This is a drag race we never saw coming, between an Australian version of the Opel Insignia Country Tourer and the Subaru Outback. However, it also makes perfect sense, since both are jacked-up family wagons.
I don't think there's ever been any kind of comparison between the Insignia and a Subaru. What's more, this technically isn't an Opel, since the chassis tuning is specific for the Australian market while the engine is a very Holden-like V6.
Right before splitting up from General Motors, Opel developed the second generation of its mid-size sedan and wagon. Soon after its debut, it went on sale in America as the Buick Regal, this rugged versing being called the "Regal TourX."
However, the differences don't end there. In Europe, the Insignia Country Tourer is mostly sold with diesel engines, while Buick offers only a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline unit. But Australia uses a 3.6-liter V6.
Normally, the car is known as a "Holden Commodore," but as you can see from the title of the video, we're dealing with the "Calais V." And even though the displacement is the same as in the Subaru, Holden's 6-cylinder makes a lot more power: 235 kW or 320 metric horsepower, compared to 191 kW or 260 HP in the Outback.
The CVT is another disadvantage for the Japanese model, but it's lighter by almost 60 kg despite bigger proportions. The Holden is noticeably faster, reaching 100 km/h in 6.94 seconds (V-box used) compared to 7.84 seconds for the Subaru. Over a quarter mile, it's 0.9s quicker with almost 10 km/h added to its trap speed.
But we'd argue that you don't buy a car like this for the way it accelerates. The Subaru Outback has a certain reputation, and it looks more like crossover, which is always important. And which one would you take soft-roading?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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