Five-door only, built after a change of plan, with an electric Corsa-e that became the Corsa Electric at the 2023 facelift.
The Opel Corsa F is the sixth generation of the Corsa small car, sold from 2019 as a five-door only. It was built on the Common Modular Platform of the PSA Group after plans changed, and it spawned the electric Corsa-e, later called Corsa Electric.
Opel's plans for its next small car changed more than once before the Corsa F reached the market. Its move to a PSA platform pushed series production back a year, and the car that arrived in 2019 was first shown as an electric model.
Why did the Corsa F change platform during development?
A development contract with PSA aimed at a shared platform, but a later report said that cooperation had been abandoned and a new GM/Opel platform was being developed. In early 2017, with the PSA takeover in view, the decision was made to drop General Motors parts from new Opel models. The Corsa E had used a Corsa D floor assembly that was only slightly modified, and the successor was meant to get a new platform.
Adam Opel AG and the French PSA Group had signed a development contract in December 2012, aimed at shared components and a common platform for the successors of the Opel Corsa and the Citroen C3. Spy prototypes that resembled the Corsa E in concept and dimensions were photographed from 2016 and shown by magazines and web portals.
The sixth-generation Corsa arrived a year late, on a new PSA platform, with an electric Corsa-e shown first.
When did the Corsa F go on sale?
Opel unveiled the Corsa-e on 23 May 2019 and debuted the combustion models on 26 June 2019. Orders opened for the Corsa-e on 4 June 2019 at prices from 29,900 euros, and for the other models on 1 July 2019 at prices from 13,990 euros. Sales began on 16 November 2019.
Series production at the Figueruelas plant started on 7 October 2019, and production of the Corsa-e was announced for January 2020. At the Eisenach plant the Corsa and Adam were dropped, leaving only the Grandland SUV, and in the United Kingdom the car sells under the Vauxhall brand.
Which engines does the Corsa F offer?
At launch the petrol choice was a 1.2-litre (73 cu in) engine in three power outputs, with the smallest rated 55 kW (75 PS; 74 hp) and paired with a five-speed manual. A diesel and an electric motor completed the launch line-up. An eight-speed automatic was available at extra cost, and standard on the strongest petrol engine, rated 96 kW (130 PS; 128 hp).
The rest of the petrol range, roughly 74 kW (100 PS; 99 hp), came with a six-speed manual as standard. Petrol engines with a 48-volt electrical system were announced with the facelift and have been sold since February 2024.
Among small cars, the Corsa F was a first in offering an eight-speed automatic on request, alongside adaptive Matrix LED headlights.
Specifications at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Body | Five-door only |
| Platform | Common Modular Platform (CMP) of the PSA Group |
| Drag coefficient | 0.29 (cw) |
| Front suspension | MacPherson struts |
| Rear suspension | Compound-link (twist-beam) axle |
| Petrol engines | 1.2-litre (73 cu in); 55 kW (75 PS; 74 hp) to 96 kW (130 PS; 128 hp) |
| Corsa-e range | 357 km WLTP with the 100 kW drive after the 2023 facelift |
| Corsa-e DC charging | 0 to 80% in about 30 minutes at 100 kW |
| GSE output | Up to 207 kW (281 PS; 277 hp) |
| GSE top speed | 180 km/h |
What made the Corsa F lighter and more rigid?
The Corsa F platform uses high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, which saved 108 kg on the lightest Corsa model and 40 kg on the bare body. Its drag coefficient is 0.29. The front uses MacPherson struts, while the rear relies on a twist-beam axle with compound links.
The Corsa-e went further. Torsional rigidity was improved by 30 per cent, and the chassis was adjusted because the batteries add weight compared with the combustion model. The electric motor, model EMR3, is liquid-cooled and is built at a plant in Tianjin, China.
How far does the Corsa-e go on a charge?
The Corsa-e's 100 kW drive had a WLTP range of 337 km at launch, which rose to 354 km for model year 2022 and 357 km after the 2023 facelift. Model year 2022 added a heat pump with better efficiency and altered gearing, lifting the figure. A 115 kW motor with a 51 kWh gross battery and a WLTP range of 405 km has been offered since the facelift.
Charging from 0 to 80% takes about 20 hours on a 2.3 kW Schuko socket and about 8 hours with single-phase Mode 3 charging at 7.2 kW. The standard AC charger is single-phase at 7.4 kW, and an optional three-phase charger of up to 11 kW needs about 5:15 hours. DC fast charging at 100 kW takes about 30 minutes. The liquid-cooled batteries sit in the floor, with cut-outs for the footwells, and lower the centre of gravity by about 5.5 cm.
What did the 2023 facelift change?
The updated range was presented on 24 May 2023 and had its public premiere at the IAA in Munich that September. The biggest visible change is the Vizor front section, which takes its cue from the Manta and first appeared on the Mokka B. The electric model was renamed Corsa Electric.
The sporty GSE, shown in 2026
Opel showed the sporty GSE in May 2026, after the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept had been presented at the IAA 2025. Due on the market in 2026, the electric GSE delivers up to 207 kW (281 PS; 277 hp) and reaches 180 km/h, and is said to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. Its 54 kWh gross battery is slightly larger than the 51 kWh unit of the 115 kW motor, and a Torsen limited-slip differential and lowered sports chassis are fitted.
Which trim lines and colours were offered?
The Corsa came in base, Edition, Elegance, GS-Line and Ultimate trims, with the Ultimate added in November 2020. The Corsa-e had its own line-up of Selection, Edition, First Edition, Elegance, GS-Line and Ultimate, and Power Orange was the only base colour. The Corsa-e First Edition ran from June 2019 to April 2020, and its Elegance and GS-Line trims followed in April and August 2020.
Seven further colours were offered alongside Power Orange: Snow White, Chili Red, Quartz Silver, Moonstone Grey, Diamond Black, Pearl Blue and Nautic Blue. Depending on trim, the roof and mirror housings could be black or white, and a panoramic roof was optional from the Elegance trim upward.
How did the Corsa F sell in its first full year?
In 2020, its first full year, the Corsa F topped German small-car registrations, according to Federal Motor Transport Authority figures. It took 12.1% of registrations, or 53,199 units, which made it the segment's top seller. These figures cover new registrations in Germany only.
For the Corsa's 40th anniversary, Opel released the 40 Jahre special edition in June 2022, limited to 1,982 examples. It was finished in Rekord Rot, meant to recall the red of the Corsa A, with several body parts in contrasting black. Inside, striped check seat covers were used, as in the Corsa A. Socks in the same design came in an anniversary box.
Did the Corsa-e race in rallies?
Opel presented the Corsa-e Rally on 22 August 2019 as the first purely electric rally car. It was developed with the ADAC, and 15 vehicles were initially planned for the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup 2020/2021. The price for customer teams was to stay below 50,000 euros, and the motor came from the standard Corsa-e.
Volker Strycek, a racing driver who leads the Opel Performance Center, took part in the development. Opel also offers the Corsa R4 as a rally vehicle.
What awards did the Corsa F win?
The Corsa F won the Auto Bild company car award for 2019 in the German small car category and was named AUTOBEST Best Buy Car 2019. Both honours came in its launch year, before it became Germany's best-selling small car in 2020.
