OPEL Insignia
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
In 2013, Opel decided to do a major facelift to its flagship, the Insignia.
Since its launch, in 2008, Opel sold more than 500,000 units before the refreshed model. The facelifted version received new engines, a new infotainment system, and some exterior details.
On the front, on upper trim levels, the bi-Xenon headlights are offered as standard and the DRL are full-LED now. The side view of the Insignia Hatchback shows an extension of the roofline towards the rear spoiler on the spoiler. The big opening of the liftgate reveals 530 liters (18.7 cu-ft) of trunk space, and that can be extended up to 1470 liters (52 cu-ft) by folding the backseats. In the rear, Opel installed new LED taillights that are offered as standard on all trim levels.
Inside, the AGR-certified seats are built for long roads. This certificate was obtained after proving to their ergonomic design will provide the best support for the spinal and the lumbar zone. A new infotainment system was installed, with an 8” touch-screen in the central console. It can be accessed via voice commands, steering buttons or a touchpad.
The engine range starts with a new, 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that offers 140 hp. It is mated to a 6-speed manual. The 2013 Opel Insignia Sedan offered the choice between the three propulsion alternatives gasoline, diesel and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas); power output ranges from 81 kW/110 hp to 239 kW/325 hp.
Premiering at the 2020 Brussels Motor Show, the revamped Opel Insignia Grand Sport has been substantially refreshed both in terms of looks and the amount of technology available on the mid-size model.
The main exterior modifications are found at the front, where extremely slim headlights with LED technology provide a major upgrade over the previous model.
The adaptive IntelliLux LED Pixel Light technology no offers no less than 84 LED elements per each headlamp, up from the previous model’s 16, which means that the lights react a lot faster and with a lot more precision at any change in direction of driving without blinding the oncoming cars. This feature alone makes the revamped Insignia Grand Sport a unique proposition in its segment. The new radiator grille has a wider chrome edge, while the horizontal slats are more prominent, and alongside the new headlamp clusters and air inlets with integrated fog lamps make the car appear wider when viewed from the front. At the rear, the under guard panel now features two slim slots instead of round holes for the exhaust pipes, overall giving the car a cleaner look. As for the interior, the refreshed Insignia keeps the ergonomically certified AGR seats, which are still available for the driver and front passenger.
A new Opel Insignia came in 2017, now also being called Grand Sport along with its standard designation.
The new model greatly improves on the design, now the car looking very smooth and aerodynamic thanks to a coupe-like overall profile shape. Optimized packaging and the use of lightweight material have helped cut the weight by up to 175 kilograms, to the benefit of driving precision and agility. New, high-tech features such as the all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring - the most sophisticated system offered in the segment - or the new eight-speed automatic transmission allow drivers to exploit their strengths to the full.
In 2013, Opel decided to do a major facelift to its flagship, the Insignia.
Since its launch, in 2008, Opel sold more than 500,000 units before the refreshed model. The facelifted version received new engines, a new infotainment system, and some exterior details.
On the front, on upper trim levels, the bi-Xenon headlights are offered as standard and the DRL are full-LED now. The side view of the 2013 Insignia sedan and hatchback were more differentiated than before through unique tailgates and integrated spoiler design. The roofline of the five-door model faded out not until it reaches the spoiler trailing edge to emphasize a classic coupe silhouette. On the four-door variant, the crease line continues along the edge of the spoiler to emphasize length on the elegant sedan. At the rear, new LED taillights are offered on all trim levels.
Inside, the AGR-certified seats are built for long roads. This certificate was obtained after proving to their ergonomic design will provide the best support for the spinal and the lumbar zone. A new infotainment system was installed, with an 8”screen in the central console. It can be accessed via voice commands, steering buttons or a touchpad.
The engine range starts with a new, 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that offers 140 hp. It is mated to a 6-speed manual. The 2013 Opel Insignia Sedan offered the choice between the three propulsion alternatives gasoline, diesel and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas); power output ranges from 81 kW/110 hp to 239 kW/325 hp.
At the same time with the Sedan and the hatchback, the 2013 Insignia brought also the Sports Tourer.
Was one of the most important vehicles for the salesmen. It is well known that the Opel Insignia was a very good choice for fleet cars and salesmen. The newest Insignia Sports Tourer brought even more features to be pleasant and desired as a company car.
The big station wagon offered bigger headroom for the rear passengers compared with the hatchback or the sedan. Oddly, the trunk space was the same as for the hatchback. But it had some interesting features for the liftgate. It could be set to open just ¾. A very useful feature if opened inside a garage.
The 8” navigation system is installed in the dashboard and it can be accessed via controls on the steering wheel, voice commands and a touch-pad near the central armrest. It doesn’t offer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but it has a USB port in the central storage compartment.
The Insignia Sports Tourer had the same engine range and gearboxes as the other two versions. It had an all-wheel drive system as well. And, since it had an all-wheel independent suspension, it was a decent vehicle for families and a good partner for traveling at long distances.
The 2008 Opel Insignia was revealed at the 2008 London Motor show together with its UK sibling, the Vauxhall Insignia, and it was an important change from the aging Vectra.
While the Vectra’s image as a mid-size vehicle was not that good anymore, the carmaker tried to change direction and offered a larger car. It made it in three body shapes: sedan, hatchback, and station wagon.
At the time of its launch, the Insignia was offered in two body versions: a hatchback and a classic, three-box sedan. At the front, the fresh design look and the corner-like daytime running lights placed inside the headlights created a fresh image for the Insignia. In its hatchback shape, it looked more like a fastback than a regular two-and-a-half vehicle. That shape helped the car achieve an excellent drag coefficient of just 0.27.
The interior was build from scratch. Its front seat seatbacks were thicker by 2 cm (0.8”), offering softer support for their occupants. The rear knee room was bigger by 3 cm (1.2”) than the outgoing Vectra. A new infotainment generation included a seven-inch color monitor with a 3-D map view, digital travel guide, and improved scroll and zoom functions. Thanks to its split-bench system, the owner could have increased the trunk size from 530 liters (18.7 cu-ft) up to 1,430 liters (50.1 cu-ft).
Opel installed an extensive engine range on the Insignia. The base version featured a 1.4-liter turbocharged unit, while a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 powered the most potent version. The Insignia was available with either front or all-wheel-drive.
The 2008 Opel Insignia was revealed at the 2008 London Motor show and it was an important change from the aging Vectra.
The car-maker didn’t only change the name, it shifted the direction.
Opel needed a larger car than the Vectra. It was needed to offer more interior room. But it didn’t want to use the Vectra anymore. It was time to move on and so, it did it with the new Insignia. A car that offered more than a Vectra and came with a clean sheet design that was far from what the medium-sized Opels were before.
At the time of its launch, the Insignia was offered in two body versions: a hatchback and a classic, three-box sedan. The sloped rear of the later made it look like a hatch, but the trunk lid was opened independently from the rear window. The sculptured side panels and doors visually increased the length of the car. The headlights were aggressive and featured daytime running lights. All the efforts of the designers toward the aerodynamics paid off with a spectacular Cd of 0.27.
The interior was build from scratch and not even the previously used materials didn’t found a place to be used. The front seat seatbacks were thicker by 2 cm (0.8”), offering softer support for their occupants. The rear knee room was bigger by 3 cm (1.2”) than of the outgoing Vectra. A new infotainment generation included a seven-inch color monitor, with 3-D map view, a digital travel guide and improved scroll and zoom functions.
The 2008 Opel Insignia featured a wide range of engines, from a small 1.6-liter gasoline unit up to a 2.8-liter V6 unit. For the diesel fans, it offered three versions of a 2.0-liter turbodiesel. Front or all-wheel-drive systems were available for selected versions.