Opel Insignia review (11/04/2014)

IT WOULD not be a lie to say that against the might of contemporaries such as Ford and VW, that Opel has struggled in recent years and that the Russelsheim concern has had to fight against dwindling sales across Europe, largely thanks to an indifferent American owner which has long debated about the usefulness and profitability of its European subsidiary.

Indeed, the forces ranged against Opel in the last decade have been largely apathetic towards what was once a powerhouse of European car manufacturing. Thankfully, the powers that be within General

Motors have finally realised that Opel can — and will once more — be a vital part of its global strategy.

Of course GM has been more concerned lately with the damaging ignition switch scandal, caused in large part because company bean-counters insisted the 90 cent cost of replacing each part would be too much, which has seen its executives dragged before Congressional hearings, than it has been about Opel’s well-being.

The success of the Adam, as well as popular refreshments of big sellers such Corsa, Astra, Meriva And Zafira, has helped Opel greatly, but last year’s unveiling of the second generation Insignia possibly gives us a better long-term picture of the well-being of the brand.

Insignia has been a big success for Opel in the critical family car/repmobile segment and here in Ireland the car has made stealthy progress against the Ford Mondeo and the VW Passat with 9,000 units sold.

The Insignia was last year given a serious make-over and with fresh engines, styling, suspensions and safety features, as well as a raft of new technologies, it is now set to begin seriously taking the fight to its main rivals such as the Mondeo, the Toyota Avensis and the Passat, the Mazda6, the Hyundai i40 and the Peugeot 508.

I drove the car at launch last year in Germany and was particularly impressed by the fact the Opel engineers and designers had created a much more complete machine than the one which preceded it. It performed better, drove better and was more comprehensively equipped than previously. And the fact Opel has not jacked will obviously help.

For the purposes of our test, though, I felt there were three main things to consider about this Insignia — the new two litre turbodiesel engine; a completely revamped suspension system; and a new and very interactive infotainment system which Opel maintains is going to shake up every competitor in the class.

Every aspect of the engine has been looked at in minute detail by Opel’s engineers and what they have come up with is a unit which outputs some 103 kW (140 bhp), a figure which does not

appear to be particularly special. That is until you consider it also boasts 370 Nm of torque, making it much more of an interesting proposition than you might think.

Opel also claim the car to have a real world economy figure of 3.7 l/100 km (around 74 mpg) — which is pretty astonishing. Under the imposition of my heavy right foot, I got it to return 4.4 l/100 km on one trip, which is still pretty impressive.

Tall fifth and sixth gears (a six speed manual ‘box is standard) make this thing particularly good for long motorway cruising, but in the more onerous daily chore of navigating Ireland’s B-roads, I had to exercise the gearbox a lot more than I would normally.

In terms of ride and handling, the Insignia is a very comfortable machine indeed, although not perhaps the sharpest car you’ll come across. I found its behaviour generally excellent, but if you’re the press-on type then it may be found a little wanting.

A majority of drivers will find it delivers comfort in spades thanks to the work done to sharpen up the suspension.

One main draw for a lot of punters will be the ‘Intellink’ infotainment system which was intuitive to use and easy to assimilate. The system allows you integrate many of your Smartphone’s functions and then use them via either a touchscreen, steering wheel-mounted controls or the unique touchpad. All very clever.

The interior is a pleasing place to be and the redesign has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of small and confusing control buttons in the centre console. All told everything is tidier and much more intuitive.

Little quibble could be found in terms of either passenger head, shoulder or leg room or the capacity of the boot.

The new Insignia is a car which, against many odds, has actually delivered for Opel. It may not be quite as sharp a tool as some of its rivals, but it very much offers a value for money choice for a lot of drivers.

The Cost: from €28,995.

The Engine: an innovative turbodiesel which, with an easy right foot, will return potentially exceptional economy while being tax-friendly on the emission front as well.

The Specification: decent amount of standard kit and a bewildering amount of potential options.

The Overall Verdict: Opel has done a fine job with this car

despite difficult internal politics. Not quite a class leader, but not far off it.