Opel's Corsa OPC has set out to challenge its rivals to the title of king of the hot hatch, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor
Opel's OPC tag may be its abbreviation for hardcore versions, but it has all the sex appeal of computer code, like "java applets" or "html". At some stage the General Motors brand must realise it doesn't have the hot-hatch clout to make the cultural change from GTi. Now those three little letters really mean something.
Opel further confused the mix when it opted to give its British Vauxhall range of performance models the VXR tag, something that might not matter to continental fans but causes yet more confusion over here, where media crossover is rampant.
Adverts for VXR models probably mean more to Irish customers than the few OPC promotions they've seen.
Early attempts to put some fire in the Opel soul fizzled out. With previous mid-life crisis versions such as the madcap idea of creating high-performance versions of its Meriva and Zafira family wagons never worked. They were just too off-the-wall to be taken seriously.
However, hot-hatch superminis are well-established. So the Corsa is a real player in a real market, even if it is stuck with a lacklustre naming appendage.
Of course, true hot-hatch fans will recognise it. But if Opel really wants to crack into the wider market - the thousands who adored and aspired to the likes of the Peugeot 205 Gti - then it needs to radically increase its OPC profile.
At the start of our week with the Corsa OPC we had a long discussion with a dedicated hot-hatch friend and colleague, who sang the praises of this OPC. He was from the 205 Gti generation, and thought the Corsa was cut from the same cloth.
I wasn't convinced.
It had all the bodykit and fancy racing seats, but I couldn't get my head around the idea of spending €30,000 for a Corsa. For a few euro more you could get a Skoda Octavia RS, or cuddle up to the bank manager and get yourself a VW Golf Gti for €35,000.
Apparently I was missing the point. The small hot-hatch offers the perfect mix of supermini nimbleness and outrageous performance. The others are recognised and respected for their motoring clout, but these small cars are the cheeky upstarts of the car power game. Simply put, they bring a smile to your face.
By the end of the week I was beginning to understand.
Even if I didn't, others did. The popularity of cars like the Mini Cooper S proves a point. There are people out there prepared to pay for these cars, and the Corsa packs more of a punch than the Mini or any of the rest of them on the Irish market.
Perhaps the biggest boon for this OPC comes from its Corsa DNA. The diminutive Opel won favour with us last year for its ability to be both small in stature, yet spacious inside. Park it alongside the likes of the new Peugeot 207 and you would think it was from a smaller class, but sit inside and you soon notice that thanks to some very impressive design, the roof line is tall enough to accommodate six-footers, the boot can swallow a set of golf clubs without complaint, and even the back seat legroom isn't too bad; it's certainly big enough for small children.
Then there's the switchgear: all perfectly to hand, and impressively smooth and simple to use. Particular praise must rest with the folks who replaced Opel's brain-addling rubbery indicator and wiper stalks. Previously you seemed to be sending morse code with your indicators as you struggled to find the off position, but now the Corsa heralds a new generation of controls that are short, smooth and always at the tips of your fingers.
The OPC version adds some nice touches to the cabin, including proper Recaro racing seats, complete with slots for a racing harness and in-built side airbags, and a lovely flat-bottomed steering wheel, similar to the one in the Audi RS4. It all lends itself to a really good seating position for the driver. There are some tacky hot-hatch touches, such as the OPC gear knob and the side skirts, but in general the OPC team have done a good job.
Outside of OPC, the Corsa range of peppy engines and decent gearboxes have impressed as well, making it one of our favourite superminis on the market at present. All bodes well, then, for the OPC version.
The 1.6-litre turbocharged engine puts out 190bhp, exceeding all its rivals.
That's close to the 200bhp rule of thumb for front-wheel-drive cars, after which torque steer turns the driver into a passenger, as happens in the wildly powerful Astra OPC.
This is thankfully not a feature of the Corsa OPC. Part of this is due to the fact that unlike previous OPC versions, this one was not an afterthought, but part of the initial plans for Corsa from the outset.
That meant the engineers knew what was needed all along. First up was a lowering of the car, stiffer suspension and uprated dampers. Then they changed the mix for the steering rack, giving it a lighter electrically-assisted feel when turning in town and feeding more of the road through the system when out in the open.
The end result is a car that doesn't jar on Irish back roads, manages an incredible amount of grip in corners and yet feeds information through the steering wheel.
We'd still prefer if the steering were a little bit sharper, but it's up there with the best of the rest and its diminutive stature gives you a real feeling of controlling every inch of the car through the steering wheel.
THE BENEFIT OF THE turbocharged 1.6-litre unit is an incredible mid-range torque level that really shows itself in the darting pace you have at your beck and call between 2,000 revs and the redline.
Blip the accelerator between 70-80km/h, and you'll be at 120km/h before you know it. That's the true beauty of real hot-hatches: great overtaking ability and loads of grip in corners.
The Corsa, of course, comes with all the requisite anchorage to pull you up when needed, including large disc brakes and a well-tuned stability control package that doesn't interfere too much to destroy all the fun, but will get you out of trouble when required. With the system left on, there's only the slightest hint of understeer and it's neither sharp nor sudden, but easily managed.
There's one over-riding question with the Corsa OPC: is this the rightful heir to the 205 Gti? Several interlopers have sat in the throne since Peugeot's legendary leader passed on, but none have had the motoring majesty of the 205.
The OPC comes with none of the cachet, but time may change that. It also doesn't have the right nomenclature. If Gti registers in the minds of 20 per cent of the population, OPC registers with 0.02 per cent.
The world has changed as well, with the age of hot-hatches not looking as bright as it once did. The incredible number of niches out there and the rapid improvement in the quality of cars you can get for €30,000 means that many will wonder whether a small - if powerful - car is value for money, particularly if it doesn't come with the same recognition and respect that the hot hatches of old enjoyed.
And yet, when pitted against its direct rivals the Opel does offer the best value. Standard features and power output put it right at the top.
A new king has been born and it's the rightful heir to the throne, even if the kingdom isn't quite what it used to be.
Factfile
ENGINE:A 1598cc 16v turbocharged petrol engine offering 190bhp @ 5,850rpm and 230Nm of torque between 1,980rpm and 5,850rpm
SPECIFICATION:Six airbags; ABS with EBD; ESP with traction control; disc brakes; tyre deflation warning system; radio/CD; air-con; 17"alloys (18" alloys optional); Recaro racing seats in the front; VXR styling package including three-spoke flat-bottomed sports steering wheel; cruise control.
L/100km (MPG):
Urban: 10.5 (26.9)
Extra-urban: 6.4 (44.1)
Combined: 7.9 (35.8)
CO2 emissions: 190 g/km
Annual road tax:€391
Price:€28,995