This, says Opel vice-president for engineering Mike Ableson, is the thriftiest Opel diesel yet - the new Corsa 1.3 CDTI EcoFlex.
Just announced in Germany, the 70kW three-door version is quoted at an eye-opening 3.3 litres per 100km and just 88g/km of CO2 - which is not only seven per cent lower (on both numbers) than the 2011 version but also 26 percent more efficient (and more than 26 percent more powerful!) than the first EcoFlex model, only five years ago.
How'd they do that?
The devil, they say, is the details; that is certainly where you find the good numbers.
All Opel Ecoflex models come standard with idle stop; the 1.3-litre CDTI engine now has a variable-displacement oil pump that delivers only the necessary oil pressure and varies oil volume depending on the load in order to reduce the energy needed for pushing oil around the engine.
Opel has specified a special low-viscosity oil for the gearbox to reduce drag, and the engine mappings have been tweaked to take advantage of the engine's reduced internal losses.
From November 2012 the Corsa EcoFlex will have a new-generation manual 'box with new gears, modified shift rods and a revised fork shaft to reduce friction for smoother, more precise gearshifts and shorter lever travel.
The Corsa EcoFlex runs on new 185/65 R15 low-rolling-resistance tires that also help.
GREEN ALSO MEANS GO
Opel quotes 190Nm from 1750-3250rpm, pulling the Corsa from 0-100 in 12.3 seconds and on to 177km/h, while all Corsa models (except the fire-breathing OPC Nürburgring Edition) now have revised suspension and damping for a smoother ride, especially at low speeds in heavy traffic, underlining their role as city cars.