New Opel Insignia, presentation and road test in Madrid

The flagship of Opel has been renewed. The Opel Insignia is a saloon that has been very well received by the market, and since Opel have put all their effort into this restyling to keep attracting new buyers.

Small exterior changes, more technology, and closer to the premium segment. The brand has improved those areas where the Insignia was lacking and has adopted technology typical of premium saloons for its saloon. The engines have also been renewed, and we had the chance to test the new Opel Insignia at its national presentation in Madrid and to get behind the wheel of two engines, the 140 CV petrol and the 140 CV diesel.

New, more aerodynamic exterior design, more practical and intuitive interior

Externally, the new Insignia undergoes subtle changes at the front, it is now wider and lower compared with the 2009 model. A new grille of larger dimensions and new chrome trim on the front appear (as well as LED technology for the daytime running lights as standard).

At the rear, the chrome line running across the whole tailgate stands out, with the reversing lights integrated into it. The rear lights use LED technology and, depending on the equipment level, it incorporates a rear view camera with parking assistant.

Inside, the general lines of the design are maintained, but the number of buttons that used to be in the central part of the dashboard has been greatly reduced. There is now a cleaner, more intuitive design with everything within reach.

A new 8-inch touchscreen appears, new instrumentation (which, depending on the version, can be fully digital) and new sports seats. The rest of the interior remains as before, with good-quality finishes.

More technology and more safety features

With the new 8-inch touchscreen, a new multimedia system debuts, which can be operated by voice control, by the controls and by the touchpad in the centre console, which also allows us to write (a technology previously seen only in premium models).

The system as a whole is called Intellilink, and it brings together the navigation, phone, the touchpad for writing or using the system, allows apps to be downloaded to the car, lets us customise the icons to our preferences, and the software is updatable.

In terms of safety equipment, adaptive cruise control also appears, along with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert (which warns us when reversing if a car is approaching from the side), and features such as AFL+ bi-xenon headlights that automatically adapt to the type of road.

New engines, OPC version and the Insignia Country Tourer as a novelty

The renewed Opel Insignia is available with four- and five-door bodywork, as well as the estate and the OPC. A more rugged variant is also added, with all-wheel drive: the Country Tourer, based on the estate model but with a steel front protector, greater ground clearance and all-wheel drive.

Alongside the Country Tourer is the powerful OPC, which hides under the bonnet the 2.8 V6 petrol engine of 325 CV with 435 Nm of torque, and also features specific sporting equipment, such as sports seats, Brembo brakes and all-wheel drive. In the case of the Country Tourer, it can only be paired with the most powerful diesels (163 and 195 CV with all-wheel drive).

The engine range is extensive and complete, with outputs between 120 and 195 CV in diesel and between 140 CV and 325 CV in petrol. The diesel range consists of the new 120 CV, 130 CV, 140 CV (also new), 163 CV and the top-of-the-range twin-turbo 195 CV unit. Progressively, the 130 and 163 CV engines will disappear from the range.

In petrol the range starts with the 1.4 Turbo of 140 CV, followed by the new 2.0 SIDI Turbo with 170 and 250 CV, while the top will be the OPC engine with its 325 CV. There will also be a 140 CV LPG variant.

Behind the wheel of the 1.4 Turbo 140 CV and the 2.0 CDTI 140 CV

The first Insignia we tried was the entry-level petrol engine, the 1.4 Turbo with 140 CV. It is a sufficient engine; it does not stand out for performance, but it is a worthy entry point to this saloon’s range. We also tried it with the FlexRide system, which allows the chassis, steering and accelerator to be adapted to sporty or more comfortable driving. With this combination the Insignia behaved correctly, without excess power but enough for everyday use.

Afterwards we took the wheel of the diesel that has just joined the range, the 2.0 CDTI of 140 CV, an engine that will surely account for most of the sales. The 120 CV version homologates an average consumption of just 3.7 litres per 100 km; we could not reproduce that figure, but we did drive at around 5.5 litres per 100 km, a good result for normal driving on the road.

The car has a smooth ride and, above all, good interior sound insulation. The gearbox is precise, but it has too much travel, something that is even more noticeable in the sportier OPC version.

As for prices, the Insignia is available from 26,735 euros for the petrol range and 25,875 euros for the diesel. And the Country Tourer starts at 42,405 euros.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira and Opel