The Opel Corsa is a supermini that has been produced by General Motors' European subsidiary Opel since 1982 and has also been sold under a variety of other brands (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrolet, and Holden), and also spawned various derivatives in different markets, all of which are listed in appropriate sections below. The names Vauxhall Nova , Holden Barina and Chevrolet Chevy have been used for the Corsa in certain markets.
Despite its global presence, it has never been sold in the United States or Canada.
The Corsa is built at Figueruelas in Spain, and in other countries such as Germany (Eisenach), Argentina (Rosario), Brazil (São Caetano do Sul and São José dos Campos), Colombia (Bogotá), Mexico (Ramos Arizpe), South Africa (Port Elizabeth), India (Halol), and China (Shanghai).
Opel Corsa A
The front-wheel drive Corsa was first launched in April 1983 to replace the Opel Kadett C City. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door versions arriving in 1984. The basic model was called just the Corsa, which was followed by the Corsa Luxus, Corsa Berlina and the sporty Corsa SR. Six years later, the Corsa received a facelift, which included a new front fascia and some other minor changes. The models were called LS, GL, GLS and GT. The Corsa was known in the UK market as the Vauxhall Nova.
Power first came from 1.0 L 45 hp, 1.2 L 55 hp, 1.3 L 70 hp and 1.4 L 75 hp petroleum engines. (the first engines were all equiped with carburators, fuel injection came later, only on the 1.2 and 1.4 engines). The engines were based on well proven GM Family II design, except for 1.0 L engine which was based on the OHV unit from the Kadett C. There was also a 1.5 L diesel engine available, which was also used in the Isuzu Gemini at around the same time. The engines and most of the mechanical components were derived from those used in the Astra/Kadett.
A rare "Sport" model was produced from 1983 in order to homologate for the sub 1300 cc class of Group A for the British Rally Championship. These sport models had SR suspension, SR engine with twin Weber 40 DCOE carburettors, a bespoke camshaft, close ratio GTE gearbox, and few luxuries. This gave 93 hp and a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) with a 0-60 mph time of 8.9 seconds. These are by far the rarest models (500 produced) and thus acquire a high market price if one does become available.
A 1.6 L multi-point fuel injected engine with 100 PS (74 kW) and capable of 186 km/h (116 mph) was later added to the Corsa/Nova, giving decent performance and being badged as a GSi (GTE in pre-facelift models in the UK, later models were all called GSi). A model with an 82 PS (60 kW) 1.4 L multi-point fuel injected engine also became available as the SRi, which was otherwise mechanically identical to the GSi.
The design was freshened in 1990 with new bumpers, headlights, grille and interior, but the car was showing its age against strong competition such as the Renault Clio and Peugeot 106.
Vauxhall Nova
The Vauxhall Nova (name for the Opel Corsa in UK) was produced by General Motors between 1983 and 1993, primarily for the British market. It replaced the Vauxhall Chevette and Opel Kadett City. All Nova and Vauxhall Corsa models were made in Spain, with the first British customers taking delivery of their cars in April 1983. It gave Vauxhall a much-needed modern competitor in the UK supermini market, as the Chevette was older than the majority of its competitors, chiefly the Ford Fiesta and Austin Metro.
Sales in the UK were strong right up to the end, but by the time the last Nova was made in early 1993, it was looking very dated in comparison to more modern rivals like the Peugeot 106 and Renault Clio. Its successor was the Corsa (B); the first Vauxhall to adopt the same model name as the Opel version. By 1996, all models of the Vauxhall and Opel ranges were identically named.
Opel Corsa B
In 1993 the Corsa B was unveiled, and in the UK, Vauxhall dropped the Nova name, with the car now being known as the Corsa. The following year, it was launched by Holden in Australia, as the Barina , replacing a version of the Suzuki Swift sold under that name. This proved a success, and was the first Spanish-built car to be sold in significant volumes in the Australian market.
Four-cylinder power came from 1.2 L Family 0, 1.4 L and 1.6 L Family 1 petrol engines, as well as an economical 1.5 L turbodiesel engine. Unlike the previous model, there was no saloon version, but one was designed in Brazil for the Latin American market, as saloons were much preferred to hatchbacks. This was also introduced in South Africa and India. A station wagon, panel van and pick-up truck were also introduced. The wagon version was sold in some European markets (including Italy), badged as an Opel. The Corsa also spawned a small coupé called Opel Tigra. A 1.0 L 3-cylinder Family 0 economy version was launched in 1996, and a Lotus-tuned suspension was added as well as an exterior refresh. Strong competition came from new models like the Peugeot 206, Fiat Punto and Škoda Fabia.
The sedan model is still built and sold in Latin America as Chevrolet Corsa Classic . A budget version introduced for the Brazilian market, the Chevrolet Celta , has bodywork resembling the late 1990s Vectra and Astra. The Celta is sold in Argentina as the Suzuki Fun.
The saloon and wagon versions were produced in China by Shanghai GM as Buick Sail and Buick Sail S-RV , respectively, until 2005. That year they became known as the Chevrolet Sail and SRV. In September 2006, Chile became the first country outside China to receive the Chinese-assembled Sail; it is called the Chevrolet Corsa Plus , available as a four-door sedan with a 1.6 L 92 PS (68 kW) engine. The Corsa Plus includes dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, electric windows and central locking as standard equipment.
In India, the hatchback, saloon and wagon versions were sold as the Corsa Sail , Corsa (or Corsa Joy ) and Corsa Swing respectively until the end of 2005. The hatchback model was still being produced, and extensively marketed in South Africa as the Corsa Lite under the Opel branding until 2009 at which point the Corsa Lite was discontinued.
Mexico
Main article: Cars in MexicoIn 1994, General Motors de México first marketed the Corsa B as the Chevy , which would quickly replace Volkswagen's Sedán as the people's favorite. For 2004 (after the Corsa C was introduced), a Mexican designed and produced version of the hatchback and sedan, known as the Chevy C2, was released, which is also sold in Colombia. All Mexican previous versions were known as the Chevy , with the names Monza used on the sedan, and Swing (5-door) and Joy (3-door) for the hatchbacks. The latter 2004 and 2008 redesigns were simply named Chevy and Chevy Sedán . The Chevy remains a favorite among taxicab drivers and one of the best selling cars in the country.
Names and markets
- Opel Corsa - Europe (except for UK)
- Vauxhall Corsa - United Kingdom
- Holden Barina - Australia, New Zealand (was replaced by the Daewoo Kalos from 2005)
- Chevrolet Corsa - Latin America
- Chevrolet Corsa Classic/Classic - sedan, South America (after the launch of new Corsa)
- Chevrolet Corsa Plus - Chinese-assembled Corsa sold in Chile
- Chevrolet Celta - South America
- Chevrolet Prizm - sedan, South America
- Suzuki Fun - Argentina
- Opel Corsa Lite - South Africa (after the launch of new Corsa)
- Opel Swing - South African station wagon
- Buick Sail - China, until 2005
- Chevrolet Sail - China, since 2005
- Opel Vita - Japan (Toyota already registered the Corsa name for one of their domestic models, the Toyota Tercel)
- Chevrolet Chevy/Chevy C2 - Mexico (C2 after 2004 facelift, dropped in 2008 as New Chevy)
- Chevrolet Monza - Mexico (4 door version until 2004)
- Opel Corsa "Classic" - South African sedan
- Opel Sail - India
- Chevrolet Small - taxi version
Opel Corsa C
The Corsa C was revealed in 1999 and introduced to the European market in 2000. General Motors dubb
Austin Car Rental - Rent a Car in Austin, Texas at Avis.com
Rent a car in Austin, Texas with Avis.com. Check out our specials for Austin airport and off-airport car rental locations.
Transportation Options To and From Austin-Bergstrom
Rental Car Companies. ACE Car Rental of Austin: (512) 530-3900 ; Advantage Rent A Car: 1-800-777-5500 ; Alamo / National Rent-A-Car: (512) 530-3500
Austin, TX Car Rental Locations - Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Rent a car in Austin. Each Enterprise location in Austin offers a variety of rental cars - from economy car rental to luxury car rental, mini van to cargo van rental. You can even ...
DFW Elite Auto Rental - Exotic Car Rental Dallas, Fort Worth - Ferrari ...
... Auto Rental - Exotic Car Rental Dallas, Fort Worth - Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes - Insurance Quote ©2007 DFW Elite Auto Rental.com - Serving Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin ...
Austin Exotic Car Rental - Guide to luxury car rental and exotic car ...
Austin Exotic Car Rental -- Rent a Ferrari, Viper, Hummer, Mercedes, BMW, Corvette, Cadillac, or Porsche in 30 major cities
Rental Car Austin, TX, Austin Text Airport Rental Cars, Hotels ...
Drive a great deal! At Rental Car Austin, we're pleased to provide you with featured travel deals, rent-a-car specials, and the ability to compare pricing from leading travel ...
BreezeNet.com: Austin Rental Cars, Auto/Car Rentals, Austin, Texas TX ...
Traveler's bookmark showing Austin rental cars, car rental rates, coupons and rental agencies available at major airports. Easy rental car surfing!
Car Rentals in Austin, TX on Yahoo! Local
Car Rentals in Austin, TX on Yahoo! Local Get Ratings & Reviews on Car Rentals with Photos, Maps, Driving Directions and more.
Car Rental Austin, Rental Cars in Austin
Save between 15-30% by choosing an Independent Car Rental Agency for cheap car rentals, reliable or quality car rentals, discount or inexpensive car rentals, motorcycle rentals and ...
Ford Rental Car Service - Austin, TX, 78751 - Citysearch
Contributor Citysearch. Ford dealers offer competitive rates on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars, trucks and vans--for daily, weekly or monthly rentals.