Spyshots: Opel Insignia OPC Facelift

The Insignia represents one of the biggest leaps any of their cars has undergone from one generation to another. The Vectra it replaced was, as Jeremy Clarkson put it, “designed on a coffee break by people who couldn’t care less about cars” - we agree, and we too would go past Jupiter’s moons in order not to drive one.

As big a leap as the Insignia was compared to its predecessor, so too the ‘hot’ version was so much better than the front-wheel drive Vectra OPC, which only knew how to go in a straight line. The Insignia OPC looks good, it has a great engine, it’s got four-wheel drive and it has a great chassis which has bestowed onto it some very good handling characteristics - way above its class, challenging cars like the Audi S4 or some hotter BMW 3-Series or Merc C-Class cars with force-fed six-pot motors.

Now, though, it is time for Opel to refresh the OPC a bit, as it has been around since 2009 and while we don’t think it deserves any nip and tuck, they have decided to give it the updated family face, already seen on the Astra Sedan. Don’t expect too many changes, just some new front and rear light clusters, as well as a redesigned front bumper. Mechanically-speaking, the car’s 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 will remain untouched, producing the same 321 hp and 435 Nm (321 lb-ft) of torque.

❐ Check out the Insignia OPC Facelift photo gallery