New Opel Insignia Grand Sport is clearly distinguishable

THE NEW Opel Insignia Grand Sport is currently completing its final development phase. Even though the next generation of Opel’s flagship still hides its elegance from inquisitive eyes with extensive camouflage, the five-door saloon’s new grandeur is clearly distinguishable.

The Opel Insignia Grand Sport is based on a completely new architecture and has a considerably longer wheelbase (over nine centimetres longer). But thanks to markedly shorter front and rear overhangs, it is only 5.5 centimetres longer than its predecessor. The one-centimetre wider track and three-centimetre lower roofline emphasise the Insignia Grand Sport’s dashing presence. These altered proportions give the next generation of Opel’s flagship a look that is more athletic and striking than ever before.

But the Insignia Grand Sport doesn’t simply look more athletic – it delivers on this sportiness too. Space efficiency and weight-savings were at the top of engineers’ specifications: by using lightweight materials, they were able to shave up to 175kg off of the new model.

Optimised packaging allows for a much roomier interior and of course a great range of top technologies is on board.

‘The name Opel Insignia Grand Sport says it all. It reflects the efficient dynamics of a Monza Concept as much as it does our pride in the magnificent Opel classics Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat,’ says Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

‘Our future flagship represents a new dimension – elegance, lightness and sportiness blend to create an extremely attractive combination.’

With the new Insignia Grand Sport, the company is starting the next chapter in the history of its top-of-the-line models. In 2008, the predecessor founded a new Opel era in terms of development and design – and was a huge hit with the public.

So far more than 900,000 Insignia cars have been sold and it was named “Car of the Year” in 2009.

At the 2013 IAA, Opel gave a glimpse into the future of the automobile with the Monza Concept Study: light, athletic, efficient and with top connectivity – this is what defines future Opel cars.

The new Astra, which was promptly named ‘Car of the Year 2016’, follows this philosophy. With the Insignia Grand Sport, Opel now launches another potential successful model that consistently realises these standards.

The Insignia Grand Sport continues this evolution of the Opel brand, which began with the latest Astra generation. The newcomer is slightly larger than the current Insignia on the outside but this leads to a noticeable increase in spaciousness on the inside, putting it in a higher league in terms of size, roominess and comfort.

Even as innovative technologies underline the future top-of-the-line Opel model’s ambitious standards, the company remains true to its philosophy: mobility and trend-setting developments must remain affordable and accessible for a broad audience. The Insignia Grand Sport thus represents the chic alternative to considerably more expensive cars.

The official world premiere of the Opel Insignia Grand Sport takes place in March 2017 at the Geneva Motor Show.