GM Officially Debuts Opel Insignia

[CSpec]

Opel Insignia: Double Premiere at London Motor Show

• Choice between equally elegant and dynamic notchback and hatchback

• Sleek, aerodynamic body has class-leading Cd value of 0.27

• The New Opel Insignia notchback and hatchback on sale before the end of the year

Rüsselsheim/London. Opel will showcase to the public for the first time at the British International Motor Show (July 23 – August 3) both the four-door notchback and five-door hatchback versions of its new flagship car, the Insignia.

The new Opel Insignia highlights breathtaking design: Both body styles boast a flowing, muscular yet elegant silhouette with a coupé roofline. Designers of the new car deliberately created similar versions to retain the beauty of Opel’s latest mid-sized car. The length of both the notch and hatchback, at 4,830 mm, and the wheelbase of 2,737 mm remain the same.

The Insignia’s fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and driving dynamics benefit from the aerodynamic efficiency that was perfected during more than 650 hours in the wind tunnel. The result: A class-leading drag coefficient of 0.27.

Offering both the notchback and hatchback from the start is particularly important for markets such as the U.K. and France, where 5-door sedans traditionally enjoy a high market share of the mid-size class segment. German and Spanish customers, on the other hand, generally prefer notchback sedans. Prices for the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be announced July 22 in London and cars will hit German dealerships before the end of the year. Opel expects both models to sell in about equal numbers.

From the beginning, the Insignia will be launched with a broad line-up of motors. Seven engines will be available; all meet Euro 5 emissions standards and come coupled with six-speed transmissions. The four gasoline engines range from a four-cylinder 115 hp unit to a V6 with 260 hp. Three new direct-injection turbo-diesels exclusively developed for the Insignia feature a displacement of 2.0 liters and power outputs spanning from 110 to

160 hp.

The newly developed chassis can be enhanced with the innovative, integrated FlexRide mechatronic system, as well as the sophisticated Adaptive 4x4. Its lightning-fast distribution of torque over the four wheels ensures top stability and traction while improving dynamic handling performance.

[Guest aatbloke]

Vauxhall Insignia world premiere/public unveiling ahead of this week's London Motor Show:

Hatchback and saloon variants pictured will be available simultaneously at launch.

[Sixty8panther]

There's more BMW and Lexus there than I can shake a stick at.

It's elegant and sexy but damn if you wanted to be picky you

could make a case for this being one of the LEAST original

(non-Chinese) cars of recent memory.

[HarleyEarl]

Lexus wishes it could look this good.

[loki]

There's more BMW and Lexus there than I can shake a stick at.

Lexus wishes it could look this good.

yes, i have to agree on both.

68, a bmw that's actually "rounded" around the corners. at least the majority of BMW's i see.

i think , sadly slap a saturn emblem on it, it would sell oodles here. too bad the diesels wouldn't make it.

[Blake Noble]

Sort of anti-climatic if you ask me, it's not like you didn't know what this was going to look like. What's with the hockey stick kink on the door line? That's more of a reversed 2002 Camry cue.

All kidding aside, it is an attractive car with only a few design flaws (in my opinion anyway). Now just bring it over here as an Opel instead of a Saturn.

[HarleyEarl]

Yes to Opel.

No to Saturn.

Just say no.

[Blake Noble]

Yes to Opel.

No to Saturn.

Just say no.

Yet, somehow, we said yes. :AH-HA_wink:

Opel builds a good car. No need to hide behind a facade (read: Saturn, Vauxhall).

[Guest aatbloke]

Yet, somehow, we said yes. :AH-HA_wink:

Opel builds a good car. No need to hide behind a facade (read: Saturn, Vauxhall).

Opel doesn't commission products, GME does. Most of the development work however tends to be carried out at Opel. Both Opel and Vauxhall have built a variety of models in the past wearing Vauxhall and Opel badges for various markets; Vectras were built in the UK, however production at Ellesmere Port will be turned over to the forthcoming mk6 Astra.

Vauxhall - as a company and a marque - carries a great deal of weight in the UK, especially in the country's company car market which is in fact the largest such market in the world. This is one key reason why the Insignia had its world premiere in the UK - as did various Vectras before it.

Various GME products over the past few decades - notably the Astra, Zafira, Corsa and Vectra - have worn Opel, Vauxhall, Holden and Chevrolet badges dependent on the market, and the Corsa even had a Buick tog attached to it in China. These products were all primarily built at plants across Europe for those markets.

Given Saturn's poor sales volume I'd hedge my bets on the company being dissolved in the not-too-distant future and likely the collaboration with GME disappearing with it. Slapping a number of rather decent Vauxhall/Opel products with a Saturn badge - a marque which had a reputation for rather cheap, plastic cars which fell apart after a few years - was sacrilegious in my own opinion.

It might help you to actually spend a few years in Europe (including the UK) living and working in the industry and truly understand the situation for yourself.

Edited July 22, 2008 by aatbloke

[balthazar]

>>"Opel builds a good car. No need to hide behind a facade (read: Saturn, Vauxhall)."<<

I see your point, but unfortunately, Opel products have failed or failed to excell repeatedly in this market. The name is NOT an unrealized marketing advantage.

[loki]

showed my dad and he had no idea GM makes Opels.... he was ~12 feet away though.

[Robert Hall]

I like the profile and rear, but the front end reminds me too much of the Camry..

[Sixty8panther]

Someday I'll get a 1959 "Opel by Buick" and keep it in the LeSabre's

trunk in case my H2o pump blows again or I run out of gas, that way

I can hop in the Kaddet and fly down to NAPA/Autozone for whatever

I need, then just park it back under the trunklid.

[Sixty8panther]

Made during an era when "Made in Japan" was known to mean the product was a cheap hunk of crap.

[Robert Hall]

Made during an era when "Made in Japan" was known to mean the product was a cheap hunk of crap.

Yes, an era long, long ago...when car ads were still often in b&w.

Edited July 23, 2008 by moltar

[HarleyEarl]

I find anyone I mention Opel to, they have never heard of it.

[Intrepidation]

Sort of anti-climatic if you ask me, it's not like you didn't know what this was going to look like.

Now why does that sound familiar?

That's more of a reversed 2002 Camry cue.

That's exactly what I thought when I saw it too.

It does look pretty nice in real world photos...I like the red one.

Edited July 23, 2008 by Dodgefan

[Blake Noble]

>>"Opel builds a good car. No need to hide behind a facade (read: Saturn, Vauxhall)."<<

I see your point, but unfortunately, Opel products have failed or failed to excell repeatedly in this market. The name is NOT an unrealized marketing advantage.

Trust me, I've read that infamous Kadett review in Car and Driver. But, the way I see it, in a nutshell Opel sold it's last car here some time ago and is now virtually forgotten to the general car-buying public. There might be a few people around, though, that have a cult-obsession with the GT, but that honestly wasn't a bad car, IMHO.

Now why does that sound familiar?

That's exactly what I thought when I saw it too.

:AH-HA_wink:

I still think it rather works against the flow of the line below the beltline. It doesn't look as bad to me as it first did, but I know I would have tried a different approach if I were designing the car.

It does look pretty nice in real world photos...I like the red one.

Agreed.

Edited July 23, 2008 by YellowJacket894

[PurdueGuy]

rather cheap, plastic cars which fell apart after a few years

Strange, since it seems if people take any care of their saturn and don't wreck 'em, they seem to surpass 200k easily (and numerous reports of 300k, though I wouldn't call that the norm), and get fuel economy beyond most of the current fleet of small cars, with the safety of the spaceframe design. A modern version of the s-series with a better interior and a ecotec would probably sell like hotcakes. Granted, I am somewhat biased, but the "fell apart after a few years" notion is just silly.

The question of how well this new Insignia would sell here is a simple question of what it would cost. It looks nice, but if it costs too much, it may not do well. Fuel economy is another question, and they surely wouldn't give the NA market all the same engine options europe gets.

[Guest aatbloke]

Strange,

Indeed, except the public's perception isn't. While in Ohio and Pennsylvania for seven years, I found many people's idea of Saturn to be one of puerile rubbish and many I spoke with viewed Saturn buyers as "cult-like." Seeing old S-series models with large pieces missing from the front wings, tired interiors and windscreen wipers stuck in the up position did nothing to change that perception from where I stood, either.

Vauxhall's reputation in the UK is altogether quite different. While generally regarded as a repmobile, it has a very good reputation too. Vauxhall's sporting prowess in the 1970's spawned vehicles like the Viva TC and Chevette HSR which were respected for their performance back in the day even if not for their overall reliability. But, as with all cars, build quality and reliability have improved beyond recognition since then.

[ToniCipriani]

I love the rear of the 5-door. Reminds a lot of Solstice Coupe, which means I think this will make a great G6 with some bodywork changes.