Opel Corsa limited edition has some sporty touches

OPEL do make four-door cars. I know because I have owned two such models over the years, an Astra and a Corsa.

However, lately I seem to be getting only two-door cars from the German manufacturer; the Astra GTC was a sporty two-door and last week I had another two-door, the Limited Edition Corsa.

The Astra has undergone a major transformation in recent years and so has the Corsa which used to be a long narrow car. Now this supermini has got so big that size-wise, it’s closing in on the Astra.

The Corsa is a popular choice for motorists throughout Europe in the small car or supermini segment and accounts for around 30 per cent of all Opel sales. Over the past three years approximately 400,000 units were sold annually.

This is a limited edition and naturally it has some sporty touches.

Externally the black alloys on the Continental Conti Sport tyres really catch the eye. Inside the dash is dominated by red circles on all four of the air conditioning vents on the dash. I like the controls in Opel cars, they are well laid out and easy to use. There is also red piping on the seats, back and front, which also brightens up the interior décor.

I drove a 1.3 diesel version and it was a lively motor. It certainly can move and you won’t be left stranded by fellow motorists at the traffic lights. Fuel consumption is low and you won’t have many pit stops either. The diesel was just a little bit noisy when starting up, but quiet thereafter. A very comfortable car to travel in and the seats are easily adjusted so that driver and front seat passenger can find a comfortable position.

The Corsa is a neat, but sturdy motor and I don’t think it will let you down. The boot is a decent size and you get a proper spare wheel.

I loved the black alloys in the Corsa. Maybe if Opel had used similar type alloys in the GTC it would have added that little extra touch of class to the sporty Astra. The Corsa was designed and developed in Russelsheim in Germany and is built in Eisenach in Germany and in Zaragoza in Spain. I drove a black model, but the Limited Edition is also available in Glacier White, Flame Red and Sunny Melon.

Prices for the regular Corsa start at é14,700, while the limited edition two-door eco FLEX starts at

?¬17,955 and all the extras brought the price of the car as tested to

?¬19,422. The closing date for Opel’s cash back deal is now past, but no doubt they will have some other attractive discount offers coming up soon.

And if you are a member of a GAA club you avail of Opel’s loyalty points scheme. Through their

‘Kit for Clubs’ programme GAA members can test drive, service and purchase Opel cars while building up loyalty points that can be redeemed against a range of high quality GAA playing and training equipment.