PSA Peugeot-Citroen acquired Opel (and its U.K. arm Vauxhall) in August of 2017, and since then, it’s launched a few Opel-branded vehicles based on its own platforms. None, however, have been as important as the sixth-generation Corsa. The 2019 Opel Corsa shares its platform with the rakish new 208 hatch, but it promises to offer a more restrained, more Germanic take on the same city car formula.

The 2020 Opel Corsa Has the Same Platform With a Totally Different Look

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Several shots of the new 2019 Corsa hatchback have leaked online and while its proportions are vaguely similar to those of the 208, it has its own style, one which may appeal to those who consider the Peugeot. Both cars are underpinned by the same Common Modular Platform (CMP) but you really wouldn’t be able to tell if you didn’t already know. In fact, even knowing the two models are related, they clearly look and feel like two different cars.

From the side, you can kind of see the Peugeot relation, especially around the C-pillar area and the general shape of the greenhouse, yet you couldn’t call it badge engineering. The rear gives off a completely different vibe to that of the Peugeot, where there is a big gloss plastic element that connects the two rear light clusters. The new Corsa’s lights aren’t connected by a big piece of plastic trim and overall the rear end is not as in your face as that of the Peugeot.

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It will appeal to a broader audience that will like it a lot, whereas the Peugeot will appeal to fewer people who will really love the way it looks. It’s clear that under new leadership, Opel will be aimed at a more specific clientele, those who want a PSA vehicle but don’t like either the Peugeot 208 or the Citroen C3, both of which feature quite radical designs.

The 2020 Opel Corsa Will Have a Sober, Grown Up interior

Other than that, it looks like the interior of any new Opel and it will definitely appeal to those who are not into the Peugeot 208’s newfound flamboyance. It looks like an evolution of the larger Astra's interior, but with fully-digital dials and an even more minimalist approach to design - it just has one blade style trim element that runs from one side to the other of the dash.

The infotainment is either running different software to what you get in Peugeots or it has a different skin - it doesn’t look identical. And the same goes for the virtual gauge cluster - they look nothing like the ones in the 208 which features the same design as seen on the larger 508. In this case, it’s probably more likely a different skin applied to the same basic software.

The 2020 Opel Corsa Will Share Engines With the Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3

The base unit is a 1.2-liter, naturally aspirated, three-cylinder with 75 horsepower, hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox. Next is a turbocharged version of that engine with either 100 horsepower and a six-speed manual or with 130 horsepower and an automatic gearbox. The only diesel is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 100 horsepower and a six-speed manual gearbox.

Since the Corsa is underpinned by the same chassis architecture as the 208, it too will be a very light vehicle, with the lightest model nudging under 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds), and this will have a big impact on the way it drives. The lighter a car is, the more agile it feels, the better it is around corners, the more effective its brakes are, and the less fuel it uses. This new Corsa will therefore probably be the best handling Corsa ever, especially since it has a wider front and rear track compared to the model it replaces, so it will feel more stable through the bends.

The 2020 Opel Corsa Will Be Offered as an EV For the First Time Ever

If the range quotes remain the same as for the Peugeot, then the new Corsa EV should have a range of 340 km (211 miles) according to the new WLTP standards. Oh, and it should sprint to 60 mph in around 8 seconds.

There Will Be a Performance Version of the 2020 Opel Corsa

While it’s obviously way too early for any kind of official announcement in this sense, the last two generations of the Corsa all had hot OPC versions (also called VXR for Vauxhall-branded models). PSA could kill the Corsa OPC to make its upcoming 208 GTi stand out more on the market, but then again, there are plenty of people who appreciate the idea of a Corsa OPC and who would probably only buy that specific model.

If it does become a real model, the next Corsa OPC will have a 1.6-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder with just over 200 horsepower, a proper six-speed manual gearbox, and a stiffened chassis and suspension to cope with the extra power. Naturally, the exterior and interior will receive a sporty makeover to go with the extra performance.

2020 Opel Corsa Camouflaged Prototype Video Review

Select automotive journalists have been given the chance to try out the new Corsa, and they all seem to be very pleased with the way it drives and feels out on the road. This in-depth presentation by Autogefuhl really goes into specifics and it doesn’t miss anything, so if you’re eager to see the car, videos like this are your best bet outside of the leaked photos in the gallery.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2015 Vauxhall Corsa.

Read our full review on the 2019 Peugeot 208.