Next Generation Vauxhall Corsa VXR On Deck

It’s no secret that Opel and Vauxhall have been hard at work developing the next-generation Corsa hatchback. AutoExpress says that car will be unveiled in its entirety this Wednesday, but also reports a hot VXR/OPC version will join the standard model for the 2015 model year.

Vauxhall confirmed the high-performance version of the Corsa is deep into its development and will arrive next year ready to go head-to-head with other established hot hatchbacks such as the Ford Fiesta ST.

“We’d like to do one, there’s such a following for it we’d be crazy not to do it, there’s definitely a strong case,” Vauxhall’s small car brand manager, Ian Mitchell, told AutoExpress. “You might be seeing something next year.”

Mitchell also said the Corsa VXR “has to be” more powerful than the 180 horsepower Fiesta ST. Vauxhall’s new 197 horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder SIDI engine, which currently serves as the range-topping engine option on the Cascada convertible, has been rumored as the engine which will power both the OPC and VXR performance variants of the Corsa. This would give the car more power than the current-generation Corsa VXR, which produced 189 horsepower from its 1.6-liter engine. More importantly, the 220 lb-ft of torque from the new SIDI 1.6-liter unit is significantly more than the 170 lb-ft produced by the outgoing model.

The 2014 Corsa will receive design features from the stylish Adam city car on both the exterior and interior. It is also expected to be offered with new, more efficient engine options and will ride on the same MK4 Small Platform, albeit with improved ride and handling dynamics.