Opel Upgrades Insignia With New Diesel, CarPlay And OnStar

Opel has thrown a slew of upgrades at the Insignia, in the hopes of keeping its popular sedan fresh and desirable among conscientious European buyers.

First up, Opel has now stuffed the 1.6L ‘Whisper Diesel’ under the hood, effectively replacing the old 2.0L mill. Buyers can order the Whisper in two states of tune – 120 hp and 136 hp, respectively – and, together with a six-speed manual and Start/Stop, the 120 hp units can skip to 60mph in 11.9 seconds, matching the time of its predecessor.

Both units produce a hefty 320 Nm (236 lb-ft of torque) at just 2,000 rpm, so no matter which box you tick you’ll find plenty of twist under foot. As far as pricing goes, Opel is asking for 26,670 and 28,070 euros, respectively ($29,607 and $31,161 in USD).

But the engine compartment isn’t the only area to get a wave of the magic wand, as Opel has also stuffed its next generation Opel infotainment system into the car as well.

Apple iPhone users can now seamlessly integrate via Apple CarPlay with the new Navi 900 Intellilink system, which “guarantees fast access to many entertainment apps for music and news”.  The system also allows users to stream audio, have texts read aloud, and can be controlled via an eight-inch touchscreen or voice commands.

However, Android users should take heed – vehicles with a Navi 900 and Touch R 700 systems, like the Insignia, will have to wait for Android Auto compatibility over the course of 2016.

Opel also saw fit to add OnStar to the mix, and now ‘Connectivity und Service Assistant Opel OnStar’ comes standard on the ‘Edition’ trim level, which allows occupants to use 24-hours Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostics as well as other features free for the first year. A personal WiFi hotspot also rounds out the OnStar upgrade.

Users can also look forward to a nav system that features over 30 European countries, and can be viewed either in 2D or 3D and controlled with voice commands.

It’s a nice peppering of features and one Opel surely hopes will be enough to add more buyers into the fold.