Opel->ke65 – or Vauxhall->ke2714, if you live in the UK – has just revealed the facelifted version of the new Corsa hatchback. Not that we’re overly excited by it, but if you just happen to be waiting for the new Corsa model to be launched, well, here it is.

If you’re hoping for something completely revolutionary with the new Corsa, you’ll be disappointed to know that the car didn’t get treated to a complete overhaul. Instead, Opel opted for a subtle restyling of the hatchback and the addition of a new EcoFlex engine. On the other hand, if you look closely enough, you’re probably going to notice that there really is something different with the new Corsa, especially on that smiling fascia mug that oddly enough, looks a whole lot like it’s competitor, the Mazda2->ke2501.

Maybe it’s just the color – Lime Green – or the smiling fascia, but we couldn’t help notice that when you put one beside the other and you take out their badges, a lot of people would probably mistake one for the other.

But hey, we’re not going to take anything from the folks over at Opel. They did a superb job with the facelifted Corsa, which leads us to think that they might end up selling a lot of these models – as per usual – when it comes out.

Details after the jump.

2012 Opel Corsa

Specifications
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  • Model: 2012 Opel Corsa
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Exterior and Interior

Like any updated vehicle, the new Corsa has a number of new add-ons that makes it stand out from the last model, and we’re going to have Niels Loeb, Vauxhall/Opel’s Chief Exterior Designer, to thank for it. Outside, the car gets a more aggressive face that includes new ‘Eagle-Eye’ headlamps, a new upper grille, a new front bumper that comes with a wider and taller lower grille, new daytime running lights, and new housings for the car’s chrome-finished fog lamps. The new Corsa also comes with five new exterior colors, including Lime Green pearlescent, Chilli Orange metallic, Guacamole, Sunny Lemon, and Pepperdust. With the new Corsa, Opel also decided to give it a new trim level – the Color Line Series – which will include an optional “Linea” pack that comes with two racing stripes stretched across the entire length of the car. The new trim will also have matching colored 17” wheels and side mirror caps.

As for the interior, the vibrant colors are also put in to give more vibrancy to the car’s cabin. Seat trims such as Steel Blue and Tabasco Orange brighten up the interior and are accompanied by a range of different colored door trims, center consoles, air vent rings, and door handles. The Corsa’s dashboard also comes with a new dashboard molding with a more textured skin. The new model will also now include a Touch & Connect navigation system with its own five-inch touch screen displaying both 2D and 3D bird’s eye view maps and SD navigation cards. Among the features the nav-sat system will have include a commuter function that gives you alternative routes in the event your current route is mired in traffic – and it does so even when the navigation isn’t active. With a new nav-sat system, it would only be right for Opel to keep the technology up-to-speed in the Corsa, and to their credit, they did so by making the Corsa Bluetooth, iPod, and USB compatible.

Performance

The facelifted Opel Corsa gets a new engine in the form of a Corsa EcoFlex 1.3 CDTI diesel that produces 95 horsepower with an equally new– and now standard – Start/Stop technology. This new feature allows the new Corsa’s fuel consumption to drop from 3.7 to 3.5 liters/100km – about 67.2 mpg in the US – with emissions also dropping from 98g/km CO2 to 94g/km C02. The Corsa’s five-door variant also gets some much-needed reductions in both fuel consumption and emissions, achieving 3.6-liters/100km and 95g/km CO2, which is still lower than its three-door predecessor. All these figures translate to a more fuel efficient city driving experience for the Corsa. Thanks to the modified EcoFlex engines, the new Corsa now boasts of a fuel-consumption of 4.2 liters for every 100 km, which is down from the 4.6 liters for every 100 km the previous model boasted.

Pricing

The new Corsa will cost a pretty pedestrian £9,995 – or about $15,750 based on current exchange rates. The car is expected to be on sale in the early part of 2011.

Competition

At first glance, the new Corsa – especially the Lime Green paint finish – looks uncannily like the Mazda2, down to the smiling fascia. So it really makes for a perfect comparison between the two new city hatches for B-Car supremacy. In terms of design, both models have their own unique qualities so picking one over the other becomes a matter of preference. The Mazda 2 does have the leg-up in terms of engine performance, thanks in large part to the 1.5 liter MZR engine that’s under the hood and its capability of producing 103 horsepower. The prices for both cars equate to just about the same – the Mazda2 comes with a price range of $13,980 to $15,435 – so it’s really a toss-up between the two cars. But if you’re looking for better value for your money, the Mazda2 gets by the Opel Corsa, but not by a lot.