road that brings 'Grand Sport Electric' to everyday driving, while the GEN4 racing car for the upcoming Formula E season, the Opel GSE 27FE, represents the epitome of the GSE world.
1,555 kmkilometres
From the Zaragoza production plant to the Paris Motor Show at Porte de Versailles, including several charging stops.
- 207 kW (281 hp) and 345 Newton metres of torque on the front axle
- 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, faster than any other current production Opel
- Lowered sports suspension and a Torsen limited-slip differential
- 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres
- Performance seats and displays showing GSE graphics, G-forces, acceleration values and battery data, with yellow GSE decors in the cockpit
- 40:60 split rear seat, with one side folded down to carry a lot of luggage
The journey begins in Zaragoza, where the Corsa has been built since 1982; the car heads towards the Pyrenees.
First charging break in the middle of nowhere: the battery goes from 20 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes. The Corsa rolls through Pamplona as the sun sets.
The Corsa GSE crosses the French border. Downhill sections put energy back into the battery through recuperation.
Waves crash against the coast at Saint-Jean-de-Luz and surfers are out off Biarritz. The route then continues from Bordeaux via Nantes, Angers and Tours, with 130 km/h a good travelling speed on the motorway and an overnight stop in Tours.
Paris: narrow streets, heavy traffic and spontaneous lane changes, past the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, ending at Porte de Versailles for the show debut.
- 16.0-17.0 kWh/100 km
- 0 g/km
- A
On the road, Opel says the Corsa GSE is both a lively sports car and a smooth, comfortable cruiser. The front axle impressed in the corners, with the Torsen differential holding on so the car attacks the curve instead of pushing outwards, helped by a chassis, stabilisers, hydraulic bump stops and tyres set up consistently for performance. With a driver, two passengers and a lot of luggage on board it also worked as a long-distance car, and charging in France was surprisingly uncomplicated. In Paris traffic the compact Opel scurried effortlessly where SUVs sweat. Opel sums up the trip by saying it showed that 207 kW (281 hp) in a small electric car can be more than an impressive number in a data sheet.
Previously from Opel Automobile GmbH
Earlier MotorClaw coverage reported that Opel's Paris Motor Show display includes two world premieres, the STX Concept design study and the GSE 27FE, its Formula E GEN4 race car, alongside the new Corsa GSE and Astra GSE Line. Those reports also noted that the GSE range is topped by the over-800-hp GSE 27FE Formula E car.
- Opel takes STX Concept and GSE 27FE Formula E car to Paris for world premieres
- Opel's Paris Motor Show line-up: STX Concept estate and GSE performance range
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Opel Automobile GmbH's official releases.
Why this matters
The Corsa GSE is an all-electric hot hatch version of Opel's best-selling small car, and it reaches the Paris Motor Show already available to order rather than as a study. Opel says its 0-100 km/h sprint of 5.5 seconds beats any other current production Opel, a claim aimed at buyers shopping for small electric performance cars. The car is built in Zaragoza, the Spanish plant that has produced the Corsa since 1982.
Terms in This Story
- WLTP
- Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure, the standardised laboratory test used to measure a car's official energy consumption and emissions figures.
- Torsen limited-slip differential
- A mechanical differential that distributes torque between the driven wheels to limit wheelspin and improve traction, especially when cornering.
- Recuperation
- Recovering energy during braking or coasting and feeding it back into the battery instead of losing it as heat.
- Hot hatch
- A compact car with a practical hatchback body and a markedly more powerful, sportier setup than the standard version.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.