Here's the Opel Corsa 2015 in the flesh

The fifth generation of the Opel Corsa will be unveiled to the public next week at the Paris Motor Show. Back in July we previewed the main new features of the Corsa E, and now we bring you photos of a unit we came across on the street.

For some weeks now, several test models of the revamped city car have been rolling off the assembly lines at Figueruelas and have been spotted around Zaragoza. In person, the new Corsa goes relatively unnoticed, which is logical since it uses the same platform as the fourth generation (it will be the sixth that debuts a completely new one).

The aesthetic changes represent a much smaller leap than the one between the Corsa C and D, and are based on applying the brand’s current design language to the basic lines that define the model. These alterations are reflected in features such as the style line along the lower part of the side or the front end inspired by the ADAM.

The new generation keeps the dimensions of the Corsa D and, according to Opel, the height of the centre of gravity is reduced by just five millimetres. The real update to the model has taken place in the areas of the vehicle that are less visible: the cabin (higher-quality materials, a dashboard similar to that of the ADAM…), the chassis (completely new and set up to offer more agility and comfort), the petrol engines (the three-cylinder 1.0 and the 100 CV 1.4 turbo) and the equipment (IntelliLink system and additional safety technologies).

The unit we photographed lacks bi-xenon headlights, is fitted with the optional alloy wheels of 16 inches with twelve spokes, and has one of the two versions of the CDTI 1.3-litre engine that this generation inherits from the Corsa D.

Although the trim levels already announced for other countries such as Germany, Belgium or France may not match those in Spain, the absence of the chrome lower window trim (standard on the top trim in the five-door bodywork) suggests that this unit corresponds to an intermediate level.

The Figueruelas and Eisenach plants will begin series production of the Corsa E next November, and the commercial launch will take place before the end of 2014. The Zaragoza plant plans for 200,000 units to roll off its lines in 2015. More information and more photos of the new Opel Corsa next week in our coverage of the Paris Show.

Photos | Highmotor team