Opel’s Next Corsa Won’t Arrive Until 2028, but It’ll Be Fully Electric and Cheaper

Opel’s best selling model is about to lose its petrol and hybrid versions, and buyers will need to wait a year longer than planned to get it. The next generation Corsa, originally due in 2027, has been pushed back to 2028, and it will be sold exclusively as a battery electric car.

Opel CEO Florian Huettl confirmed the new timeline in an interview with Welt am Sonntag, saying “it will arrive in 2028, be fully electric, and cost around €25,000.” That price would put it up against the cheapest EVs currently on sale in Europe, and it would seriously undercut the current Corsa Electric, which starts at €30,440 with a 46 or 49 kWh battery and up to 429km of range.

Why was the new Corsa delayed to 2028?
Opel has publicly framed the delay as a deliberate, well timed move given improving EV conditions, but independent Italian reporting points to a six month freeze due to development issues back in 2024.

The new car moves onto Stellantis’s STLA Small platform, replacing the e-CMP architecture the current Corsa shares with its petrol and hybrid versions. Huettl says the new Corsa will get a larger battery and significantly more range, though exact numbers haven’t been confirmed yet. The same platform underpins the next generation Peugeot e-208, which Peugeot is expected to reveal later this year.

The Real Reason Behind the Delay

Huettl framed the timing as deliberate rather than reluctant, pointing to improving charging infrastructure, government support for EVs and rising fuel prices as reasons buyers are increasingly ready for an electric only small car. Whether that’s the full story is less clear, because the italian financial outlet MF-Milano Finanza has reported that the STLA Small platform was frozen for around six months in 2024 during development problems, a delay that’s also pushing the next Peugeot 208 to mid 2027 and the related Opel or Vauxhall 2028 update even further out. Stellantis hasn’t addressed those reports directly.

How much will the new Corsa cost?
CEO Florian Huettl says pricing will start around €25,000, significantly cheaper than the current Corsa Electric’s €30,440 starting price.

Buyers who want a fast electric Corsa sooner won’t have to wait for 2028. The Corsa GSE, a performance focused electric version built on the outgoing e-CMP platform, arrives at dealers later this year and is expected to hit 100 km/h from a standstill in 5.5 seconds, making it the fastest production Opel yet.

The Corsa remains one of Europe’s most recognisable small cars, and its move to electric only production will matter well beyond Opel’s own showrooms. I’ve already looked at how the current Corsa Electric compares with rivals like the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster in my city EV range comparison, and how it stacks up against other budget options in my breakdown of the cheapest EVs by range under €30,000. A cheaper, longer range Corsa in 2028 would reset both of those comparisons, assuming Stellantis can get the platform out the door on schedule this time.

Featured Image: Opel