The car is good-looking, the diesel engine is highly economical and there are good petrol engines . . . all the ingredients necessary for the making of a success story.

Opel still has a good name here for quality-build cars and this model is set to be a badly needed winner for the General Motors company.

In the European Car of the Year vote, the Corsa was narrowly pipped at the post by the Ford S-MAX by just two points in a field of eight finalists which included such strong contenders as the Citroen C4 Picasso, the Skoda Roomster and the Honda Civic.

The new Corsa has a sleek design and the three-door version . . . with its high-arched roofline and swept-back look . . . is bound to get the young buyers' vote. It will provide strong competition for the new Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta and the car which was the big seller in Europe this year, the Fiat Grande Punto.

In fact, the Corsa has some important engineering features in common with the Punto. It shares the same diesel engine as the Fiat thanks to a cost-sharing initiative between the Italians and General Motors, while most of the chassis elements are the same. Both have the same space and headroom inside but the Corsa wins on looks, both inside and out.

The Corsa has grown and is now in a very competitive segment of the market. The build quality is good, the interior fit and finish is better than many rivals and the materials used in the cabin you would expect to find in bigger and more expensive cars.

Behind the wheel there is more driver enjoyment than in the old model. There is good stability, a positive steering and the low suspension gives a sporty if firm ride that might not be to the liking of some families (this is in the SXi version only).

There is also adequate insulation in the cabin to keep out tyre and engine noise.

The engine has good torque but is disappointing when turbo leg develops until the revs reach the 1750 mark. Maximum torque of 200 Nm comes in between 1800 and 2500 rpm.

Opel claim 4.6L/100km (over 61mpg) in mixed driving but on test, which admittedly was mostly around Dublin, 47 mpg was the figure recorded, which is still a very good fuel consumption figure for the type of slowmoving urban traffic most drivers must face these days. In fairness, Opel's figures may not be far off the mark in more open road driving. The turbo-diesel comes with 75 PS of 90 PS output (the 75 PS in the lower cost Club version) and there is obviously a price difference, but the 90 PS is best. There is also a range of petrol engines from 1.2litre up, with a one-litre expected.

In the SXi there is a good level of specification . . . 16" alloy wheels, sports style front seats, sports suspension with low-ride height, fog lights, MP3 capability and heated door mirrors.

Disappointingly, air conditioning is not standard and the glove box is too small.

The good cabin space is matched by a reasonably roomy boot for this size of car. Here, there is a Dualfloor system where small or large loads can be carried. The Dualfloor is only in certain models and is useful when the rear seat backs are folded as it provides a level surface for long objects. When lowered it gives a deeper load area. Other features here include luggage restraining hooks and a stow-away parcel shelf.

The diesel SXi is almost 1,500 dearer than the 1.4 petrol version, which will be a big dampener on sales as super-mini pricing is very sensitive. It is a pity there is such a difference because in the long run the diesel is the best engine but unfortunately few will see the benefit of several years' driving before they win the extra outlay back through better fuel economy figures.

VITAL STATISTICS Opel Corsa SXi 3-dr 1.3 CDTI 16 V 90 PS 3999 mm 1737 mm 1488 mm 2511 mm 0-100km/h - 12.7 secs 172km/h (107mph) 6-speed manual 4.6L/100km (61.4 mpg) 19,595