Old South African favourite Opel Corsa Lite returns

After a long hiatus, an old South African favourite in the form of the Opel Corsa Lite is back.

Launched as a Mzansi-specific model based on the second generation Corsa in 1996, the first version of the locally built three-door hatchback was powered by a 1.3-litre eight-valve engine and went on to become one of the best-selling hatchbacks at the time.

When the third-generation arrived, it ran alongside it with an uprated 65 kW 1.4-litre engine under the nameplates Lite, Lite+ and Lite Sport.

The Opel Corsa Lite has now been resurrected and will be offered as the entry-level model for the hatchback range.

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Plenty of oomph

The new Opel Corsa Lite is powered by a 74 kW turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine that also serves on the Corsa Edition derivate. The drive is sent to the front weeks via a six-speed manual transmission.

This powertrain is a big leap forward from the normally aspirated 55kW engine used previously in the entry-level Corsa. The top-of-the-range Elegance model still makes use of the 96 kW version of this engine.

The new Opel Corsa Lite is anything but lightweight when it comes to specifications. Standard specifications include:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Front electric windows
• Air conditioning
• Automatic LED headlamps
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Active Lane Keep Assist
• Seven-inch touchscreen radio
• IntelliLink infotainment system
• Cruise control with speed limiter and speed limit adaptation
• Rear Park-Assist
• Hill-Start Assist
• ISOFIX child seat anchorage
• 180-degree panoramic reverse camera
• Power adjustable side mirrors
• Flat bottom steering wheel with audio controls

Upgrading to an Opel Corsa Edition will see the addition of LED front fog lamps, front and rear parking sensors and rear power windows.

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Elegance models are packed with lots of tech that includes a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, black two-tone roof, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, Traffic Sign Recognition, Driver Drowsiness Alert, Front Collision Alert, Low Speed Automatic Emergency Braking and Front Pedestrian Detection.

Opel Corsa pricing

Corsa Lite – R349 900

Corsa Edition – R356 900

Corsa Elegance – R436 900

Price includes a standard five-year / 120 000 km warranty and a three-year / 45 000 km service plan.