Big power cut for OPC variants.

Despite its shrinking local presence, fans of the Opel brand do have some exciting battery-powered models to anticipate.

The German value car brand is rapidly transitioning to an electric vehicle offering and not forgetting about its legacy OPC customers.

Although the notion of OPC badging and a lack of rear exhausts might trouble established Opel performance car customers, the company is promising an authentic driving experience.

During the tumultuous last five years, as Opel has attempted to settle its business, the OPC brand was greatly neglected. Since the discontinuation of Opel’s previous-generation Corsa, there has been no new OPC version.The best the brand has been able to deliver is a sportily clad GSI rebadge that was tossed onto the local market back in mid-2019.

Opel has now confirmed that it will introduce a high-performance version of the latest Corsa next year. Fans of the brand should brace themselves for a very different driving experience as this new OPC will use the Corsa-e platform and powertrain.

There will be no turbocharged four-cylinder engine option or manual gearbox. Opel’s new OPC will also have a great deal less power. Using the Corsa-e’s lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor configuration, it will store 50 kWh of energy and deliver only 100 kW of power.

Compared to the previous OPC’s 152kW petrol engine, that could leave many potential Opel hot hatchback customers a touch confused- and disappointed.

Design flair will be a given and with its electric power- and drivetrain, the new OPC will have a much better centre of gravity and better cornering stability. It should also be credibly quick from 0-100 kph, as the current Corsa-e runs that performance benchmark in only 7.6 seconds.

Expect top speed to be governed to a relatively low threshold, to preserve battery cell integrity and conserve range.

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