New Opel Insignia makes its debut at Opel dealerships
THE all new Opel Insignia has just made its debut at Opel dealership.
Inspired by the much-admired Monza concept, new Insignia’s silhouette compares well to the sculptured form of a large coupé. The new generation weighs up to 175 kilograms less than its predecessor.
While the wheelbase has been elongated by 92 millimetres, its overhangs have been reduced and its tracks widened by 11 millimetres.
A 29-millimetre lower, sweeping roofline, prominent grille with slimline headlamps and rear end hightech look add to the Insignia’s design drama, giving it an elegant yet athletic stance.
The new Grand Sport is as sleek as it looks: it has an exemplary drag factor of 0.26 making it one of the most aerodynamic vehicles in its class.
The lower driving position with wrap around cockpit, frameless touchscreen and OnStar personal assistance at the touch of a button, deliver streamlined ergonomics for full driver control.
The centre stack area has been designed with three functional zones of controls (from top to bottom: infotainment / climate / assistance systems) to facilitate quick and intuitive operations. IntelliLink’s smartphone projection and voice command via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, together with OnStar’s 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices deliver class-leading connectivity, while the head up display enhances the digital innovations in abundance in new Insignia.
The new Insignia is available with a wide range of efficient latest-generation turbocharged engines and transmissions, which have been designed to provide excellent real-life fuel efficiency and low fuel costs. For petrol, the new 1.5-litre Turbo 140 hp unit (Tax Band B1) replaces the outgoing 1.4-litre Turbo unit, while the diesel choice includes Opel’s 1.6 ‘Whisper Diesel’ in both 110 and 136 hp outputs (Tax Bands A3 and A4 respectively), as well as the higher output 2.0-litre 170 hp diesel (Tax Band B2). Both the 1.6 136 hp and 2.0-litre 170 hp units are available in both manual and automatic transmission.
The top of the range 2.0-litre Turbo petrol 260 hp unit comes with the new eight-speed automatic transmission, which shifts smoothly, and a highly sophisticated all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring – a unique feature in the midsize segment. On this high-tech all-wheel drive system, two multi-plate clutches replace a conventional rear axle differential and can accelerate the wheels individually in a split-second depending on the driving situation.
The new Insignia not only impresses with a state-of-the-art propulsion technology but also with ultra-modern assistance and comfort features. No other model in the segment offers such a wide range of intelligent technologies as the new edition of the Opel flagship.
One of the highlights in every sense of the word is the second generation of Opel’s innovative and award-winning adaptive IntelliLux LED® matrix light, with 32 LED segments – twice as many as in the Astra – taking over the high beam function.
The increased number of LED segments enables the various light patterns to adapt to the prevailing traffic situation even more precisely and the transitions are faster and more seamless. To improve visibility even further while driving through curves on full high beam, Opel engineers added an innovative active curve lighting function to the new Insignia’s IntelliLux LED® matrix headlights. A further LED spotlight located within the low beam module provides additional illumination at full high-beam for up to 400 metres.
Head up display projects information such as speed, traffic signs, set speed of speed limiter and adaptive cruise control or navigation direction onto the windscreen in the driver’s direct line of sight.
360° camera consists of four individual cameras, one on each side of the car, enabling a 360-degree bird’s-eye view and thus facilitating parking and low speed driving maneuvers.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with automatic emergency braking uses a radar sensor to measure the distance to the vehicle in front, adapts speed accordingly and initiates automatic emergency braking if necessary.
Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction. If the system registers that the car is unintentionally drifting out of its lane, it shows this on the display and actively counteracts it by providing gentle steering wheel movements.
The new Insignia generation also set standards in comfort with premium ergonomic seats of the new generation certified by ‘Aktion Gesunder Rücken’ (Campaign for Healthier Backs).
They offer a unique combination of electric side bolster settings, massage, memory and ventilation functions in addition to the multiple standard adjustment possibilities, with up to 18way adjustment in total. Passengers in the second row can also look forward to more comfort, because like the driver and front passenger seats, the two outer rear seats are also available with seat heating.
The heated windscreen guarantees good visibility quickly on cold winter days while the heated steering wheel keeps the driver’s hands comfortably warm.
Great entertainment and outstanding connectivity – both typical for Opel – are ensured by the latest Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible IntelliLink systems. And while the smartphone is seamlessly integrated into the vehicle’s infotainment it now can also be charged wirelessly. Naturally, the groundbreaking 24/7 connectivity and service assistant Opel OnStar is also on board, offering services ranging from Automatic Crash Response, Destination Download to Stolen Vehicle Assistance. Further Assisance services will be launched together with the Insignia, enabling its occupants to ask Opel OnStar advisors, for example, to book a hotel room or find a parking space. Furthermore, the 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot featured in the OnStar system allows all Insignia occupants to connect their devices to the net. The new Insignia is priced from €27,350.