4.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers - Opel Corsa

FOR RELEASE: April 16, 2002

Opel Corsa Eco Sets New Standards in Fuel Consumption

Most economical gasoline-engined car in its class

Only 4.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers
Savings without sacrifice and with no loss of day-to-day suitability
Low purchase price and operating costs make this model even more economical

Russelsheim - Opel has added a new model to its low-consumption "Eco" line-up, introducing the most economical gasoline engine car in its class anywhere in the world. The new Corsa Eco consumes only 4.9 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (MVEG combined cycle) and it sets new standards for low CO2 emissions, at only 118 grams per kilometer. Engineers at the International Technical Development Center (ITDC) in Rüsselsheim succeeded in achieving this exceptionally low figure without sacrificing any of the car's suitability for day-to-day driving. "Like the Astra Eco 4, this new version of the Corsa illustrates Opel's policy of making advanced technologies available to as many customers as possible at an acceptable price," Technical Director Hans Demant said. The Corsa Eco sells in Germany for the same list price as the Corsa 1.0 Easytronic: 11,250 Euro (recommended retail price including German value added tax).

Thanks to a design that makes for easy repairs and servicing, the Corsa Eco qualifies for the same low insurance category (full comprehensive = 11) as all other Corsa versions powered by the 1.0-liter ECOTEC engine. Corsa Eco customers benefit not only from the moderate initial cost of their car and its low fuel consumption, from extended service intervals and tax advantages earned by their compliance with Euro 4 exhaust emission limits, but also from very reasonable insurance premiums.

Opel's engineers, with Martin Holzhofer as project leader, optimized the best-selling German small car's aerodynamics and power train in particular, basing their work on the Corsa 1.0 with manual transmission. The Corsa 1.0, already an extremely economical car, consumes an average of 5.6 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, a rate that puts it at the top of its market segment. The following changes were made to cut aerodynamic drag still further: the Corsa Sport's roof spoiler and side skirts were adopted along with large-diameter wheel covers that guide the air flow smoothly past the wheels. An undercarriage panel improves air flow underneath the Corsa, and the size of the cooling air ducts was reduced so that less air flows through the engine compartment. In addition, the body was lowered by ten millimeters. These measures taken together reduced the drag coefficient to below cD = 0.30 - an exemplary figure, even in view of the fact that the standard Corsa, with a drag coefficient of 0.32, is already impressive in this area as a small car.

Drivetrain optimization centers around the innovative Easytronic automated-shift gearbox which combines the convenience of an automatic transmission with the sporty character and economy of a conventional manual gearbox. It was first introduced on the Corsa 1.2 and has been available with the 1.0-liter ECOTEC engine as well since the beginning of 2002. This version's fuel consumption (the total according to the MVEG standard test) is 5.5 liters of super (premium) gasoline per 100 kilometers in the automatic-shift mode. The Easytronic has been programmed for the Corsa Eco so that the engine runs in the speed range that offers the most favorable fuel consumption provided the driver does not depress the accelerator pedal too far. Full power is of course available whenever needed by pressing the pedal to the kick-down position. The five gear ratios have wider gaps between them in order to shift the emphasis towards fuel economy, but this has no adverse effects on acceleration, as the 0 - 100 km/h figure shows, nor on the top speed of 157 km/h which, thanks to the improved aerodynamics, is actually slightly higher than for the Corsa 1.0 with Easytronic. Roll resistance is cut by more than 10 percent by fitting the Corsa Eco with 175/65 R 14 low-friction tires on 5.5 J x 14 wheels.

With one small exception, the development engineers found it unnecessary to modify the engine in any way since the 1.0-liter three-cylinder ECOTEC unit with its four valves per cylinder is already one of the most efficient engines on the market. Its modern weight-saving design, for example, includes hollow cast camshafts that are 590 grams lighter than the conventional type and a gross weight of only 82.5 kilograms. It develops 43 kW (58 hp) and, as a three-cylinder unit, has certain fundamental advantages as compared to a four-cylinder design. In addition, with only three pistons and a reduced number of other moving parts, its internal friction is naturally lower. Very small roller cam followers are installed in the cylinder head to operate the valves instead of the conventional bucket-type tappets, and here too friction is cut by about 70 percent. As a final means of reducing internal friction losses, low-viscosity 0W30 engine oil - the same as used in the new Vectra's engine - is also specified.

The Corsa Eco development team "had the advantage of a highly suitable vehicle to serve as a starting point," explained project leader Holzhofer. The standard Corsa, for instance, has electric power steering (EPS), which consumes energy only when the steering wheel is actually being turned. Depending on the road on which the car is being driven, this can cut fuel consumption by between two and five percent. Complete with its control unit, the power steering system weighs only eight kilograms. This kind of 'intelligent weight-saving' is a notable feature of the Corsa model family, which uses special or high-strength grades for 43 percent of the steel used in the car's structure. Tailored blanks are also used, together with ultra-modern production methods such as hydroforming for the front suspension subframe, the use of aluminum for the energy-absorbing bumper bars and magnesium for the steering wheel rim.

The Eco version of this top-selling automobile remains entirely suitable for regular day-to-day driving and can be ordered with the full range of Corsa equipment options and extras. There are two- and four-door body styles and even air conditioning is available.

The Corsa Eco has its origins in economy-car studies, like the 1995 Corsa 3 and the G90 that was exhibited in 1999, which were built in order to demonstrate what was technically feasible, explains Martin Holzhofer. "But because it is a production car we avoided the use of exotic materials which would have only forced up the price. As a result, as many of our customers as possible can reap the benefits of intelligent fuel-saving technologies - and in the long run this is surely the best way to protect the environment!"

Opel Corsa Eco: Technical Data at a Glance

Engine	1.0 ECOTEC
Displacement	973 cc
Number of cylinders/valves	3, 4 per cylinder
Power output	43 kW (58 hp)
Torque	85 Nm at 3800 rpm
Gearbox	Easytronic automated-shift
Ratios (:1) 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th gear	3.73 / 1.96 / 1.31 / 0.95 / 0.76
Reverse / final drive (:1)	3.31 / 3.94
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h	18.5 s
Top speed	157 km/h
Drag coefficient	0.30
Frontal area (sq. m)	2.02
Index c_D x A	0.61
Fuel consumption (MVEG test, l/100 km)	Urban: 6.5 Extra-urban: 4.0 Total: 4.9
CO₂ emissions (g/km)	118
Exhaust emission category	Euro 4
German insurance classifications (third-party/full comprehensive/third party fire and theft)	12 / 11 / 18