London Motor Show 2008: Opel Insignia, press conference

The London Motor Show began with a headline act: at 9 a.m. local time, the Vauxhall/Opel stand was described as several units of the Insignia covered with white sheets, surrounded by crowds of journalists.

In fact, the car was spectacularly unveiled the previous day next to London Bridge, but the press conference with details and the chance to see and touch virtually every Insignia variant would take place the following day.

The first to speak was the affable Bob Lutz. His speech focused especially on General Motors’ global presence and the role Europe plays for the company. A role in which Opel/Vauxhall has a huge part, since they are the brands whose sales count the most.

Another point he made about the old continent was the participation in Russia. In this country the group’s sales have grown 390% since 2003; figures that surely have a logical background and are within the ordinary, but there the figure stands.

He also took care to mention that on the other side of the Atlantic, his company was unveiling another significant model, the Camaro. A Camaro that, let’s remember, will arrive in Europe, and in fact the Chevrolet stand had a concept unit.

Contrasting with the muscle car, he also spoke of the worrying rise in fuel prices and the crisis derived from it. In this context he rightly reminded everyone that General Motors is perfecting its E-Flex electric propulsion technology and that it will soon reach the market in a revolutionary model. We have faith in it.

He then handed the floor to Carl-Peter Forster, president of General Motors Europe. As he walked on, two uncovered Insignia units came out. He went on to explain the weight and importance the Insignia has for General Motors Europe.

Within Opel and Vauxhall, the name Insignia is more than a model: it is the benchmark. A benchmark for change, we could say, in concept, design and philosophy. It’s nothing new; we can see around us how its closest competitors do exactly the same thing: Citroën with the C5, Ford with the Mondeo…

Next, he highlighted the most significant points of the new model, such as its adaptive headlight technology with different degrees and directions of illumination while driving, the spaciousness of the interior and, finally, the prices. The starting price is 22,700 euros in Germany.

Later we will tell you more details and our own impressions of the Insignia. For now, here are the photos from the press conference:

Photos | Highmotor