Two quite distinct styles are offered in the three and five-door versions, the latter more sedate and slightly Clio-like while the sportier three-door is aimed at attracting the all-important youth buyers.
With the success of the three-door Astra over its five-door equivalent, the thinking may not be far off the mark.
Whatever about the exterior design, the interior has been markedly improved, even in comparison to the Astra. Gone is the vertical matt-coloured wall of buttons and in its place is a lacquered plastic fascia and ergonomically placed controls. It's a move that hopefully will make its way into the rest of the range in the near future.
The Corsa also features some nice packaging touches, particularly the rear boot shelf which now slides down behind the rear seats and an optional Flex-fix system, comprising a set of carrier bars that can hold two bicycles to the back of the car and folds neatly into the rear bumper when not in use.
The new Corsa is longer than its predecessor at 3,999mm, but still looks nimble enough to qualify for the small car segment and has certainly not added as much weight as some of its main rivals. Despite the more sporting looks, the roof line is 40mm higher in this model, making access easier.
Engines start with a 1-litre 60bhp, but the big hope for Opel is that the new look will attract new buyers to the more powerful 1.2-litre 80bhp version, particularly in three-door format. While prices have been announced for the major European markets, with British and German prices lower than their previous equivalents, unfortunately Irish buyers cannot look forward to such competitive pricing. According to Irish marketing and PR manager Margaret O'Boyle, prices are likely to be slightly higher when the car comes to market later this year.