1st place: 5-door hatchback. Despite the fact that the current generation of "Korsa" has been produced since 2006, the car does not look outdated to this day. The practical 5-door body pleases not only with the memorable style, but also with the interior, which is quite spacious for a supermini. In addition, the passengers of the sofa can change the angle of the backrest.
2nd place: 3-door hatchback. It is 10,000 rubles cheaper, but it makes sense to save only if you just rarely have to travel in a car four of us. The designers tried to make the exterior of the three-door appear more sporty, emphasizing the independent character of the owner. Keep in mind that its doors are wider and, therefore, less convenient in a tight parking lot.
Which configuration?
At first glance, the main argument in favor of Korsa is the price. A modern European supermini for 470,000 rubles is a very tempting offer in today's times. However, such a price tag is nothing more than an excuse to drag the buyer to a car dealership. A car with a 3-cylinder liter engine in a frankly Spartan configuration "Essencia" will suit only those who are extremely constrained in funds.
"Korsu" should be considered starting from the version "Like-Edition-1,2"(from 514,000 rubles): it is endowed with air conditioning, an MP3 radio, a pair of power windows and heated front seats. In principle, if you are ready to be content with an interior finished with a simple gray fabric and uncomplicated plastic, you agree to put up with a polyurethane steering wheel and a continuous sofa back and do not plan to order any optional equipment, this "Corsa" is quite suitable for the role of a budget urban supermini.
"Ange" more expensive by 14 thousand, but has air conditioning, audio system and power accessories. And most importantly - it allows you to choose a 1.4-liter engine and a full-fledged automatic transmission instead of a jerky "robot". In addition, such a "Corsa" has a more practical trunk and interior trim. However, it is worth starting to supplement such a car with options, without which a modern supermini is already unthinkable, as you begin to understand what is more profitable to choose "Color-Edition"... This version costs from 578,000 rubles - 50,000 more expensive than the "Eng". By and large, it is “Color-Edition” that has almost all the prerequisites to recognize it as the optimum: noble interior trim, light alloy wheels, climate control, radio and heated front seats. In addition, only such a car can be chosen with a spectacular two-tone body paint.
However, like the rest of the above versions, the "flower" "Corsa" has a significant drawback: only 2 airbags, which is clearly not enough for a modern and, moreover, compact car. You can, of course, fix this drawback with the "Security" package for 25 thousand, but then it's better to take a closer look at a more advanced configuration "Cosmo"... It is more expensive by 14,000 and, moreover, is devoid of light alloy wheels. However, it has 6 pillows, ESP and isofix hinges on front seat... In Cosmo, the center console and steering wheel spokes delight with elegant glossy overlays, and the seats - with practical leather and fabric upholstery. In addition, this package includes such useful little things as cruise control and an on-board computer. And if you finish off the seductive at first glance "Color Edition" with all the options available in "Cosmo", then it will turn out to be 19,000 rubles more expensive.
Finally, a charged modification OPC- this is only a 3-door body, an incendiary turbo engine with a capacity of 192 or 210 hp. ("Nurburgring Edishn"), an abundance of sports decor, excellent handling and a biting price - from 915,000 rubles.
Which engine?
1st place: 1.4 L (101 HP). Its capabilities are quite enough for a small "Corse". However, remember - the curb weight of the car is considerable by the standards of the class of 1.2 tons. So in terms of dynamic characteristics, such an "Opel" is approximately at the level of front-wheel drive VAZ models. But only this engine can be fused with a full-fledged "automatic".
2nd place: 1.2 L (85 HP). Allows you to save 15,000 rubles. compared to the optimum. The manual modification, not burdened with passengers, is not much less fortunate than the more powerful 1.4-liter version, and only on suburban roads does such a car give slack.
3rd place: 1.6 L (150 HP). Thanks to the turbocharging, it copes well with heavier models. Squeezed into the Korsu, it allows you to exchange a hundred in just 8.1 seconds. In the minuses - the lack of automatic transmission and a more weighty (90 thousand over the optimum) price.
4th place: 1.6 L (192/210 HP) OPC. With such an engine, the "Korsa" will allow other sedans with a sickly V6 to wipe their nose. And even if 192 forces seem insufficient (225 km / h, 7.2 s), for 120,000 rubles. you can order a 210-horsepower modification of the Nürburgring Edishn, which will accelerate acceleration by another 0.4 seconds. Taking into account the outstanding fighting qualities and the price of 915-1035 thousand rubles can be considered adequate.
5th place: 1 L (65 HP). The motor will suit only the most leisurely drivers: in order to somehow keep up with the traffic, you will have to squeeze all the juices out of it. Having been flattered by the low price and resigned to the asceticism of the equipment, in the end you will still not get the cheapest car.
WE HAVE DECIDED:
"Korsa" is a spectacular, safe and roomy car for its size. However, it retains an attractive price primarily due to small displacement engines and modest equipment, which will not suit everyone. The optimal "Cosmo-1,4AT" in metallic and with rear parking sensors for 662,000 rubles. turned out to be one of the most expensive superminis on the market.
The article describes some of the features of the compact hatchback Opel Corsa D, about the most vulnerable places in the car.
Compact class D cars are very convenient for driving in urban conditions - the car is easy to park, it consumes little fuel.
Small hatchbacks have been very popular in Europe for a long time, and recently in Russia, such cars are increasingly found on the roads.
A little about the history of cars Opel Corsa
The history of the German car "Opel Corsa" begins in 1982, the first cars were presented in the back of a 3-door hatchback and a 2-door sedan.
In 1985, a 5-door hatchback and a popular 4-door sedan appeared at that time, the range of power units was represented by engines of 1000 and 1300 cm 3.
The model was produced until 1993, then the German concern started production of a new compact car Opel Corsa B.
EXPLANATION: Class B is just a class of cars (such as compact), for example, Mercedes has cars of class C and E. And the letters a, b, c, d are Opel 1, 2, 3, 4 generations, for simplicity they were denoted by letters ... Opel corsa a, b and c are previous generations of the vehicle.
In the second generation Corsa sedans were no longer available, the lineup was represented by 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks. New car acquired a more rounded shape, during external appearance there have been significant changes:
- new optics appeared;
- more streamlined bumpers;
- the radiator grill has changed.
The range of engines has significantly expanded - on the updated Opel Corsa, more powerful engines with a volume of 1400 and 1600 cm 3 began to be used along with small-displacement engines, and 1.5 and 1.7 liter diesel engines were also installed on the car. The transmission used a 5-speed "mechanics" and a 4-speed automatic transmission.
The Opel Corsa C was produced from 2000 to 2006, the model was also presented in the hatchback body, in 3-door and 5-door versions. New body became more reliable - due to galvanizing, it firmly resisted corrosion, the iron itself also became stronger.
A 125-horsepower 1.8-liter power unit was added to the line of gasoline engines, and a 1.5-liter engine was removed from the diesel range.
The fourth generation Corsa D compact hatchback debuted in October 2006, the car was jointly created by General Motors and Fiat.
The new "smiling"-looking car was produced on the Gamma platform, compared to the previous Corsa model it became larger in size:
- 160 mm longer;
- 60 mm wider.
Like the previous two generations, the new Corsa is available in 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks, and the 5-door model is 24mm wider than the 3-door.
The Corsa D was assembled in Germany and Spain.
Opel Corsa D 2007
In 2007, a version of the Corsa D appeared with a new 1600 cm3 diesel engine (192 hp).
Restyling compact hatchback suffered in 2010:
- new colors appeared in the lineup;
- new engines have been added to the line of power units;
- the car received a different radiator grill;
- the front bumper has changed.
Engines and related problems
On automotive market Opel Corsa D is mainly presented with gasoline engines 1000, 1200 and 1400 cm3, there are cars with diesel engines, but they are very rare.
On almost all gasoline engines, the front or rear crankshaft oil seal can leak, and oil often flows through the pressure sensor.
If a leak is detected through the sensor, the malfunction must be eliminated immediately, otherwise the oil can get on the wiring, and then the repair will cost much more.
Do not allow the engine to overheat - if the temperature indicator starts blinking or turns red, the engine should be turned off, and the car should be loaded onto a tow truck and dealt with in a car service.
Overheating primarily leads to warping of the block head - replacing the cylinder head is expensive for car owners.
If the crankcase ventilation system freezes in the cold, increased pressure is created in the engine. At the same time, the oil dipstick squeezes out, and, if overlooked, oil may leak from the engine. Therefore, as a preventive measure, the ventilation system should be flushed every 50 thousand km.
Transmission
The most problem boxes Opel Corsa D gears - robotic.
Gear shifting can occur with a crunch or knock, reverse gear can be engaged with a grinding noise, while the car jerks or "thinks".
First of all, the clutch fails, it is changed by 80-100 thousand km, but this is subject to careful operation.
Incorrect operation of the box can begin even at 30 thousand kilometers.
Often on machines with an Easytronic gearbox, the gear selector creates problems.
Any problems with Izitronic should be addressed to specialized auto repair shops. Unqualified repair of the box can be completely "finished off", and then you will have to buy a used part at auto dismantling, since the new "robot" costs unrealistic money.
Least of all hassle manual gearbox, closer to a hundred thousand kilometers, the clutch may need to be replaced. If the box is not "ripped", it takes a long time.
Automatic transmissions are also quite reliable, but so that the transmission does not fail ahead of time, it should be done after 50-60 thousand km.
Electrical part
The alternator and starter are problematic parts on many Opels. Before it "ends", the generator starts to whistle.
Often the voltage regulator fails, and then the charging disappears. You can buy a Chinese generator, it is inexpensive, but how long a Chinese part can last is unknown.
Starters on the Opel Corsa are low-powered, and fail from frequent engine start-ups, they break especially quickly in the cold.
Also, in some cases, cheap Chinese products help out, but it is better not to stint and purchase an original starter.
The rear wiper motor can simply fail, and the most characteristic reason for its failure is the freezing of the rear brush to the glass.
Drivers should first make sure that the brush is in order before turning on the rear wiper.
Suspension
Opel Corsa D suspension is standard for cars of this class:
- front - type MacPherson;
- rear - cross member with springs.
It cannot be said that something in the suspension breaks very often, but it is difficult to call it too reliable.
Like any other passenger car, in Kors, first of all, they require replacement of the stabilizer bar, shock absorbers are not very reliable.
However, here, as luck would have it, with a successful coincidence of circumstances, shock absorber struts can cover 90 thousand km.
Almost all Opels are characterized by weak rear springs The springs on the Corsa D also break, especially if the trunk is constantly overloaded. In general, the rear suspension is reliable and does not give rise to any big complaints.
Body
Since the third generation Corsa, the bodies on compact Opels have been galvanized, so they resist corrosion well.
Traditionally for Opel cars over time, "mushrooms" appear on the edges of the hind wings, in which case it is necessary to remove rear bumper, clean up defective spots, prime and paint.
The Opel company has always traditionally taken the price and practicality. And her Opel Corsa was just that - simple, practical and honest. Actually, along with VW Polo, it was Corsa that turned out to be one of the pioneers of the class and set layout and ergonomic standards for more than forty years.
The financial difficulties of the company in the XXl century made life a little more complicated: Corsa B and Corsa C barely kept up with the leaders, far behind in popularity. This is due to the excessive simplicity and obvious marketing difficulties, and licensing fees to GM, which was gradually getting rid of the original European developments. As a result, the parent company General Motors in the European market began active cooperation with the FIAT corporation in order to reduce production costs. Italians received gasoline engines, gearboxes and platform components, GM has received new diesel motors and a new compact base to replace the outdated Opel Corsa C.
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The new machine received an index D and a much larger SCCS platform (Small Common Components and Systems platform). It also produced Fiat Punto, Grande Punto, 500L, Doblo, Alfa Romeo MiTo, Lancia Delta, Opel meriva B and - don't be surprised - the Jeep Renegade, Compass 2017 and Fiat 500X SUVs.
Why did Opel need this collaboration? Gentlemen from overseas did not appreciate the preservation of the classic canons of the class in the past generations of the model, because of which they turned out to be small, simple and too cheap. The popularity of these cars has been falling for many years; Corsa C was no longer among the top three sales leaders in Europe. In the new century, even a small car required perfected handling, spacious salon and the highest efficiency. And, of course, the flexibility of the platform and the ability to offer a large number of options were required. Finally, the car received everything it needed.
It was not possible to catch up with VW Polo and Ford Fiesta in sales in Europe, but the car's position on the market has clearly improved. In Russia, the small Opel even became a sales hit for a short time. Not for long, because the 2008 crisis crippled the emerging success: the car was assembled only in Europe, and the price was pegged to the euro exchange rate, which collapsed sales already in 2009. In addition, in the same year, appeared on the Russian market Polo sedan and then Solaris and Rio, and buyers inexpensive cars received much more tempting offers.
A slight increase in the size of the car allowed to obtain a significant improvement in the ergonomics of the front seats in comparison with its predecessors. Most a pleasant surprise for fans of the brand was a noticeable improvement in the quality and ergonomics of the interior. Almost nothing reminded of Spartan simplicity and severity, inside it became noticeably more cheerful and comfortable.
Passive safety was also pulled up to the top: a full set of six airbags appeared, and Korsa showed an excellent EuroNCAP safety rating.
While keeping simple rear suspension with a twisted beam, the handling of the car has been greatly improved.
The line of engines still began with a three-cylinder liter engine, although a turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine with 192 hp was located at the top of the range even before the first restyling, and after the second restyling its power was even increased to 210 hp. In the middle of the line of motors, after the first restyling, 1.4-liter engines of hundred-horsepower have already been registered, which have become only slightly less popular than the 1.2-liter ones, which have become the most common.
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| In the photo: Opel Corsa 5-door (D) "2006-09 | |
For Corsa, the classic automatic transmission was left: with a 1.4-liter engine, a four-speed AF-17 was offered. But with a 1.2 liter engine, only a simple "robot" Easytronic could be obtained.
Despite a slight increase in complexity, the machine has remained extremely simple and functional, and this is an excellent guarantee of operational reliability. Throughout its life cycle, the car underwent as many as two restyling, which did not change its main characteristics, but added new engines and service electronics, and also seriously changed its appearance. The Corsa E, which followed, actually turned out to be a deep restyling of the D generation. Is this not an indicator of recognition of the success of the model?
Ten years after the Corsa D came out, most of them are still on the run. But there are still enough nuances. Shall we deal with them?
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| In the photo: Opel Corsa 3-door (D) "2006-09 | |
Body
You can leave all the proverbs about the rotting Opel for those who have cars of "classic" age, from twenty years. In the XXI century, Opel almost forgot how to rust. Of course, these are not BMWs, which are half made of aluminum and plastic, but in terms of the level of metal processing, Opel cars resemble the Folks of the nineties so dearly loved by the people. If the metal is not damaged with fractures and abrasions, they practically do not rust.
Scratches and chips do not turn red for years: real galvanization is everywhere, except for the roof. And even if the paint has peeled off in a large area, the latter is not in danger for a long time. This, unfortunately, happened regularly on cars before the first restyling, then the painting technology was changed and there are almost no cases of "peeling".
However, from the inside, there are a bunch of places where surface corrosion sometimes breaks through. Usually these are seams and joints in closed areas. It's a shame, but very good quality The color of the metal itself leaves much to be desired, and a thin layer of paintwork easily peels off at the slightest blows, breaks through with stones on the hood and doors, and gradually peels off under the influence of "sandblasting" on the thresholds and arches.
The main problem areas the small Opel has the classic ones - the hood edge, rear arches and fenders. The back door is also always among the first elements to be repainted.
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Five-door cars are more likely to experience corrosion of the rear fenders behind the arches, but in three-door cars, the paint is more often damaged on the widest fender.
It’s in vain that after 2008 they stopped putting moldings on the doors: on dorestyling machines, edge chips and dents on the surface are much less common than in restyling, where this is a common thing.
Specimens with clogged plums are regularly found windshield, leaks into the passenger compartment and poor condition of the seams in the area of the above-engine niche. Find traces of frank corrosion, and not point problems, will only work on cars over 10 years old or on cars that have been poorly restored after minor and not very minor accidents.
Unfortunately, a "female" car with us is so far in many ways an increased risk of minor abrasions and scratches, and not painted on time, a violation of the repair technology or replacement of elements with cheap Chinese counterparts leads to the appearance of rust in a few years.
Services note not very reliable underbody protection, underdeveloped protection of arches and other features of cheap cars, but so far this does not lead to serious consequences for the body.
Windshield cost
price for original
14 121 rubles
The windshield is strong and does not rub, which is already a big plus for an inexpensive car. Moreover, the regular Pilkington is not particularly afraid of even hard blows... But the headlights are weak here, the surface is overwritten very quickly, after three to five years, a restoration polishing is needed, and if the car was hit even a little with a bumper, at least against snowdrifts when parking, then the fastenings must be restored.
"Advanced" AFL headlights shine an order of magnitude better than usual, but they can be a lot of hassle. Over time, the lens drives fail and the light ceases to be intelligent. And the reflector burns out after five to six years, which means that serious intervention in the design of the optics or simply its replacement is needed. But at the time of the release of Corsa, competitors did not have adaptive optics even in this form.
Pay attention to the condition of the heating threads rear window... It will not always be possible to restore them efficiently, they gradually peel off the surface and crumble. And the glass itself is several times more expensive than the windshield. If the glass is damaged when the rear door is replaced, the cost of repairs can be significantly increased.
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Salon
There are a minimum of claims to the salon. Yes, it is simple, it squeaks, the seats are also very simple, and when they run over a hundred thousand kilometers they sink. Although with such a run, everything is already peeling off completely, and the skin and plastic often do not withstand the sharp claws of the owners and simply crumble.
The casing of the manual transmission lever loses the smoothness of the contours after 60-70 thousand mileage, but the rest of the interior holds up well. Plastic is quite reliable and durable, door cards are not wiped off, buttons are not overwritten.
Backlighting on cars from five to seven years old may fail, so you will have to disassemble and replace lamps and diodes. And often this operation becomes not easy: the elements are not collapsible.
In the photo: the interior of the Opel Corsa 5-door (D) "2006–09 AFL headlight cost
price for original
34 426 rubles
Only the operation of the climate system can get serious remarks. Firstly, the fan turned out to be short-lived; even with runs of more than 50-80 thousand kilometers, the bearings begin to make noise, especially in winter. And after 100-150 thousand, it will most likely require repair or replacement. Secondly, rare cars with automatic climate control greatly confuse Opel services with their design. It is here from Fiat and does not differ in strength, both the geared motors and the control unit itself can fail. Sometimes the drive rods fly off, and the diagnostic capabilities are insufficient; for a successful repair, the master needs to know the design.
The stove radiator is reliable, and the car itself is "warm".
The air conditioner on the Corsa is not the most durable unit, it suffers primarily from slow leaks due to weak seals and vibration loading. Failure of the clutch and the compressor itself is not uncommon. The condenser is poorly protected and is often stoned on vehicles operating on the highway.
In the photo: the interior of the Opel Corsa GSi (D) "2008-10 Monochrome display on-board computer on the machines of the first releases, it gradually loses pixels, the solution is to solder the loop or replace the unit assembly. Recovered modules are also available. If a color on-board computer, the so-called CID, is installed, then there will be no problems with it, but the owner will be tormented by regrets about the outdated system architecture.
Most of the failures of the passenger compartment systems are associated with the operation of the comfort units, they are also BCM, and in the Corsa it is also the fuse box. Unfortunately, pre-styling blocks of the 13142241 KS series often fail. Selection of replacements is not an easy operation, the blocks are tied to the immobilizer and some options. Putting the first one that comes across will not work, you need a carpass and body wines and full compliance with the configuration, otherwise you can lose fog lights, rain sensors and other necessary options.
In general, the car is distinguished by the presence of many options for the execution of units, tied to a complete set. Simply modifying the car and delivering the missing piece is not as easy as in previous generations of the model; you will have to make changes to the wiring and change seemingly unrelated modules.
In the photo: the interior of the Opel Corsa 3-door (D) "2010-14 Electrician
Car wiring is reliable enough and almost no hassle. Although, of course, there are weak links.
The Korsa generators are rather weak, and when operating on dusty roads, you can encounter significant wear of slip rings after 100-150 thousand kilometers. Bearing noise can suddenly appear in purely urban cars after a modest 50 thousand mileage. If there is a version with an overrunning clutch, then, most likely, there will be replacement costs up to a run of a hundred thousand. For fans of heating and powerful headlights, you can find traces of overheating.
Voltage regulators fail relatively often. In general, the solution to the problem is not expensive, but it often leads to failures of other systems. In particular, the BCM block on cars before restyling, which can then result in larger repairs.
Front shock absorber cost
price for original
4 462 rubles
Hood wiring on the oldest cars shows signs of aging. If the engine compartment is dirty, then you can find traces of rubbing of the wiring inside the corrugation, and the insulation of the wires themselves in the upper part of the compartment and directly near the engine becomes fragile and easily damaged.
The complexities of an electrician are hidden in several electronic units and a radiator fan resistor. The resistor is a long-standing misfortune of all Opel, its protective coating peels off, after which it corrodes and burns. You can restore the cover if it is still working, or have to be replaced if the fans turn on only when it reaches 106 degrees at full speed. It is located on the left side of the engine compartment in the fan shroud. The price of the part is not high, 1000-2000 rubles, and if supplied from a Chevrolet Niva, then even less, but it is impossible to delay the repair unequivocally. Overloading the cooling system usually results in leaks and ruptured hoses, bursting expansion tank or the appearance of a grease gun at the motor.
The ECUs of almost all motors are located directly on the block and suffer from overheating. Problems appear in the form of poorly diagnosed electrical failures, engine malfunctions with warm-up, etc.
In the photo: Opel Corsa (D) "2006-15 Usually the reason lies in the breakage of the connecting wires inside the unit, and such a nuisance cannot be repaired on its own. It is necessary not only to open the sealed unit, but also to clean off the protective compound without damaging the boards and conductors, and then solder the thin wires to the ceramic board.
Such breakdowns have long been learned to repair, you just need to look for workshops for repairing ABS units (there are often the same problems) or craftsmen on the brand forums. Replacing a block with a new one will require a "untied" block or a craftsman who knows how to "open" them, buying the first one that comes off the hands may not help.
A solution that Opel often criticizes is a single ignition module for all cylinders. The part is quite expensive, not even the original costs at least 4 thousand rubles, and high-quality parts can be bought only for 7-10 thousand. And for a turbo engine, the price of the original soars under 30 thousand rubles.
There are often problems associated with burning out the tips of the candles due to contamination and the ingress of oil or antifreeze into the candle wells. Officially, there are no spare parts for the ignition modules, but in fact, you can find separate tips for replacement. In addition, the blocks can be partially repaired, and the replacement of high-voltage capacitors has been put on stream.
The Corsa D has relatively few failures of this kind, small engines are very sensitive to the thermostat, and Opel has traditionally been weak. And this is good: as a result, the operating temperature is usually lower than the calculated one and closer to the optimal 80-90 degrees, which has a good effect on the operation of the control system. In any case, exactly the same control units and ignition modules on 1.6 liter engines on Opel astra fail many times more often.
Brakes, suspension and steering
The braking system of the Corsa D does not differ in special quality. The creak of the pads and the low resource are the eternal companions of cars both before and after restyling. True, the owners of the OPC / 1.6turbo versions or the extremely rare 1.4S & S have 120hp. the brakes are more serious, although the pads will creak there too.
By a run of one and a half hundred thousand, you need to be ready for corrosion of the caliper pins (in the absence of proper maintenance) and wear of the anthers. The rear disc calipers are generally quite capricious, it is worth checking them more often, at every MOT. It's good that most of the cars at the back have very reliable drums, there are no problems with them. The main thing is not to forget, after hundreds of thousands of mileage, to check if there are still pads there.
ABS and brake lines are exemplary reliable.
The suspension is not considered to be the strongest point. The pre-styling Korsy rattled the suspension like old Zhiguli even with runs of 50-60 thousand. The problem was eliminated quickly enough: the supplier of the stabilizer links was changed lateral stability and made the rear lever silentblock more reliable.
On later cars, the resource of silent blocks is more than a hundred thousand kilometers, a ball joint - about 100-120 thousand. But the supports of the struts can pass less than 50 thousand on late-release cars, especially if the driver does not take care of the suspension and drives through the mud. There is a beam at the back, the resource of its silent blocks reaches 70-100 thousand kilometers, but knocks can be emitted by both shock absorber supports and spring cushions.
In the photo: Opel Corsa 3-door (D) "2010-14 Front Hub Bearing Cost
price for original
4 864 rubles
Wheel bearings are also not strong point cars, they are quite fragile, and if there are 16-inch disks, then they can make noise even up to hundreds of thousands of mileage. And even with side impacts, they almost certainly fail. On the other hand, for lean drivers on small wheels, they can travel more than 200,000 kilometers and show no signs of wear. It is definitely worth checking their condition when buying, especially the rear ones.
The steering here is with an electric booster, and the main problems are associated with the knocks of the rack, damage to its anthers and electronics failures. Failures are not uncommon, and sometimes you can be left without an amplifier. There are a lot of reasons: from failures of the steering wheel position sensors, failures of the ABS, BCM, power control unit and to simple wiring burnout.
In the photo: Opel Corsa 3-door (D) "2010-14 The only regular error of the EUR is the failure of the position sensor. It is not cheap, it is difficult to repair and gives out in the first place by jerking the steering wheel at small angles at low speed.
Opel is a well-known car manufacturer from Germany. The brand is of German origin, although this does not mean at all that the cars are produced in Germany.
Opel are in good demand among consumers. This can be explained by a decent ratio of price and quality offered. At the same time, one of the key reasons for the ability to offer nice cars at an acceptable cost is a competent organization of the production process. The brand has distributed its businesses across different regions and countries.
Due to the fact that production facilities are distributed over different geographic points, this allows you to save on labor costs, to supply machines in the next dealerships, ensure efficient delivery original spare parts, components, provide technical support, etc.
But the ramification of production does not allow us to clearly understand the country of the car manufacturer Opel. Therefore, potential buyers have many questions regarding the origin of the vehicles of the German brand.
You should find out and understand where the Opel Astra is assembled and where the family Opel Zafira is assembled, as well as a number of other representatives lineup companies.
Producing countries
If we talk in general terms about whose manufacturer is Opel, then we can say that it is Germany. The brand is purely German. But the question here is rather not whose production is under the Opel name, but where the assembly is carried out.
Although the car with the Opel nameplate is positioned as German, in practice there is some difference in whose real country the manufacturer is. In fact, we are talking about deutsche mark collected at factories in different countries. This principle is used by almost all leading car manufacturers. After all, everyone understands perfectly well that the same people do not gather solely in Germany as pedantic Germans.
In the Opel company, which until recently was part of the auto corporation General Motors, which already gives reason to call the brand not only German, but also American, there are several enterprises. Moreover, General Motors specifically restricts the production of Opel cars at its factories, since at the moment it does not particularly rely on the German brand. You will learn about the situation with the company a little later.
Some problems with the expansion of Opel's influence and presence in the international market are due to the fact that these cars are mainly created for European consumers. Because of this, cars are not in great demand in the USA, South America, Asia.
There are several factories and production lines dispersed in different countries. Namely:
- Germany. All premium cars, that is, the most expensive models of the company, are assembled here. Also carried out in Germany, which are then sent to assembly lines in other countries. Germany is still the main production base;
- Europe. There are several branches, concentrated in European countries, where full-cycle assembly is carried out. Among them are Poland, Belgium, Spain, Great Britain, Austria and Hungary;
- In France, they are exclusively assembled from components. At the same time, Opel is assembled here at the enterprises of other brands;
- Turkey. Ready-made units are supplied here, so the Turks can only put them together.
When it comes to where the same popular Opel Insignia is assembled or who is the manufacturer of the compact Opel Corsa, often the first thing many people think about is China or India.
Yes, many companies, including both, and the current auto giants, widely use the Middle Kingdom and India to assemble their cars. This is due to the financial benefits of such production. But this trend has not affected Opel. Also, the manufacturer does not use factories in Indonesia and South America. Therefore, you should not believe that the popular Opel Vectra is actually going to some Chinese province or Indonesian city.
Major factories
Some car enthusiasts are interested in where they collect Opel Mocca for consumers from Russia, and whether cars of this brand continue to be assembled on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Until a certain point, Opel spun off several of its main production lines in Germany, Poland, Great Britain and Russia.
Germany, where 3 enterprises are located, collects:
- Corsa;
- Zafira;
- Astra;
- Adam.
The production of the Astra, Astra ST and Vivaro models is concentrated in two factories in the UK. And Polish facilities are responsible for the production of Astra, Astra Classic and Zafira. For Spain, the Corsa and Meriva are considered key models.
But the question still remains open as to what kind of plant the assembly can be. Opel models Astra, Mokka, Antara, etc. The answer to which assembly line produced these cars depends largely on the year of production of the car.
The point is that earlier it was not difficult to find out where the Opel Antara or Insignia was assembled for Russia, since the car assembled in the Russian Federation went to domestic consumers. But at present it will not be possible to assemble a number of models in Russia.
Some models were actually produced at Russian enterprises. But now not a single car is produced. Moreover, at one time the production of Opel cars was quite active and large-scale. And it's still interesting to find out which plant in Russia was used for this and where at one time they created the Opel Astra and other models of the German automobile brand that are no less popular among Russians.
The assembly of German cars was concentrated in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. Moreover, the following models were created here:
- Astra;
- Zafira;
- Antara;
- Insignia;
- Meriva;
- Astra ST.
It became known for a long time where production will be transferred and where the same Opel Mokka, Astra or Zafira are now being assembled.
Over the past few years, after the departure of Opel with Russian market, the situation with production facilities and their location has changed slightly. Representative offices appeared in South America and South Korea. On the territory of the Russian Federation, Opel released its last car in 2015.
Let's find out who assembles and manufactures some Opel cars available in the Russian Federation instead of domestic factories in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg.
- Various versions of the Astra, including Classic and Sport Tourer, were moved from St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad to assembly lines in the UK;
- Antara and Mokka models are now produced by Mexicans. Although for some time the South Koreans were also doing this in parallel. Then the assembly in Korea was curtailed, but Mexico remained in business;
- If earlier Zafira was produced in Kaliningrad, now these tasks are performed only in Germany;
- Until recently, Meriva was assembled on domestic conveyors, but after 2015, production moved to Poland.
According to the available information, at the moment the demand for Opel cars among Russians is quite high. Therefore, it is likely that in the next year or already in 2020, the German brand will resume cooperation with Russian enterprises, and Opel cars of domestic assembly will appear again. Although, taking into account the latest news, the expectations of many may not coincide with reality. Opel is unstable and its future is cloudy.
Whose Opel is now
Until now, many car enthusiasts claim that Opel is a purely German brand. This is true, but since 1929 the company has become part of the General Motors auto concern.
History has developed rapidly, then gradually. Opel has had incredible ups and very painful falls. At the same time, there was never the slightest bit of doubt that General Motors would not abandon its European business in the person of the Opel brand.
But everything turned upside down in early 2017, when suddenly the management of the American concern announced their intention to sell Opel. But along with it, the English subsidiary Vauxhall went under the hammer. The motives turned out to be more than prosaic. Unprofitableness. In recent years, Opel and Vauxhall have not been profitable for the company at all. On the contrary, businesses were incredibly unprofitable.
Moreover, the buyer was found quickly enough. It turned out to be the automobile association PSA, which includes such companies as Citroen and Peugeot. Many wondered why the European auto companies, which themselves only recently were in a state of deep crisis, but managed to recover a little and achieve good success.
But the question becomes logical as to the advisability of PSA's purchase of the unprofitable and problematic Opel enterprise. In fact, PSA are buying their competitor, since Opel is mainly focused on consumers in the European market. That is, we can assume that the French want to buy a direct competitor, and then simply close all enterprises. A strange move that bears little resemblance to the truth.
Another option is considered to be an attempt to join forces, bringing together enough impressive brands in the face of Citroen, Peugeot and Opel to press with, as well as cope with the eternal rival Renault. That is, PSA has ambitions to take a strong second place on the continent.
General Motors position
As the analytical documentation provided by General Motors clearly shows, since 1999 their European business, that is, the production of Opel cars is purely unprofitable. In 2009, there was a serious financial crisis, in which an American corporation also suffered. Already then, GM was determined to sell Opel because of its chronic unprofitability and unprofitability. Moreover, the company even managed to come to an agreement with representatives from Canada and Russia, that is, there was a real possibility that Opel would eventually become Russian. But only at the very last moment the deal fell through. Good or bad, it is difficult to judge now.
When General Motors abandoned the idea of selling its European brand, few doubted that the corporation would decide to sell it in the future. After all, after the failed deal, the Americans began to pour in large funds in the development, formation and modernization of Opel. Although several factories had to be closed, including German and Belgian assembly lines, huge funds were simultaneously invested in troubled enterprises.
As a result, Opel actively began to modernize its production, develop new models, improve marketing, and increase its ratings. As a result, the efforts were not in vain. In Europe, the situation has improved significantly, cars under the Opel brand have become in demand and quite popular.
And then General Motors sincerely began to believe that for almost 20 years their European car brand will finally end the reporting year with positive dynamics, will work and will not go into negative territory. But expectations did not coincide with reality. At the end of 2016, operating losses amounted to an impressive almost $ 260 million. Then the representatives of General Motors explained this by the fact that there was a sharp devaluation of the British currency, and the UK decided to withdraw the country from the European Union.
The PSA's intentions and the winning position of the Chinese
Not everyone knows, but back in 2012, a strategic alliance was signed and created between General Motors and PSA. At that time, the European union of automakers Citroen and Peugeot was going through hard times and was actually on the verge of bankruptcy. GM helped its European counterparts and even temporarily held about 7% of PSA shares.
An unusual alliance was created to organize joint procurement of components and develop models under the PSA and Opel brands on joint platforms. As a result, cars such as the Opel Crossland X, actually created from Peugeot 2008, appeared. And also the GrandLand X, produced under the Opel brand, was born, although in fact it was a redesigned 3008 from the French Peugeot.
The result of all these rather unexpected turns was the sale of the Opel brand to PSA at the end of 2017. Experts are confident that the main goal of the European auto companies Peugeot and Citroen is precisely the acquisition of a European competitor in order to further reduce excess production capacity in Europe.
Moreover, for sure the French will not cut jobs in their homeland, since about 13% of PSA shares are on the balance sheet of the state. The reductions will be implemented through England and Germany.
Don't forget about another 13% of the shares held by the Chinese automaker DongFeng. It is he who, according to analysts, wins in such a situation more than others. After all, only the Chinese company will have at its disposal not only quite interesting and relevant modern technologies from Citroen and Peugeot, but also the largest Opel design center. This will allow an enterprise from the Middle Kingdom to significantly expand its product line, improve the quality and recognition of its brand, without making any special efforts to develop new technologies.
Given the current situation, it is very difficult to predict where the Opel brand cars will be produced in the future, and whether the company will cease to exist. There are prerequisites for this. And after the transition to PSA, the risk of the disappearance of Opel becomes more and more likely.
Vehicle identification numbers
Improvement of manufactured products is a continuous process of any in-line production. At the same time, in the automotive industry, with the exception of cases of major changes in the design of models coming off the assembly line, the results of the modification process in the operation manual vehicle are not covered. However, the manufacturer draws up numbered lists of produced spare parts, which is why the information encoded in the vehicle identification numbers is of particular importance when purchasing the latter. When placing an order for a required spare part, try to provide the seller with as complete information as possible about your vehicle. Be sure to include the model name, year of manufacture, as well as body / chassis numbers and power unit.
The nameplate with the vehicle identification number (VIN) is attached under the hood on the upper cross member of the front panel, in addition, the VIN is stamped to the right of the front passenger seat, - a special cover is provided in the carpet.
Nameplate with VIN on the upper cross member of the bulkhead
Nameplate with VIN next to the front passenger seat
On the nameplate, the VIN is stamped, as a rule, in third place, looking from above. Below is a transcript of the VIN encoded information.
WOL 0 S B F 08 W 1 000 027
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 - Determination of the manufacturer: WOL - ADAM OPEL AG; VSX - OPEL-Pkw.
Before August 1997 release:
2 ÷ 5 Spaces
6 - Vehicle type: 71 - Combo (Van), 73 - Three-door Hatchback, 75 - Coupe (Tigra), 78, 79 - Five-door Hatchback
Since September 1997:
2 - GM-code of the manufacturer
3 - Vehicle type: S - Corsa, Combo, Tigra
4 - Model designation: D - Corsa B, Combo B, A - Tigra A
5 - Body equipment
6 - Body type: 73 - two-door Hatchback
7 - Year of issue: V - 1997, W - 1998
8 - Manufacturing plant: 1 - Rüsselheim, 4 - Zagaroza, 6 - Opel Eisenach.
9 -
Serial number car: for example, 27 is a 1998 car.
The engine designation is located under the exhaust manifold on the cylinder block. Since 1995, the designation has been applied to the tide for the installation of a high-pressure pump diesel engine... Engine number and designation OHC 1.2 and 1.4 l knocked out on the front of the engine, near the hole in the dipstick for measuring the level of impellent oil.
1.2 & 1.4 L OHC Powertrain ID Location
Engine number and designation DOHC 1.4 and 1.6 l are located next to the oil filter on the cylinder block. On engines DOHC 1.0 and 1.2 l the number is stamped near the body oil filter on the cylinder block.
Location of powertrain identification number DOHC 1.4 and 1.6 L
Below is the decoding of the information encoded in the engine designation.
