5 things students will love about the Opel Corsa 1.0T Enjoy
Last week it was the Crossland X, Opel’s newest and smallest SUV. This week, we’re driving something even smaller, the Opel Corsa 1.0T Enjoy, and without being too obvious with word-play here, we’ve been getting a fair amount of ‘enjoyment’ from the Corsa Enjoy.
My first car was an Opel Corsa. Of course, it was MUCH older and every time I think of it I still hear the brand’s tagline ‘the light side of life” repeat itself in my head. Moving on a few years, last year Opel introduced a new Corsa to its hatchback range. While we’ve been driving its mid-range derivative, the 1.0T Enjoy, I can’t help but think back to my student years and acknowledge just how far the Corsa has come.
5 things students will love about the Opel Corsa 1.0T Enjoy
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Not everyone can afford their first car on their own. I remember having to borrow the money for the payment of my first car, and thankfully I had family members to borrow from, rather than a bank that charges high interest. But with a helping hand from family came one-hundred-and-one questions about the car: “Is it reliable? Have you taken it to be inspected? Why Opel?” Followed by a motivational speech, by me, as to why I wanted that particular car.
The new Enjoy derivative was named Best Compact Hatchback in the 2016/17 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards. It now sits on a new platform, which is shared with new Opel owners, known as the PSA group (which also owns brands such as Peugeot and Citroen). Since last year’s announcement that Opel would stay in South Africa, Opel has revised the range of Corsa models with improved specifications.
2. More for your money
In edition to improved specifications on the automaker’s Corsa models, Opel also dropped the price across the range. The entry-level Essentia model is now priced at R200 600, while the Enjoy derivative starts at R234 300. The range-topping Corsa 1.4T Sport is priced at R275 600.
On the Enjoy derivative, a couple of features are included as standard, such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto (more about this below).
The Corsa range also impresses with its long-term ownership appeal, featuring a 5-year/120 000km warranty and generous 3-year/60 000km service plan.
3. Driving Enjoy-ment
I really enjoyed zipping around Cape Town in the Opel Corsa. Its 1.0T 3-cylinder engine will surprise you on the highway. I noticed this especially when powering uphill and overtaking struggling cars and I love the little roar it gives at certain acceleration points. Handling is light and precise and its six-speed manual transmission is enjoyably smooth when changing from gear to gear. I think students are going to love the amount of fun to be had from this little guy!
4. Frugal Fuel
‘Low fuel consumption numbers’ sits at the top of every student’s ‘must-haves’ when it comes to car-buying options. The Corsa’s 1.0T offers impressive fuel consumption: the combined cycle number is 4.6 litres per 100km from its newly-acquired 66kW three-cylinder turbopetrol with a CO2 rating of just 107 grams per kilometre.
5. Fun tech as standard
As mentioned earlier, the Corsa Enjoy comes with some fun tech. It comes with the acclaimed IntelliLink infotainment system, which houses features like Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Once you’ve set everything up you can enjoy a range of convenient tools to keep you connected while on the road. Voice prompt the vehicle to be able to read and send Whatsapp messages, access your phonebook, run Google Maps to get to and from your destinations easily and safely, and the great news is that all of this is standard in the Enjoy model!
Also as standard is a tyre pressure monitoring system as well as a gear-change indicator.
Also read: 4 things we love about the Opel Crossland X
If you’re in the market for a fun, affordable and driver-friendly student car, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider the new Opel Corsa, or take it for a test drive and see for yourself.