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• Opel's new Corsa will launch in South Africa imminently.
• The car will go up against rivals such as the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta.
• The new Corsa is based on Peugeot's upcoming 208.
• For more motoring stories, go to www.Wheels24.co.za
When Opel launches its new Corsa in South Africa in 2021, the popular car will have to stave off challenges from several trusted and established rivals.
With Opel now under the PSA Group's control, which includes Peugeot and Citroën, the SA-bound Corsa will be based on the new Peugeot 208. Neither car is available in South Africa yet, but the 208 is penned in for a '2021 Q1' launch, while the Corsa has 'February 2021' next to its name.
As such, the Corsa will utilise the 208's 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, but no word as yet what the power figure for the engine in the Opel's application will be. In Europe, the Corsa's engine offers 56-, 75-, and 97kW.
When it launches next month, the Corsa will resume its battle with several rivals. These are the Corsa's most notable challengers.
Which rivals, do you think, the Opel Corsa will go up against when it launches in SA? Email us or use the comment section below.
Corsa rivals
The Volkswagen Polo is an extremely popular car among South Africans, with buyers opting for it due to the vast dealer network and reputability of the brand. The entry-level Polo, the 1.0TSI Comfortline, retails for R323 100 and offers 70kW and 175Nm from its three-cylinder engine. Power is channelled to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. The Polo might not be specified with the most number of standard features, but VW has ensured that buyers get their money's worth when they sign on the dotted line.
The next contender is Ford's Fiesta. The Trend model kicks things off for the Blue Oval's product, and at R323 800, it is a close rival to the Polo. Also powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, the car offers an extra 4kW over the Polo, but 5Nm less torque. A six-speed manual gearbox sends power to the front wheels. Ford also ensured that the Fiesta Trend features Rear Park Distance Control (optional on Polo) and a CD player.
The Corsa's next rival is perhaps the most obvious one: the Peugeot 208. It can be assumed that when both the Corsa and 208 launches in South Africa, they will be priced aggressively to compete with the Polo and Fiesta. All four cars are similar in size and weight, but the two newest additions will pull out all the stops to show that they are superior to their somewhat dated rivals.
