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OPEL Insignia Review

OUR TEST CAR: OPEL Insignia 2.0 Turbo 4x4

 
OPEL Insignia  - Page - 1
Back in the 1970s, Opel was releasing its very first modern model in the medium-sized family car segment – the Opel Ascona. Two successful "B" and "C" generations followed in the next years, during which the car's platform went from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, but the Ascona nameplate was replaced in the 1980s by the most famous medium-sized Opel sedan history – the Vectra.

Following a somewhat similar lifespan of the series, the Vectra A was subsequently replaced by the Vectra B and then the Vectra C, during which time sales had already began to decline. Interestingly, apart from a few months in different years, neither the Ascona nor the Vectra have ever succeeded in dethroning Opel's arch rival in this segment, the mighty Volkswagen Passat. Apparently, this ongoing situation raised a sufficient number of eyebrows at Opel's headquarters in Russelsheim, so that Vectra's latest generation isn't a Vectra anymore.

The elegantly-styled Insignia has taken its place, and, unlike the switch from the Ascona to the Vectra, this is a generation completely antithetic to all its predecessors. Apart from the fact that it still has the dual body type (you can either buy an Insignia sedan or a liftback), it doesn't have anything in common with its forerunners.

And no, we're not exaggerating. Not even the Opel logo on the car is the same, since the Insignia is the first new model from Russelsheim to feature an updated one. The new logo border has been widened and has a more "three-dimensional" look, while the word "Opel" is engraved on the circle surrounding the lighting bolt.

Long story short, on this winter's first day of snow, we took an Opel Insignia to the test. To make things more interesting, we were offered an all-wheel drive, turbocharged version of the liftback version. To get them even MORE interesting, the car was equipped with 19-inch summer performance tires. Did we mention it was the first day of snow? Considering this peculiar situation, let's see how it all went, especially since expectations were rather high from a car with no less than twenty four awards under its belt.

Probably after realizing that their medium-sized sedan was becoming increasingly bland when it comes to styling, the people in charge of Opel decided to completely revamp its design, so the new Insignia looks nothing like any other Opel made until now. The guys in charge of the new line of design are Bryan Nesbitt and Mark Adams, who were both on GM Europe's payroll when the Insignia was launched.

Although it's not exactly the most ferocious-looking car in the European mid-size segment, the Insignia doesn't look like your average sedan (or liftback) either. It all starts at the front, which doesn't have anything in common with any previous model from Opel, apart from the general lines of the logo.

Even though the grill is completely filled with chrome, the effect it gives isn't as bling bling as you'd expect, but instead "elevates" the car to a more premium look. Next are the swooping headlights with integrated LED daylight driving lights, whose effect at night is as staggering as it is on any modern Audi, while the safety they bring from the visibility point of view is already known by now.

Getting to the view from the side, the "four-door coupe" look becomes obvious, since the line which follows the roof is swooping so downwards towards the rear. Although it's very distinctive, especially for an Opel, the side view kind of reminds us of a number of cars, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since we're only talking about sportier and/or more luxurious cars.

The rear is exactly how you would expect it to be after having a look at the front and the side. It makes the car look compact, sporty and classy at the same time, which is no easy feat. Overall, along with the huge 19-inch wheels, the Opel Insignia puts some old design clichés to good use and comes up with a few new ones, therefore achieving pretty high marks in the design chapter.

The first thing you notice when entering the Insignia is how downright small the interior is, especially when comparing it with the somewhat large exterior. It's not exactly cramped, but there is a small feeling of claustrophobia, especially when sitting in the rear. This is all "thanks" to a couple of reasons.

First of all, the swooping roof line is coupe-ish and beautiful and all, but it sure doesn't help in providing ample head room for the passengers. Also, since our car was all-wheel drive, the transmission tunnel for the rear wheels splits the space for the rear passengers' legs in half, making the car more suitable for four and a half persons instead of five.

Don't get the wrong idea now, the Insignia doesn't exactly have a cramped interior, but it certainly leaves more to be desired after hearing it's only four centimeters (about one and a half inch) shy of a Mercedes-Benz E-Klasse's length, which is in a totally different segment. As far as the quality of the fit and finish compared to the last generation Vectra, an improvement is certainly felt, apart maybe from the "plastic chrome" bit around the gear lever.

The ergonomics suffer as a consequence of a design which is more beautiful than functional and the amount of buttons and switches all around the interior could have been toned down a bit. In other words, even though all the buttons are large enough to be pressed with winter gloves on, there are simply too many and the arrangement takes some time getting used to.

Another beautiful but completely non-functional item in the interior are probably the chrome rings around the dashboard dials. They certainly look cool and give a more premium feel but they reflect any source of light coming from behind the car, making the driver feel like a distress signal turns on the dash every time someone is signaling behind you.

All in all, the interior design is very nice and provides a somewhat cozy feeling every time you step inside, especially in the front. Another point of attraction is most certainly provided by the optional sports front seats our test car came equipped with, which, to our knowledge are the first orthopedic seats to ever be fitted on a car. They provide both great lateral support and a level of comfort which is probably matched only by business class seats.

The biggest gripe we had with the Opel Insignia we tested was most certainly the fuel consumption. Sure, the Siberian weather and the humongous traffic jams certainly had their contribution but the truth is this is one thirsty car, especially in city traffic, where most of us are spending our days. Over the course of our test drive, the medium fuel consumption in the city was a staggering 19 liters per 100 kilometers (US 12.4 mpg). We have driven V8s with better mileage in the city.

And we can't even cut the car some slack from the weather and traffic conditions, since the official figures are also stating a not-so-decent figure of 14.3 liters per 100 kilometers (US 16.5 mpg). This comes as a surprise since the two-liter mill is as modern as they get for a gasoline engine. Apparently, its direct injection system is not enough to make it fuel efficient when it has to pull a car which weighs mighty close to two tonnes (4400 pounds) with two persons and some luggage.

Also, the six-speed automatic transmission is not exactly a reference when it comes to inducing fuel efficiency, so it all corroborates to the gruesome-on-the-wallet consumption we stated earlier. Another gripe we had with the Insignia in the city was probably the visibility, which isn't exactly great "thanks" to the narrow rear windshield and the (too) aerodynamic exterior rear view mirrors.

Our test car was equipped with both front and rear parking sensors, but instead of using an image-based graphic on the center console display it only used sounds, just like an aftermarket or a more "antique" system. All in all, the Insignia 2.0 Turbo 4x4 is just "OK" for the city, its only major advantage residing in the luggage compartment's very wide opening and cavernous space, which is more than helpful in the weekly hypermarket shopping spree.

With 220 horsepower and 350 Nm (258.1 lb ft) of torque on tap, the Insignia 2.0 Turbo 4x4 should provide ample amounts of driving exhilaration when slamming the gas pedal, especially on the open road. The truth is, it does and it doesn't. The 7.9 seconds required from naught to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) are nothing to brag about when talking about a car with these specifications, especially when a lower-powered Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro reaches the same speed from stand still over a second quicker.

We suspect the humongous weight and the somewhat conservative gearing and gear shifts of the six-speed automatic transmission to be at fault for this. The Insignia we tested was also equipped with the Opel "FlexRide" chassis control, which kind of makes things better for sportier drivers, since it can provide three different settings for the gearshifts, the electronically-controlled suspension shocks, the all-wheel drive system and the steering.

When you start the car, a "Standard" setting is applied to the aforementioned (or the ones you've previously selected from the customization menu) functions. With a push of a button, the settings can switch to "Sport" or "Tour" mode, each of them providing a different color for the dashboard lighting. In "Sport" mode, the dampers stiffen and the accelerator pedal offers a better response. Apart from that, the Variable Effort Steering (VES) increases, the shift-points for the automatic transmission are raised to a higher rpm and the all-wheel drive system is automatically tuned to provide more rear-wheel drive.

In "Tour" mode, every aforementioned function is set for a more relaxed driving experience. For those dark nights on a deserted highway, the optional and also critically acclaimed Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) system is truly a gem. With no less than nine different light settings for the bi-xenon headlights, the system automatically switches between them depending on the driving situation, thus improving visibility and, of course, safety by quite a bit.

In the end, the Insignia 2.0 Turbo 4x4 we drove is not the sportiest, nor the most comfortable partner for a longer drive (remember, 19-inch wheel with low tire walls) but it's sure one of the best in its segment, providing better than average performance in either chapter (sports and comfort). The overall fuel consumption on the highway, using the cruise control was around 8.5 liters per 100 kilometers (US 27.7 mpg). Not too shabby, compared with the in-city fuel economy, but not very good either.
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66user rating 26 votes
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autoevolution Jan 2010
69
History
6
Exterior
7
Interior
7
In the city
6
Open road
7
Comfort
6
Tech facts
8
Gadgets
7
Safety
8
Conclusion
7
66user rating 26 votes
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