To be followed by the 2018 Buick Regal sometime next year, the all-new Opel / Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport and the 2018 Holden HG Commodore promise to take the mid-size sedan market by storm. In March 2017, the European models are slated to make their first public outing at the very posh Geneva Motor Show.
From a visual standpoint, it’s hard not to notice that the Insignia B is more dynamically styled than its predecessor. It’s quite possibly that this is the reason Opel and Vauxhall added the Grand Sport suffix to its name. Longer (4,897 mm), lighter (up to 175 kg), and roomier for the rear passengers, the 2017 Opel Insignia Grand Sport is penned to look like a four-door coupe.
More than 900,000 first-generation Insignia vehicles have been sold already, but design alone will ensure GM that the all-new one has all the makings of an ever bigger commercial success. Once you hop on the driver’s seat, you’ll notice one too many cues lifted from the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and K-gen Astra. Then again, it’s praiseworthy how General Motors got rid of physical buttons to make way for the IntelliLink infotainment system, which comes with goodies like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.
The “most sophisticated all-wheel drive system in class” is an optional extra on select models, as are the IntelliLux LED headlights and AGR-certified “wellness seats” with massage, memory, and ventilation. On the tech front, the all-new Insignia and NG Commodore boast with a flurry of bits and bobs. The best of the whole lot include the FlexRide chassis, 360-degree camera system, head-up display, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, and a whole lot more. The whole nine yards, basically.
An eight-speed automatic transmission is in the cards, albeit GM has yet to say which engine is available with it. In fact, General Motors is keeping its lips shut on the subject of powertrain options. Being fitted with transverse engines, it’s likely the culprit is the Aisin AWF8FXX series tranny, a unit you’ll also find in cars such as the MINI Clubman and BMW X1. We expect European models to make do with four-pot turbo petrol and diesel units at launch. Australia will get the NG Commodore with a 230 kW and 370 Nm V6 mill, Twinster all-wheel-drive, and a 9-speeder (possibly the Hydra-Matic 9T50). FWD 2.0-liter petrols and diesels will be available in the Holden as well.
For more information on the 2017 Opel Insignia Grand Sport, 2017 Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport, and 2018 Holden NG Commodore, there are three releases available just under the adjacent video presentation.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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