Opel Insignia

The Opel Insignia is one of the best market launches by the German firm. It is a high-class saloon with an elegant design and quality features. With this model, Opel aims to launch itself at the top of the PSA Group’s sales charts.

Opel Insignia exterior

The main thing is undoubtedly the new architecture, called Epsilon 2, which allows to significantly reduce the weight of the set. The body, for example, weighs 59 kilograms less – 13% – but increases its torsional rigidity by 9%. The result is a Grand Sport that is up to 175 kg lighter and a Sports Tourer that loses up to 200 kg.

On an aesthetic level, the renewed front grille, wider and narrower, and the new generation of optional Intellilux LED headlights, based on those that the Astra already launched, are striking.

These have a specific light signature for the daytime running lights or the stylish taillights, also LED. The Insignia takes inspiration from the Opel Monza Concept presented almost four years ago and has a drag coefficient of 0.26 Cx.

Despite its dimensions, about five meters long, it is not a vehicle that makes its size noticeable when driving it, since it is maneuverable and agile. In the city, the Tour mode, which is one of the three available driving modes, is especially pleasant.

During the journey, the suspension in this mode becomes more forgiving and the steering loses weight to facilitate driving through narrow streets. Sport driving mode, meanwhile, stretches the gears more and stiffens the shock absorbers and steering a bit.

The interior of the Opel Insignia

In the cabin is where you can see a great step forward, both in design and quality. It has soft and rubbery plastics even in the lower area of ​​the dashboard, something that is not too common.

The console full of buttons is left behind, in favor of a simpler one, without much control and with a large touch screen, well integrated and without a frame, by the way. Overall, the look is much better, and so is the ergonomics, looking very similar to the interior of the Astra.

The instrument cluster is half digital and half analog. There are essentially two clocks on the sides and a central digital display, 3.5 or 4.2 inches, depending on the equipment. However, they have resorted to a curious solution, since the digital display also covers part of the external clocks.

The operation of both the frame and the touch screen is quite intuitive and it is easy to move through the menus and find the settings we are looking for.

In terms of passenger space, the front seats are spacious and comfortable, with seats that incorporate seat width and extension adjustments. In addition, these can be manual or electric and, in addition, with heating, ventilation and massage function included, depending on the version.

The Opel Insignia engine range

Regarding the mechanical options, the Opel Insignia Grand Sport has two gasoline engines : one 1.5 turbo 140 hp and manual gearbox, and another 165 hp, manual and automatic.

On the other hand, there are three diesel options : a 1.6 with 110 hp manual, another with 136 hp, manual and automatic, and one more with 2.0 and 170 hp, also manual and automatic. As a plan for the future, the arrival of the top-of-the-range petrol version, 2.0 and 260 hp, is planned, equipped with a new 8-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system with vector distribution of engine torque.

In this type of engine, two multi-disc clutches replace the usual rear axle differential and can individually accelerate the wheels in a fraction of a second depending on road conditions.

This all-wheel drive is also planned to be available for the 2.0 diesel version. As the brand has announced, all these blocks consume between 3 and 10% less compared to the previous equivalent models.

Opel Insignia prices

Regarding the prices of the Opel Insignia, we can find the most basic model for a starting price of around 28,658 euros. This price rises in intervals of between 1,000 and 3,000 euros as we move up the range of the German firm.

The more classy models come at base prices of 38,000 euros. With this amount, we can enjoy the 170 hp Opel Insignia Grand Sport 2.0 in a saloon finish or the Insignia Sports Tourer, with the same engine, but in a family finish.