Opel is treating is European customers with a special “Kaleidoscope” edition of the Corsa hatchback.

Available for both three or five-door Corsa models, this package consists of visual upgrades and extra equipments.

Visually, it gets two upmarket metallic exterior colors: pepperdust and technical grey, plus a glossy black roof, black mirror housings and a black grille bracket. these little details add up to give this version of Corsa a distinctive look.

The Kaleidoscope theme is best seen inside the cabin, where you get silver or aztek gold stitching for the upholstery, and Top Tec material coating which makes the seats easy to clean and maintain. Other features include colored air vent rings with matching door inserts in either curry or matt chrome give bold accents to the interior as well as a new stealth-black colored center console and denim fabric inside the door panels.

As for the equipments, the 15,425 euro Opel Corsa Kaleidoscope is fitted as standard with:

• Aluminum accelerator pedal
• 17” alloy wheels
• Solar Protect tinted heat protection glazing
• Leather steering wheel
• Chrome exhaust pipes
• Stereo-CD-Radio with aux input and steering wheel remote control

]]> http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/opel-corsa-kaleidoscope-special-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.motorward.com/2012/01/opel-jubilee-models-celebrate-brands-150th-anniversary/ http://www.motorward.com/2012/01/opel-jubilee-models-celebrate-brands-150th-anniversary/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:37:58 +0000 Arman Barari http://www.motorward.com/?p=30173

Not all of Opel’s 150-year history is about cars, but still, it’s a cause for celebration. And what better way to celebrate than a couple of special editions.

The entire range including Corsa, Meriva, Astra and Insignia will benefit from this treatment, entitled “150 years Opel”. They get special design and comfort features and up to 2,100 Euros worth of extra equipments. There’s also a higher-spec jubilee trim.

So, what exactly will be in the package? The Corsa and Meriva jubilee editions come complete with 16 inch alloy wheels and tinted Solar Protect heat insulation glazing at the rear, in addition to heated steering wheels with multi-functional keys, fog lamps and cruise control as well as an MP3-CD Radio, plus an on-board computer. What’s more, the Corsa will get chrome exhaust pipe as standard.

The Insignia as the flagship model will be fitted with 18-inch wheels, Tinted Solar Protect heat insulation glazing at the rear, Heated leather steering wheel with multi-function keys, Automatic air conditioning,  Heating in the front seats, Fog lamps and a headlamp cleaning system, and New Navi 900 Europa infotainment system.

All jubilee editions get a unique “150 Adam Opel” emblem, aluminum car door step embossed with the word “OPEL” as well as the premium quality, black upholstery. The Corsa and the Meriva are fitted with an adjustable panoramic roof or sunroof with separate air conditioning. The Insignia jubilee trim package includes an electric sunroof and a glazed panoramic roof as well as separate air conditioning.

The jubilee trim packages start at 450 euro in Germany, but it offers a saving of 876 euro.

The new ultra-hot Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring package is priced at £22,295 in the UK.

The Nurburgring model is powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged engine as in the VXR, but instead of 190 it makes 205 hp and also produces 280 Nm of torque, thanks to modified engine management and turbocharger system, sports exhaust with reduced back pressure.

As a result the performance is pretty sprightly with 0-60mph in just 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 143mph. To cope with the speed this special model is lowered by 20mm at the front and 15mm at the rear. suspension components are made by Bilstein which is the best name in the business.

This little beast also gets Brembo brakes, while the VXR’s ABS, Traction Control and Electronic Stability Control systems have all been recalibrated to take into account the Nürburging’s new set-up. It’s the real deal this thing.

Visually, the car gets a number of bespoke touches, including a stainless steel dual exhaust, newly designed forged aluminium wheels in high-gloss grey, and ‘Nürburgring’ logos on the B-Pillars and front spoiler lip. There are also two new colours available – apple green ‘Grasshopper’ and red ‘Henna’.

Inside, black and red ‘Nürburgring’ lettering adorns the sill plates and front Recaro seat backs, with bespoke white stitching on all seats, as well as the handbrake and gearshift console.

Vauxhall announced a new sub-100, ecoFLEX edition of the Corsavan with CO₂ emissions of just 95g/km.

That Co2 rating means it is exempted from congestion charge and road tax, but it costs – base model – £13,048.33 on the road, and orders can be placed from 11^th July.

Powered by the 1.3 CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX Start/Stop, this Corsavan also features a range of fuel saving technologies including a variable geometry turbocharger, lowered chassis, aerodynamic wheel covers and optimised gear ratios with a ‘shift up’ indicator.

This Euro5 compatible engine also does 78.3mpg on the combined cycle and 65.6mpg urban driving.

“It’s great news that the Corsavan ecoFLEX is top of its class for CO₂ emissions,” said Steve Bryant, Vauxhall’s Commercial Vehicle Brand Manager.  “Griffin-badged vans are well known for their low running costs and Vauxhall’s most economical commercial vehicle ever is further proof of this.”

This is the winner graffiti artwork of Vauxhall’s Corsa Street Style Facebook competition, by Leigh Hoyte of Buckinghamshire.

In this competition participants were asked to design a scene featuring a Corsa using a drawing application and post to Vauxhall’s Facebook page. They received over 10,000 entries. Fans of the page were asked to vote for their favourite piece of artwork.  The 20 most voted for entries were judged by Vauxhall and three independent judges from the world of Graffitti and Street Art.

The winning artwork will be hand painted by Graffiti artists Tizer and Dep on a billboard site in London. The winner has been awarded with a new Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition. He will also receive a canvas print of his artwork, but we bet he’s more excited about the free car!

Commenting on the company’s social media campaign, Vauxhall UK’s Marketing Director Peter Hope, said: “Congratulations to Leigh, his design impressed the judging panel.   We have been overwhelmed with entries for the Corsa Street Style competition with over 10,000 entries received.  The British public has a great affection for the Vauxhall Corsa, so we will look to extend our activity with this great car.”

This month Opel came up with two new hot versions of the Corsa and Insignia. Well, the Insignia OPC Unlimited has just had its Vmax limiter removed and can now reach a top speed of 270 km/h. But the Corsa OPC Nurburgring edition is really hotted up with a 210 PS engine, uprated chassis and suspension and beefed up looks and interior. Opel has apparently realized that to make proper hot hatch and sedans you need more than just brute force. So they are working on sophistication of their cars.

Hit the jump for the Insignia’s video.

Opel released brand-new pictures of the Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition on and off the ‘Ring. This cute little beast is a limited edition with only 500 units planned and features added power and style.

The hottest Corsa made to date features an upgraded OPC turbo engine with 154 kW/210 hp and 250 Nm of torque. That takes it from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 230 km/h. It also features mechanical, multi-plate limited-slip differential, Bilstein springs and dampers, and Brembo brakes. It also has a price tag of 27.650 euro. More details can be found here. Now enjoy the pictures:

Opel (Vauxhall) revealed the most powerful version of the Corsa to date, the OPC (VXR) Nurburgring Edition. It packs 210 hp.

So it’s no the most powerful hatchback out there, but it definitely qualifies as a hot hatch. Limited to 500 units, the Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition features a tweaked 1.6-liter OPC turbo engine with increased power from 141 kW/192 hp to 154 kW/210 hp. The maximum torque of the base engine (230-266 Nm) is also increased to 250 Nm and 280 Nm when the turbocharger’s ‘overboost’ function is activated. It does 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 230 km/h.

In order to reduce the side effects of 210 hp on the front wheels, they’ve fitted the car with a mechanical, multi-plate limited-slip differential. Other upgrades include Bilstein springs and dampers which result in lowered ride height and better handling, a new lightweight front braking system from specialists Brembo with bespoke, high-performance brake linings, and recalibrated ABS, Traction Control (TC) and the Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

Apart form the mechanical upgrades, the OPC Nurburgring Edition gets exclusive body colors – apple-green ‘Grasshopper’ and red ‘Henna’ – as well as newly designed 8 x 18-inch, forged aluminum wheels in high-gloss grey, shod with the 225/35 R 18 V tires. It also comes with some Nurburgring badges to be distinguished from normal OPCs even further.

Inside the car you get white stitching on thet Recaro seats, handbrake and gearshift console, as well as Nurburgring lettering and badges .

The car is priced form 27.650 euro in Germany and is currently available to order.

Vauxhall is trying to use the power of Facebook to promote the Corsa. They’re targeting younger generation with the Street Style campaign, which is a follow up to the TV ad, and offers them the chance to win a free Car.

What you have to do win this limited edition Vauxhall Corsa is to first make sure you are over 18! Then you use an application on the car’s Facebook page to paint a scene featuring a Corsa as seen in the example below. That will enter you into a competition in which the winner who’s come up with the best design – decided by both fans vote and Vauxhall judges – gets the car.

Each week a selection of gallery images will be showcased on the site. The competition runs until May 3^rd 20110.   Fans have until 10^th May to cast their votes before the judges decide who wins the competition. The lucky winner of the New Vauxhall Corsa (first place) will also have their work of art hand drawn on a billboard in their local area, plus they get a canvas print of their artwork. Five runners up will also receive canvas prints of their artwork.

Commenting on the company’s latest social media campaign, Vauxhall UK’s Marketing Director Peter Hope, said: “New Corsa is the perfect car to use a social media activity like this with. Given the British public’s affection for Corsa, colours and art, it seemed logical for us to use Facebook as a platform to enhance our direct interaction with customers and Vauxhall fans.”

Created by Marvellous to run in parallel to the British brand’s 40-second TV ad which broke last month, the online activity centres around the Facebook fan page, http://www.facebook.com/Vauxhallcorsa which encourages the UK public to start painting and posting their entries onto a central gallery.  Fans of the page are then asked to vote for their favourite piece of artwork. Entrants are then encouraged to share their work of art with their friends and family to bag votes, whereupon the 20 most voted for entries will be judged by Vauxhall and three independent judges from the world of Graffitti and Street Art.

Vauxhall announced a new limited edition of the Corsa VXR called Blue, featuring a styling kit and loads of new equipments. The Corsa to be honest is a very feminine car, but with the VXR treatment it changes character and becomes a pocket rocket. And now with the Blue package it becomes a real macho man!

Vauxhall Corsa VXR Blue features new styling details, additional kit as standard and a head-turning paintjob. The package includes Arden Blue metallic paint, 18-inch alloys, dark-tinted glass, bespoke interior air vents and Recaro seats. Like other models in the new-look Corsa range, the VXR and VXR Blue sport new ‘Eagle-Eye’ headlamps and a signature bar across the grille, coloured in blue.

What’s more, the VXR gets a more aggressive front end, with deep in-set fog lamps, a wider and more prominent grille and a low, sculpted front spoiler to boost its sporting appeal. The same aggressive look continues inside where you’ll find stitching on the leather steering-wheel, the interior air-vent colour and the trim on the Recaro seats.

This awesome little car is powered by a 1.6 Turbo, producing 192PS featuring an overboost function that delivers 260+ Nm of torque for a 0 to 60 sprint time of 6.8 seconds and top speed of 140mph. The Corsa VXR Blue comes with lowered sports suspension, uprated brakes and switchable Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), guaranteeing enthusiastic drivers a fine mix of dynamic security and adjustability

The Blue offers a £445 saving compared with the cost of speccing a ‘standard’ Corsa VXR, and since it’s ought to rival Citroen DS3 R and the Mini Cooper Works, Vauxhall made sure it has the edge pricewise. So at £19,425 it undercuts the competition by up to £3,600.

Opel/Vauxhall Corsa has been around for many many years now and has established itself as a popular small hatchback in all of the markets it appeared in. Here’s the facelifted 2011 model with a totally new face and updated interior. The thing is though, with every new model the Corsa gets more and more girly!

It looks like a purse! And for that reason it’s still no match for the mighty Fiat 500. That’s a shame really, becasue the Corsa, specially the hot OPC or VXR models, are such fun cars to drive. But it’s embarrassing for a guy to drive it in public. This picture below says it all!

Technically the car is unchanged than the 2010 model, and that’s OK becasue it’s been heavily revised earlier this year. But it comes with a new ecoFLEX, 1.3 CDTI developing 70 kW/ 95 hp engine with Start/Stop technology as standard that does 3.5 liters diesel per 100 km, equal to 78.5 UK mpg, and so emits just 94 g/km CO2.

Opel Corsa engine lineup offers from 65 hp to 192 hp.

Other new feature of the 2011 Corsa is the “Touch & Connect” multimedia system incorporating seven, 4×20 watt loudspeakers, a five-inch color touch screen, full navigation coverage for 28 countries, Bluetooth, iPod and USB connections.Its five-inch touch screen display features both 2-D and 3-D (bird view) maps and SD navigation card. Another new feature is an option to choose the most ecological route, helping to save fuel and the environment. Points of interest can be downloaded by the user.

It also has an intelligent commuter function that uses TMC information to propose alternative routes in case of traffic problems, even when navigation is not active. This function is of special interest to commuters who know their routes but want to be informed automatically of traffic jams on their way.

As for the design features, 2011 Corsa which comes in two coupé-like three-door and the family friendly five-door formats, gets new 16-inch alloy wheels on normal models, while the 192PS OPC/VXR receives the option of a new 18-inch alloy wheel. The special Color Edition now features black painted roof and high gloss black 17-inch wheels, bright exterior colors and lots of extras.

A new “Linea” pack has been created to attract younger customers looking to personalize their Opel Corsa. It features two large white or black stripes along the Corsa body. The color of its 17-inch wheels and side mirror caps is coordinated with the stripes.

New exterior colours in the range include Lime Green pearlescent, Chilli Orange metallic, Guacamole, Sunny Melon ( bright yellow), and Pepperdust metallic.

Opel Corsa also features innovative technologies at an affordable price, including halogen Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), a heated steering wheel, Hill Start Assist, a Panorama sunroof or the integrated FlexFix bicycle carrier which is unique to Opel.

In addition to its athletic, dynamic styling and great driving fun, the Opel Corsa also offers customers top class quality. Germany’s DEKRA Quality Report 2010 named the Opel Corsa the overall winner, with the lowest defect rate of all the vehicles tested. DEKRA (Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungs-Verein) is a full-service provider for safe and efficient mobility and Europe’s leading technical expert organization

In UK, the 2011 Opel Corsa pricing starts at new £9995, based on the new 20 percent VAT.

OPC-powered Opels are widely overpowered as standard. In The Corsa OPC case, it has 190 hp which is a lot, given the tiny size of the car. But if you are insane, there’s a tuning package out by Dbilas Dynamic which will probably satisfy you. With that, the car’s 1.6 liter turbocharged engine develops 320 hp and 400 Nm of torque!

To get that power, they went for bigger turbos, revised electronics, sport sir filters and inlets, and a custom exhaust system. They’ve done it, so the car can now sprint to 100 km/h from standing still in 5.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 265km/h.

That’s great, but everybody knows putting that much power in such a small car is a recipe for chaos! to make sure it won’t bite your head off by accident, the tuner has fitted the car with 19-inch wheels and 215/35 Hankook tires, and have also used Eibach suspension system which lowers the car by 20mm.

You cna get this package for around 5,000 euro, just make sure they get those stupid graphics off the car!

For those who are confused between black and white for their next Corsa, Vauxhall has come up with something they call a perfect solution! Yep, they’ve colored the car in both shades and introduce this limited edition model. It comes in white but the roof, grilles and the new 17-inch wheels are painted in black.

And to further increase the appeal of this special Corsa, they’ve lowered its suspension and fitted it with VXR front and rear lower spoilers, side skirts and new roof spoiler. The same black & white theme continues inside as you get piano black centre console with contrasting white air vents plus sports pedals and Limited Edition badging.

Standard equipments with the limited edition Corsa Black and White include air con, fog lights, cruise control and CD changer with MP3 format including auxiliary connectivity, while there is a number of optional extras such as Bluetooth, electronic climate control and rear parking sensors.

As for the engines, you can have this car with either a 1.2 16v VVT petrol unit developing 85 hp and averaging 53.3 mpg, or the economical 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX which does 75 hp and 65.7mpg.

Pricing starts from £13,995 for the 3-door 1.2 16v and £15,400 for the 5-door ecoFLEX diesel.

To show their support for England’s national soccer team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Vauxhall has come up with a special decal package for their little Corsa. This England decals for the three-door car includes side stickers that run all the way to the front headlamps, plus England mirrors caps. Mind you, they are asking £149 for their support!

Remember the new edition of Opel Corsa with the classic Color Race paint job we featured some days ago?! Well, now check out this video of the car going against the 1971 Opel Kadett Rallye B Sprint, from which the Corsa inherits its new theme. Opel Corsa Color Race is currently on sale in Germany for €15,560 and is available with all the engines and options as the rest of the range. But as added value, it has things like 17-inch alloys, Panorama sunroof, leather-clad steering wheel, special upholstery and…

So Renault is not the only car maker relying on its heritage to sell their hatchbacks! Opel has also released a new special edition of the lovely little Corsa  with the old, and still cool, Color Race paint job. It features a winning checkered motif with motor sport Sunny Melon Yellow color and a black hood. You can also have it in Casablanca White and Magma Red.

The car also comes with black painted 17-inch alloy wheels which enhance both the looks and driving dynamics. You’ll find the same theme inside the cabin as well, where you get special matching color highlights, like special seat stitching and vent bezels, a Panorama sunroof and a leather-clad steering wheel. other features include halogen AFL curve and cornering lights and heated steering wheel.

The Corsa Color Race is available with the same range of engines as regular models including the 1.4 gasoline engine with 64 kW/87 hp or 74kW/100 hp, and the 1.7 CDTI with 96 kW/130 hp. Although there’s no performacne upgrade whatsoever, Opel says that they’ve improved the chassis and steering for better handling, comfort and driving fun.

2010 Opel Corsa Color Race Edition is currently on sale in Germany for 15,560 Euros.

Opel has released a few updates for the lovely little Corsa for the new year. Going on sale from January,  2010 Corsa comes with a new engine line-up, re-tuned chassis along with optimized suspension and steering systems while the styling remains intact. The new Corsa promises lower fuel consumption, improved performance, better driving experience and refined comfort for the passengers.

2010 Opel Corsa is available with 1.0, 1.2, 1.4  and range-topping1.6 liter engines with different outputs. All of the powertrains are optimized for lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions while their power figures are slightly better than previous versions.

The range kicks off with a 1.0 liter 3-cylinder with 65hp and 90N/m of torque which needs 5.0 liter fuel/100 KM and emits 117 g/km Co2. Then you have the 1.2 liter 4-cylinder petrol engine developing 70hp and 115N/m of torque. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are respectively 5.3 liter/100 km and 124 g/km. A more powerful version of this engine develops 85hp and 115N/m of torque and averages 5.1 liter/100 km and 119 g/km CO2.

As for the 1.4 liter engines, you may choose between a 87hp and 130N/m of torque version with 5.5 liter / 100km consumption and 129 g/KM CO2, or the 100 hp with 130N/m of torque one.

But if you really wanna have fun you should pick the Corsa GSi model equipped with a 1.6 liter turbo petrol engine developing 150 hp. It needs 7.3 l for 100 km and emits just 171 g/km Co2. The same engine produces 192 hp in the Corsa OPC version.

There are also two choices for the diesel engines: 1.7CDTI with 130hp and 300Nm of torque and the extreme fuel efficient 1.3CDTI ecoFLEX. The ecoFLEX engine develops 95hp and 190Nmof torque and needs 3.7 litres of diesel to cover 100km while emitting only 98 grams of CO2 per KM.

On all models except OPC, engineers have modified the rear axle by rotating the torsion profile of the compound crank by 20° – from 15 to 35°. This results in improved stability in lane-change maneuvers. On the comfort chassis (from all models except the Sport trim as well as the GSi and OPC versions), dampers in the front and the rear have been re-tuned to further improve the ride comfort without compromising the driving dynamics. At the same time, engineers have opted for new, softer jounce bumpers in the front struts. The ecoFLEX models also get softer jounce bumpers in the rear.All diesel variants are also equipped with new, softer front springs.
All Corsa equipped with the comfort chassis received a new front anti-roll bar, whose diameter has been increased by 1 mm. The mountings of the stabilizer have been re-designed on all variants, resulting in reduced body roll, and compensating for the softer set up of the suspension.

Small and efficient diesel engines have turned out to be a very good replacement for hybrid systems because in real life they can be, if not better, equally clean and economical. You have already learned about the VW’s BlueMotion technology which is offered in the Golf,Polo and Passat here, now check out the new Opel Corsa ecoFLEX, GM’s answer to VW which is awesomely clean!

2010 Opel Corsa ecoFLEX is powered by a 1.3 liter CDTI diesel engine boosted by a turbo with a variable geometry.It generates 70 kW/95 hp and 190 Nm of torque, and has an average fuel consumption of 3.7 liter per 100 KM while releasing 98 g/km CO2 as a three-door and 99 g/km as a five-door. Pretty good, they are now equal with the Golf BM, but still behind the Polo BM with 87 g/km!

Many factors are considered in the Corsa ecoFLEX to make it so efficient. The turbo unit in its engine has variable turbine geometry, which significantly improves the engine’s performance. To support the higher turbo pressure, engineers slightly reduced the compression ratio from 18 to 16.8: 1.They’ve also optimized the calibration on the engine and greatly increased low-end torque and the peak power, and adjusted the gear ratio. Aerodynamics has also played its part, the car is lower by 20mm than the other models and it’s fitted with special 175/70 tires that are roll-resistance-optimized and fitted to lighter, flow formed , 14″ steel wheels (15″ optional) which has newly designed, more efficient wheel caps.

The only downside of this engine is indeed the performance: it took the Corsa ecoFLEX 12.3 seconds to hit the 100 from nought and it only has a top speed of 177 km/h, but that does not matter really becasue this car is made to be economical not quick!

In the world of super minis the Opel Corsa has always been somehow underestimated! It’s a good car with cutesy look which has always been under the shadow of the champions of this segment like Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta or Renault Twingo. And maybe that’s why when it comes to tuning, you won’t find many packages for this poor little car! However, a company called JMS recently had a go and prepared a sporty Corsa for you!

Corsa’s revised front apron feature aerodynamic lips which is kinda pointless because this car is not fast enough to even need aerodynamic efficiency! but here we are. Then there is the H&R suspension kit which drops the car by 50mm at front and 45 at the back. That lowering combined with 18 inch sport wheels with 215/30 tires give the car a very nice side view. And just to mention, the suspension kit costs around 1100 and the wheels 1500 Euros. They also offer a sport exhaust system and sport air filter at extra cost.