2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36
Opel puts the caravan aside and starts a new era with the Insignia. The estate version of the Vectra successor is called Sports Tourer and is celebrating its world premiere in Paris.
Two and a half months after the world premiere of the Insignia sedan and the hatchback variant, Opel is also presenting the station wagon version. At the Paris Motor Show from October 4 to 19, Opel will unveil the Insignia Sports Tourer, a “combination of fine-tuning and the precision of German engineering tradition, in which emotion and perfection are combined,” says Mark Adams, Head of Design at GM Europe. The introduction is planned for spring 2009.
Independent design
Adams emphasizes that the station wagon is not just a copy of the sedan. “We developed the Sports Tourer as an independent model and not simply as the station wagon version of a sedan. This can be seen in the independent design of the body and doors from the B-pillar. The people of Rüsselsheim also demonstrate their independence by cutting the ties with the caravans and now calling their station wagon Sport Tourer. The name already implies dynamism and liveliness, while the term “caravan” was quickly associated with creeping motorhomes.
But now it should be over. While the front section of the station wagon resembles that of the sedan, the tailgate was pulled around to the flanks and accentuated with large, distinctive, fully integrated taillights. At 4.91 meters, the Sports Tourer is eight centimeters longer than the sedan, so that the trunk can hold 540 liters. The wheelbase, on the other hand, is identical at 2.74 meters. There is always space for five people.
Two new engines
Simultaneously with the introduction of the new variant, two new engines enrich the range. A downsized turbo gasoline engine and a new turbo diesel increase the number of drive units that can be ordered to nine. All-wheel drive can also be ordered. Opel is soon to follow suit with an economical ecoFLEX version.
The newly developed chassis, which already offers a very high level of safety and comfort, can be tuned even more dynamically with the FlexRide option. With the help of the innovative mechatronic system, which enables electronically controlled real-time damping, driving stability is further increased. In addition to the basic set-up, FlexRide also offers the driver the choice between the comfort mode “Tour” and the “Sport” setting, which conveys a more active driving experience in the Sports Tourer through networked functions such as steering, accelerator pedal response and even the color of the dashboard lighting.
"Opel Eye" camera on board
With the launch on the European markets in the coming year, there will also be the “Opel Eye” camera, which recognizes traffic signs and warns the driver if the vehicle is out of lane. The system is of course also offered for the sedan. Of course, the newly developed AFL headlight system can also be ordered. Opel has not yet announced prices for the Sports Tourer developed at the GM Europe Design Center in Rüsselsheim. (AG)
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