Announced back in February, Stellantis has released the first official spy images of the performance Opel Corsa GSE undergoing testing at the Nürburgring.
GTI now versus GSE
The first hot Corsa since the previous-generation OPC, the GSE will, however, break from tradition by omitting the combustion engine entirely.
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As per the GSE moniker already affixed to the Astra and Mokka, it will solely be offered as an EV.
Set to become the Blitz’s rival for Volkswagen’s incoming ID. Polo GTI, the Corsa GSE will premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October, before going on sale soon after.
Shared power with Mokka?
Its testing at the Nürburgring involving chassis tuning, the GSE will come standard with a sport chassis, Electronic Stability Control and steering system compared to the normal Corsa Electric.
Reported back in 2021 as returning, but then as a plug-in hybrid, the electric system will reportedly be similar to that of the Mokka GSE.
This means a 54-kWh battery pack producing 206kW/345Nm. By comparison, the most powerful OPC produced 152kW/280 Nm from its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
While Opel still hasn’t confirmed the exact power figures outright, the GSE is seemingly set to outpower the ID. Polo GTI, whose 52-kWh battery pack will produce 166 kW.
Paris reveal in October
“The Opel Corsa GSE will be the next addition to the GSE family. We want everybody to enjoy fully-electric hot hatchback performance and exciting driving dynamics,” Opel Executive Committee member, Marcus Lott, said.
“That’s why we specifically travelled to the Nürburgring to put the final touches on the set-up”.
Its time of reveal now confirmed, the Corsa GSE will remain a no-no for South Africa, similar to the ID. Polo GTI.
As such, the local line-up will continue to be headed by the limited-edition Irmscher, which differs aesthetically and sits 30 mm lower than the standard GS Line it is based on.
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