Motoring - Goodbye bummus numbus
If you are looking for a refined, spacious, largish-smallish car for a reasonable price, you should think seriously about the new Opel Corsa as it's nicely put together
Twice in my life I've been in an Opel. Once in my aunt's Vauxhall Nova (Vauxhall is the British badge for Opel; Nova is the predecessor to the Corsa) which has been loyal to her owner for more than 20 years although, admittedly, the speed counter has never been under duress as a trip from Luqa to Vittoriosa takes an hour; and once in my friend's Opel Astra TwinTop, in which a trip from Luxembourg to Brussels takes a hair-raising half an hour and the speedometer begs for mercy.
Three weeks ago, I had my third Opel trip and this time I was driving. United Automobile kicked off their 25-year anniversary of their representation of Opel in Malta with a celebratory classic cars rally during which motoring journalists were also to test-drive the new Opel cars. By journalists I mean men who would happily talk cars from dusk till dawn. Here's a snippet conversation between Hugh Arnett and Chris Sultana at 8 a.m.:
Hugh: "You remember that car bla bla and then I had to dismantle the engine bla bla bla'.
Chris: "Istra! Did it affect its braking bla bla system and what about performance? Bla bla bla."
I was there with a valid reason to be there. According to research, more than half the cars sold are bought by women and women influence 80 per cent of buying decisions. It is time more women's voices were heard in the motoring media.
Ryan Buttigieg, Opel's sales and marketing manager, came to give out the keys. The boys shifted stance and all started acting as if it really didn't matter which car they were given but their eyes belied delight in their otherwise poker face when they got the testosterone-fuelled ones (such as the Opel Astra GTC and the TwinTop). Thankfully I got the five-door Corsa. Thankfully, because I was already as stiff as a gear stick as it was and my neck would have cracked with tension if I were given the cabrio.
The little show trip took us from Ta' Xbiex, up to Mdina, Golden Bay and Żurrieq. It's the closest I ever felt to being on the catwalk. Pedestrians were wolf-whistling us, waving, cameras were filming us, photographers snapping away. I should have got my aunt to join. Her car would have felt spritely next to the 50-year-old Opel Kadett, Opel Kapitan and Opel Olympia. In one of our stops to admire each other's car I got talking to John Briffa, driver of a 1958 Kapitan, which he inherited from his father, and which to me looked like the happiest car in the world with little plastic flower pots by the side doors, luxury leather seats and the back so vast you could have a whole Isle of MTV party.
I was not on my own in the five-door silver Corsa. I had two Opel men, both named Adrian Vella, both of whom eat, sleep and dream Opel. You can't even call them sales people, because they are not out to sell, they want to banter happily about their Opel knowledge with anyone who would listen. They are in love with the make they represent but are not in their first flushes of love where all is rosy - they are in love despite its minuses; they talk passionately about the pros and cons of Opel cars, how they compete with their rivals, where they excel, where they need to improve and anyway the gist of our conversation was something like this:
Adrian (passenger seat): "Its Drag Torque Control gives it an excellent performance."
Me: "Hmmm"
Adrian (passenger seat): "How do you find the steering? It's a speed dependant electronic power steering."
Me: "Hmmm"
Adrian (back seat): "and check out the brakes, now with the electronic braking distribution ..."
Me: "Hmmm. What's the boot like? Would a pushchair fit in you think?"
Actually the Opel Corsa has one of the biggest boots in the class, which on most models comes with a false floor under which you can stow valuables. It also has split-folding rear seats for luggage or tricycles or gigantic Christmas gifts. At one point during the drive I sort of comment about how it would have been perfect if only my seat was higher and out shot a hand from the side, pressed some button and, voilà, I had a tailored driving position.
The interior is jazzed up with a piano-black dash with lovely splashes of soft-touch red plastic. It's neat and trim and the leg space at the back is very much Emirates. In fact I suspect it feels much bigger than it really is, which is good. But, two buts: the dashboard: it's one of those slanting ones where you can't put a bottle of water/ mobile/change for the parker, because it will roll straight back on your lap. It's the trend on new cars I hear. And for some reason the light switch is in the form of a knob next to the right knee rather than on the steering wheel - and it takes some getting used to and fumbling about at first.
Statistics show that the Opel Corsa is among the top in its class when it comes to fuel economy - something to do with the Twinport fuel, saving technology. This is good news in the light of grapevine whispers that we will be taxed according to our car's emissions. The Corsa should put me in a favourable tax band. That's a winning card up the Corsa's sleeve which appeals to the eco-warrior in us.
And now for the bit about the performance and the technical specifications. The Corsa is a sleek drive. It has smooth suspensions amply tested on potholes dotting our route and I hand on heart can vouch: no bummus numbus. And it's packed with anti-crash wizardry which will definitely protect you in a worst case scenario. It's been tested by all those guys in white coats clutching a clip board and if they say it's safe, well, I just bow my head in awe.
I'm afraid I don't look for anything further than that. Instead when I look at a car I want to know little details which nobody ever seems to be able to answer. Because, of course, it's information relegated to the brain's useless information folder (alas a very crowded folder in my case). Here's what I want to know: the Opel logo. Is that a lightening bolt? And why is it that on some of the old cars the logo looks like bolt with no hair gel and hence no spike? Bluffer's Guide to Opel, here's the answer: The logo was originally a Zeppelin but as the Zepellin became less popular as a form of transport, the logo was changed to a snazzy "blitz" (which as we all err know, means lightening in German).
Now for the feeling of the car, that I can give you. If you want to drive something fast and vulgar, forget it. Of course, the Corsa is not your car. But if you are looking for a refined, spacious, largish-smallish car for a reasonable price, you should think seriously about it as it's nicely put together. It feels composed and courteous: it tells you good morning in the most graceful of manners. And what better way to start the day?
• The Opel Corsa is available in no less than 12 different exterior colours. The interior finishes ensure that every minute spent in the Corsa is enjoyed through fabrics and decors that suit everyone's personal style. Starting at €14,559, the Opel Corsa comes in a range of high fuel-saving petrol and diesel engines with consumption as little as 4.6 litres per 100km and Co2 emissions as low as 119g/km.
Three weeks ago, I had my third Opel trip and this time I was driving. United Automobile kicked off their 25-year anniversary of their representation of Opel in Malta with a celebratory classic cars rally during which motoring journalists were also to test-drive the new Opel cars. By journalists I mean men who would happily talk cars from dusk till dawn. Here's a snippet conversation between Hugh Arnett and Chris Sultana at 8 a.m.:
Hugh: "You remember that car bla bla and then I had to dismantle the engine bla bla bla'.
Chris: "Istra! Did it affect its braking bla bla system and what about performance? Bla bla bla."
I was there with a valid reason to be there. According to research, more than half the cars sold are bought by women and women influence 80 per cent of buying decisions. It is time more women's voices were heard in the motoring media.
Ryan Buttigieg, Opel's sales and marketing manager, came to give out the keys. The boys shifted stance and all started acting as if it really didn't matter which car they were given but their eyes belied delight in their otherwise poker face when they got the testosterone-fuelled ones (such as the Opel Astra GTC and the TwinTop). Thankfully I got the five-door Corsa. Thankfully, because I was already as stiff as a gear stick as it was and my neck would have cracked with tension if I were given the cabrio.
The little show trip took us from Ta' Xbiex, up to Mdina, Golden Bay and Żurrieq. It's the closest I ever felt to being on the catwalk. Pedestrians were wolf-whistling us, waving, cameras were filming us, photographers snapping away. I should have got my aunt to join. Her car would have felt spritely next to the 50-year-old Opel Kadett, Opel Kapitan and Opel Olympia. In one of our stops to admire each other's car I got talking to John Briffa, driver of a 1958 Kapitan, which he inherited from his father, and which to me looked like the happiest car in the world with little plastic flower pots by the side doors, luxury leather seats and the back so vast you could have a whole Isle of MTV party.
I was not on my own in the five-door silver Corsa. I had two Opel men, both named Adrian Vella, both of whom eat, sleep and dream Opel. You can't even call them sales people, because they are not out to sell, they want to banter happily about their Opel knowledge with anyone who would listen. They are in love with the make they represent but are not in their first flushes of love where all is rosy - they are in love despite its minuses; they talk passionately about the pros and cons of Opel cars, how they compete with their rivals, where they excel, where they need to improve and anyway the gist of our conversation was something like this:
Adrian (passenger seat): "Its Drag Torque Control gives it an excellent performance."
Me: "Hmmm"
Adrian (passenger seat): "How do you find the steering? It's a speed dependant electronic power steering."
Me: "Hmmm"
Adrian (back seat): "and check out the brakes, now with the electronic braking distribution ..."
Me: "Hmmm. What's the boot like? Would a pushchair fit in you think?"
Actually the Opel Corsa has one of the biggest boots in the class, which on most models comes with a false floor under which you can stow valuables. It also has split-folding rear seats for luggage or tricycles or gigantic Christmas gifts. At one point during the drive I sort of comment about how it would have been perfect if only my seat was higher and out shot a hand from the side, pressed some button and, voilà, I had a tailored driving position.
The interior is jazzed up with a piano-black dash with lovely splashes of soft-touch red plastic. It's neat and trim and the leg space at the back is very much Emirates. In fact I suspect it feels much bigger than it really is, which is good. But, two buts: the dashboard: it's one of those slanting ones where you can't put a bottle of water/ mobile/change for the parker, because it will roll straight back on your lap. It's the trend on new cars I hear. And for some reason the light switch is in the form of a knob next to the right knee rather than on the steering wheel - and it takes some getting used to and fumbling about at first.
Statistics show that the Opel Corsa is among the top in its class when it comes to fuel economy - something to do with the Twinport fuel, saving technology. This is good news in the light of grapevine whispers that we will be taxed according to our car's emissions. The Corsa should put me in a favourable tax band. That's a winning card up the Corsa's sleeve which appeals to the eco-warrior in us.
And now for the bit about the performance and the technical specifications. The Corsa is a sleek drive. It has smooth suspensions amply tested on potholes dotting our route and I hand on heart can vouch: no bummus numbus. And it's packed with anti-crash wizardry which will definitely protect you in a worst case scenario. It's been tested by all those guys in white coats clutching a clip board and if they say it's safe, well, I just bow my head in awe.
I'm afraid I don't look for anything further than that. Instead when I look at a car I want to know little details which nobody ever seems to be able to answer. Because, of course, it's information relegated to the brain's useless information folder (alas a very crowded folder in my case). Here's what I want to know: the Opel logo. Is that a lightening bolt? And why is it that on some of the old cars the logo looks like bolt with no hair gel and hence no spike? Bluffer's Guide to Opel, here's the answer: The logo was originally a Zeppelin but as the Zepellin became less popular as a form of transport, the logo was changed to a snazzy "blitz" (which as we all err know, means lightening in German).
Now for the feeling of the car, that I can give you. If you want to drive something fast and vulgar, forget it. Of course, the Corsa is not your car. But if you are looking for a refined, spacious, largish-smallish car for a reasonable price, you should think seriously about it as it's nicely put together. It feels composed and courteous: it tells you good morning in the most graceful of manners. And what better way to start the day?
• The Opel Corsa is available in no less than 12 different exterior colours. The interior finishes ensure that every minute spent in the Corsa is enjoyed through fabrics and decors that suit everyone's personal style. Starting at €14,559, the Opel Corsa comes in a range of high fuel-saving petrol and diesel engines with consumption as little as 4.6 litres per 100km and Co2 emissions as low as 119g/km.