It's official: the new Opel Corsa GSE is shown ahead of its imminent return to the roads

We told you a little over a few months ago that Opel confirmed the arrival of a sporty version of the Corsa after six years absent from the lineup of the small German model, specifically since the “Blitz” brand came under the Stellantis group and it was decided that the GSi and OPC versions would disappear. We will once again have a sporty Corsa, named GSE, but as we also anticipated, not quite the same one you knew.

The Opel Corsa GSi and OPC will remain near-exclusive gems on the used market, thanks to the appreciation they have seen and which is expected to continue rising, all the more so knowing that the new Opel Corsa GSE abandons combustion engines and embraces electrification. And, as we suspected, the Mokka GSE will provide its mechanical base to bring the new Corsa GSE to life.

This means that under its bonnet we will find an electric motor producing 207 kW (281 CV) and 345 Nm of torque, the same output as the Mokka GSE, except that thanks to its lower weight and drag the 0-100 km/h acceleration is noticeably reduced by 0.4 seconds, settling at 5.5 seconds, while top speed is 180 km/h. All this power is available in the Sport driving mode and the track-optimised calibration; in Normal mode the output drops to 170 kW (231 CV) while keeping a sporty setup, and finally, in ECO mode the settings are optimised for greater efficiency and top speed is limited to 150 km/h. In my opinion, calling this a “sporty car” is an insult that denigrates the history of all previous Corsa GSi and OPC models.

Continuing with the mechanical side, and to give its drivers the feeling of being behind the wheel of a true sports car, Opel has equipped the GSE with a multi-plate Torsen limited-slip differential and a lowered sport chassis with axles, anti-roll bars and hydraulic dampers featuring specific tuning, which also helps justify their cost. To conclude this section, all this power will be brought to a halt by the braking system with four-piston calipers.

Naturally, the Opel Corsa GSE will be set apart from the rest of the range by details both outside and inside. On the exterior it features elements such as a front splitter and a rear spoiler, as well as other black-painted parts such as the lower section, wheel arches and roof, plus air intakes that reinforce its sporty image. Contact with the road is made through Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres mounted on 18-inch alloy wheels with a three-spoke design.

Inside, both driver and passenger will sit on sport seats with integrated headrests and Alcantara trim, a material that also appears in other areas such as the door panels and steering wheel, along with contrasting yellow stitching, a colour also used on the seatbelts. From the driver’s seat, the driver can customise what appears on the digital instrument cluster, while other data such as G-force, acceleration values and battery management information is shown on the 10-inch infotainment screen.

Finally, as part of its equipment, the Opel Corsa GSE also includes, among other things, heated seats and steering wheel, a 180-degree rear-view camera, keyless entry and start, or an integrated bidirectional charger (V2L).

The Opel Corsa GSE will go on sale before the end of 2026, though it will first be presented worldwide and in full detail at the Paris Motor Show in October.