The Electric Car with an Extension Cord: Driving the Updated Opel Corsa

To start the review of the Opel Corsa E, it’s worth beginning with another electric car, one that hasn't yet been unveiled. Recently, Volkswagen excitedly introduced the upcoming ID.2 electric car. A supermini electric vehicle, with a modest battery and a fairly reasonable range of 400 km. Since Citroën revealed the new C3 electric, BYD has started launching the Dolphin in Europe, and Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla is working on a smaller, significantly cheaper electric car than the Model 3.

A quick look at the ID.2 specs doesn’t tell an extraordinary story. After all, the Opel Corsa E is a supermini that meets all the definitions of the category and has a relatively long range. So why is everyone excited about the ID?

The story is about price. The ID.2 and its future competitors are expected to change the market in the most painful area for an electric car – the price. In Europe, the new generation of electric cars is targeting the €20,000-25,000 range. For comparison, the updated Corsa E, which comes with 156 hp, a 54 kWh battery (51 kWh usable), and a range of 402 km, costs €38,000 in Germany. Want your Corsa cheaper? You can get it with the pre-facelift powertrain, 136 hp, and a range of 357 km. The price in Europe is about €30,000, still high.

So we said that the main problem with electric cars is the price, but this results in a significant issue for car buyers, especially in Europe. Europeans love small cars primarily due to city congestion and a desire to save on fuel. On the other hand, those traveling outside the city need a significant range. The concept of a small car that can travel far – say, an Opel Corsa with a gasoline engine – simply doesn’t exist in the electric era.

Since the price is a fixed factor mainly related to battery size, the only way to reduce it is to cut battery size (i.e., range) or use cheaper technologies (again, range). Opel does this fairly well. When the Corsa was introduced, it offered a range of 335 km. This range was later upgraded to 357 km with the same battery, thanks to improvements in the reduction gearbox and a new heat pump.

In contrast to the Corsa, the ID.2 and its competitors are designed as low-cost cars, in every aspect, to offer a combination of 400 / 25 (km / euro). But they will only be available in two years, while the Corsa is already here. Based on past experience, by the time the competitors hit the market, the Corsa could see a new generation or a facelift that will upgrade one of the two – either the price or the range.

Instead of waiting two years, let’s talk about the Corsa's facelift and the new powertrain. The refreshed Corsa looks wonderful. The test car arrived in the GS trim, the only one offered with the large battery. The front has received a design similar to the Astra, with a black strip across the grille reminiscent of Zorro's mask. The test car wore blacked-out wheels, and with the deep gray color, the small car looks very good. It’s hard to find significant other design changes beyond the front, but it still feels very fresh with the new front cosmetics.

Inside, the situation isn’t significantly different. The multimedia screen has grown, the gear lever has been replaced by a small button, and beyond that, it’s the same car, with the same material quality and reasonable assembly quality. The cabin, as Henry Ford once said, can be any color you want as long as it’s black. For a young car aimed at young people, we expected an upgrade in this area.

The interior space hasn’t changed either. The seating position is low but not excessively so, suitable for those who want the dynamic feel that superminis used to offer. Up front, the seat feels intimate but offers good space for tall drivers, while the steering wheel adjusts for both distance and sharpens the sporty position. The facelift didn’t change the dimensions, so the rear space remains tight and cramped, the door is small, and the trunk at 269 liters, in the watt-hungry version, doesn’t have exceptional equipment capacity. Add to that a charging cable with no dedicated space under the floor, and you get a car that's not very practical.

The big question concerns the car's driving capability. The test, as you can see from the pictures, was done in Europe, since the model isn’t yet available for sale in the Holy Land. As with many tests here, the dictated pace is faster, due to the permitted speed and lower congestion (at least in the testing areas and times).

Under these conditions, using "Eco" mode becomes a pleasant experiment that extends the driving range. Even in the most economical mode, the Corsa has no problem maintaining traffic pace on the autobahn, overtaking, and moving briskly on winding roads. If you decide to sacrifice some range and switch to Sport mode, you'll find a lively car that feels stronger than its 156 hp. The main reason is the relatively low weight for an electric car – only 1,544 kg.

True, it doesn’t provide an electric shock like some competitors, but it more than meets the needs of average drivers. On the other hand, the light weight allows for a very reasonable energy consumption.

Most of the test was conducted on the autobahn or on non-fast intercity roads. At the end of the combined segment, we measured a very good consumption of 15.2 kWh per 100 km, meaning a total range of 335 km from a 51 kWh net battery.

Then we went for a more challenging test for any electric car, driving on the autobahn at an average of 120 km/h. The temperature was relatively low – 5-10 degrees Celsius – which reduces the effective range, and the route included a round trip to neutralize the height changes in the equation.

The final result impressed relative to the test conditions but also showed what happens to electric cars under stress: energy consumption stood at 19.7 kWh per 100 km or a real range of about 255 km. In Israel, under such conditions, it would travel further.

As with many Stellantis vehicles, you won’t find a one-pedal driving mode here. For those unfamiliar, one-pedal driving is possible when the regenerative braking system of the battery allows for deceleration to a full stop, so the brake pedal is not needed. The Corsa E has a B mode in the gearbox that enhances regenerative braking but doesn’t brake the car efficiently enough.

The fast charging is fine, taking 26 minutes from 20% to 80%, with a peak speed reaching 100 kW. Slow charging is fine but takes a lot of time to complete the last 10% of the battery. Aside from the powertrain, it doesn’t seem that radical changes were made to the tuning or character of the small car. Ride comfort remains stiff and busy. On the autobahn, it moves too much on the suspension, and the small body doesn’t really like the extra weight. On the other hand, it is still relatively light for an electric car, so with the stiff suspension and sharp, immediate steering, the Corsa proves to be a fun electric car to drive. The Corsa turns decisively, shows good grip as long as you don’t demand extreme combinations of steering and power. The communication isn’t impressive, neither from the chassis nor the steering, but honestly, when was the last time you had a real conversation with your car's components?

The Corsa's facelift is a welcome and important change but still not enough to create a real shift. Regarding the new powertrain, there is no doubt that it represents a nice leap forward. In a test we conducted for the Corsa a few years ago, it achieved a range of 265 km (about 79% of the official range) under similar conditions. This time, it achieved a range of 335 km, and the utilization percentage relative to the declared range was better, at 82.7%. It still struggles to cover significant distances, but it’s much closer to larger cars and achieves its range thanks to relatively low energy consumption, not due to an enormous battery.

On the other hand, it’s a less practical supermini due to cramped rear seats and a not particularly generous trunk. In Europe, the price ratio between the long-range version and the regular version sold here (excluding the "cheap" Yes version that costs €30,000) stands at about 11%. If we do a rough calculation (since there are many costs and taxes), we get a price of about ₪167,000 for the new model, compared to ₪150,000 for the current electric Corsa. If today the Corsa already costs as much as a Chinese electric crossover, the updated model is not far from the prices of more prestigious Chinese brands like Smart and Volvo.

Does this mean the Corsa has no chance of success? There’s no doubt that at the current price, it will be challenging. But if we return to the beginning of the article – battery costs are constantly decreasing. In recent years, the Corsa E has seen a 20% range upgrade. If in two years, when Volkswagen, MG, and perhaps (with great doubt) Elon Musk’s superminis hit the market, it could theoretically offer a better range or price.

If at that point it’s better than the competitors in one of the parameters, we’ll likely see many Opels on the road. Otherwise, buyers will forget about Opel and focus on cars from a lesser-known Chinese car manufacturer whose name we haven't yet heard.

Updated Opel Corsa E | Technical Side

Estimated Price: ₪167,000Likes: Practicality, range, road behaviorDislikes: Price, rear space

Engine: Electric, 156 hp, 26 kg·mTransmission: Automatic, direct transmission. Front-wheel drivePerformance (Manufacturer): 0-100 km/h in 8.1 seconds, top speed 150 km/h, combined range of 402 km

Safety: 4 out of 5 stars in European crash tests, full active safety

Warranty: 4 years or 120,000 km for the car, 160,000 km or 8 years for the battery

Rating: 8/10