Should you buy the Opel Corsa cars in India? UTKARSH BLOG
Should you buy the Opel Corsa cars in India? UTKARSH BLOG
Sedans are much coveted among Indian buyers as they are good performers on all kinds of roads and act as status symbols. The car market in India has always been flooded with good quality sedans. Every five to six years, the sedans available change and newer ones take the place of older ones. One such model is the Opel Corsa. The Opel Corsa was launched in 2000 when it joined the league of the Opel Astra (which was quite successful). The car was manufactured by General motors. The model that was sent to India was based on the previous model that was being sold in Europe. Compared to contemporary models, the Corsa looks a little dated. However, appearance never was the strong point of the Corsa as its tiny headlights made it look bug-eyed. The straight lines used in the car were not quite helpful either and the interiors looked like they were generations old.
Even though the car was circulated a little more than 5 years, it would be best to steer clear off the earlier models particularly the 1.6. It would be quite heavy on your wallet and the higher mileage variants should also be avoided. You should look for special edition Corsa cars such as Elite. They had a lot of equipment and amenities and the amounts that you would have to spend on these kinds of equipment in today’s cars, this would give you a lot of value for money.
The Corsa was available with twin engine options, one which had a 1.4L engine which produced a maximum torque of 88bhp while the larger variant of 1.6L produced around 92 bhp. None of the engines were considered to be highly fuel efficient- the 1.4L one returned roughly 9kmpl on city roads while it returned around 13kmpl on the highway. The larger 1.6L engine provided better performance compared to the smaller engine but its fuel efficiency was worse than the latter. On city roads, it returned 8kmpl while on the highway it was 11kmpl. The dimensions of the Corsa are quite small which made it easier to manoeuvre the car in stop-and-go traffic and narrow lanes. However, the larger problem with the vehicle was that not much room was available inside the car. Roughly 4 adults can sit inside quite comfortable although for an additional adult to sit in, the space would fall short. The front seats offered limited and low visibility. When it comes to lower speeds, the Corsa was quite good to ride in terms of comfort. At higher speeds too, its mannerisms hardly changed because of the gentle suspension settings which enabled the vehicle to ignore the irregularities on the road. In terms of handling too, the Opel Corsa is not that bad. The quality of build of the car is certainly one of the best and all aspects from the paint’s lustre to the plastics used inside the cabin feel plush. However, the boot space of 390 litres falls a little short when you are packing luggage for weekend getaways. Discount offer on cars
Engine
The power source from Holden in the Opel Corsa is slightly less fuel efficient. Apart from this complaint, there can be hardly anything else against it. The minor difference of 4bhp between the 2 engines is not much to worry about. However, the performance is marginally better in the larger engine car. Some users of the cars have reported about the heating of the car, although this has not been reported by most users. The quality of the engine is very good and it shall go beyond the 1, 00,000kms mark.
Suspension
The Corsa offers a quality ride as the suspension has been put up on the soft side. The suspension was modified for Indian roads and it shall keep away most of the irregularities on the roads except the really bad ones. Even when the car is fully loaded, it offers quality ride. Even though the suspension would not be much of a problem for you, you should get it inspected before buying the car. You can find out if the suspension is shot while driving over bumps. The bottom of the car would touch the surface of the road. Getting the suspension replaced would cost you around Rs 10,000 or so.
Gear Box
The gear box fitted in the car is typical of what GM makes, which is slightly rubbery and ambiguous in operation. The ratios are slightly short and they compensate for the power lack felt for the immense weight. This is also partially responsible for the low efficiency of the car. Elevated cost of spare parts indicates that to replace a worn out clutch would cost you roughly Rs 8000 or so. Discount offer on cars
Alternative Cars
If you want to buy a car of the class of the Opel Corsa, you can opt for the Ford Ikon which has also been discontinued by Ford. The car is cheap and as fuel efficient as the Corsa. However, it is a little cramped inside. Finding a car which offers slightly lower mileage is quite easy. You should steer clear from the earlier models and instead opt for the 1.3 ROCAM engine versions. The car is more fuel efficient compared to the 1.6 version and its driving mechanics are similar to the former model. What is also favourable of the Ikon is that getting the car repaired is not very expensive and spare parts are available more easily. You would opt for this vehicle in case the Corsa does not go down well with you.
Final word
For a cheap second hand car, the Corsa is quite good. It is well built and sturdy which would last you a lifetime. However, you should inspect into the quality of the car before buying. Since the car is not produced anymore, it would be best you opt for it as a short term car. The spare parts are quite expensive and hard to find. Even in local workshops, prices of counterfeit spares are increasing. If you have been driving the hatchback for too long and want an upgrade and don’t mind settling for the lower efficiency, then you should opt for this vehicle. Discount offer on cars
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