Enough with the rumors and the teasing from Opel's European site configurators; the 2011/2012 Corsa facelift has finally been officially revealed. The subtle restyling comes four years after the presentation of the fourth generation model less than 12 months after Opel tweaked the supermini's engine range and chassis.
The updated Corsa dons a sharper face with chiseled headlamps, a new upper grille and a restyled front bumper featuring a wider and taller lower grille, plus different foglamp housings. The new look is complemented with six new alloy wheel designs and a larger, redesigned Opel Blitz on the tailgate.
These changes bring the car more in line with Opel's latest offerings such as the Meriva and Astra, though some may also find a few similarities with the Mazda2 [up front]. And as you can see in the picture right above, Opel seems to poke some fun at its newly found smiley face syndrome...
Inside, the dashboard molding sports a more textured skin while all trim levels have been updated with new fabrics and/or decors. There's also an available new Touch & Connect navigation system featuring a commuter function that uses TMC information to propose alternative routes in case of traffic problems, even when navigation is not active.
For the new model year, Opel has also added a new trim level called the Color Line Series, which will be available across Europe. The Color Line Series models can be equipped with an optional "Linea" pack, featuring two large stripes stretching across the length of the body with matching colored 17-inch wheels and exterior mirror caps.
A new Corsa EcoFlex 1.3 CDTI [diesel] with 95HP and standard Start/Stop technology also enters the range. Thanks to the start/stop system, the three-door version's fuel consumption in the combined cycle is reduced from 3.7 to 3.5 liters/100 km [67.2 mpg US] and the emissions from 98 to only 94 g/km CO2. The five-door variant achieves 3.6 l/100 km and emits just 95 g/km CO2.
According to Opel, in city driving the updated EcoFlex models returns a fuel consumption of 4.2 liter per 100 kilometers instead of 4.6 l/100 km previously.
The modestly refreshed Opel will go on sale across Europe in January 2011.
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