Chevrolet Corsa Utility

And no, I haven’t made a mistake. It is now a Chevrolet. In straight forward, no nonsense PR terms, the next generation Corsa Utility will be a Chevrolet and deciding when to change the name was only a matter of time. By doing it this way I guess it just gives us time to adjust.
Do not fear though, all is well in the land of Corsa. The only changes they have made is they’ve swopped the badges on the front grille, the tailgate, steering wheel, the engine cover and on the wheel caps.

The range still starts with a 1.4 base which produces 66kW and 115Nm and eventually tops the scale with a 1.8 Sport. There is also a 1.7 diesel engine, and that manages 55kW and 165Nm.
I was lucky enough to get stuck in behind the wheel of the 1.8 Sport, and first impressions are good. I recently drove the Nissan NP200, and I loved the stocky, aggressive looks and stance. The NP200 is the Corsa’s greatest rival, but where the NP200 is stocky, the Corsa is athletic.
Aesthetically the little bombshell bakkie is pleasing on the eye. It doesn’t however stop there. Climb in behind the wheel and you are greeted by a simplistic, yet functional interior. On the driver door, there are two buttons that control two electric windows. This might sound like I’m stating the obvious, but lately manufactures seem to be getting a kick out of putting them elsewhere, instead of where you’d expect to find them.
The centre console comprises of the air-con dials and an MP3 compatible radio which displays its information on a small screen mounted on the dash. There are satellite controls on the steering wheel which control radio volume and station among other things.
The instrument cluster is made up of analog dials which give you readouts on speed, engine speed, engine temperature and fuel level.
The Corsa just works, nothing is gimmicky or kitch; and in the end, delivers a product that feels solid and trustworthy. What more do you want in a vehicle?

The beautiful thing about small bakkies like the Corsa is that they are normally based on car platforms, which means they share the same suspension setup and so on, and that’s what makes them so great to drive! And the Corsa is no exception.
The 1.8 liter engine produces 79kW and 160Nm, which is ample for this size vehicle. In fact, and I know this is going to sound very ‘teenager’ of me, but with the chunky steering wheel, notchy gearshift and racy exhaust note, the little Corsa feels incredibly sporty. As the guys at Auto House pointed out, that’s why they called it a Sport…

Oh, I should also mention this. GM assures everyone who owns an Opel Corsa Utility that you needn’t worry about the value of your vehicles dropping due to the name change. There is still plenty of demand for the little bakkies, so you’re safe.

I really am starting to enjoy small bakkies because they manage to incorporate the best of both worlds. And, building on that idea, the Chevrolet Corsa Utility has just become one of my favorites.