Vauxhall, the British counterpart of Opel, gave us an early peek at the upcoming Insignia.
The current Insignia wasn’t exactly the most compact of its class, but Opel decided to make it even bigger in order to offer a cabin that can safely be described as cavernous. Based on GM’s new modular architecture called E2, the new Insignia will come with a longer by over 9cm wheelbase while the overall length has also grown by over 5cm, measuring almost 4.9m in total.
Tracks are also wider by 1cm with the roofline lowered by 3cm, giving the new Insignia a more imposing stance on the road. However and despite being noticeably bigger than its predecessor, the company says that their new model will be lighter by as much as 175kg compared to the current Insignia thanks to the clever use of lightweight materials.
The range-topping model at launch will be called Grand Sport and will be powered by a 247hp turbocharged 2.0-litre engine paired to a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. Power will be sent to all four wheels, thanks to a new four-wheel drive system that will also feature torque vectoring.
Entry-level models will come with a new turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine that replaces the old 1.4-litre unit. A new manual gearbox will be the standard option while there’s also going to be a wide range of diesel engines to choose from.
The new Opel Insignia is going to be revealed in full at the Geneva Motor Show next year, with Buick set to offer it under the Regal nameplate and Holden as the new Commodore.
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