2018 Opel Insignia

The 2018 Insignia Grand Sport follows the success of the first-generation Opel Insignia, which was named the 2009 Car of the Year and of which over 900,000 units have been sold since its launch.

Based on an all-new vehicle architecture, the new Insignia features a wheelbase that is 92 mm (3.6 inches) longer than that of the first-generation Insignia, enabling a much more spacious interior that especially benefits the rear passengers. The longer length also allowed the designers to give the new Insignia Grand Sport outstanding, new, athletic proportions and a true flagship presence. The vehicle looks much longer and lower, has the slim, lithe silhouette of a coupé and the bold road stance of upper class vehicles, while also combining class-leading aerodynamics and a CD of just 0.26.

Inside, the new Insignia Grand Sport also delights the driver with a slim, embracing dashboard and a seating position that is three centimeters lower, providing a much engaging and direct driving experience.

Just like for the Opel Astra, efficiency was key during the development of the new Insignia. Optimized packaging and the use of lightweight materials have helped reduce the weight by up to 175 kilograms, benefitting driving precision, agility, and fuel economy. The new Insignia also features new high-tech drivetrain features such as the all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring – the most sophisticated system offered in the segment – and the new eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Insignia Grand Sport comes with an abundance of cutting-edge technologies that make driving it safer, more relaxing and more comfortable than ever. Building on the highly-acclaimed LED matrix adaptive lighting system of the Astra, the new Insignia features the second generation IntelliLux LED lights, which are even faster, more precise and more powerful than before. The system’s high beams now have a reach of up to 400 meters.

Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction, a new head-up display and the 360-degree camera along with comfort features such as the unique AGR-certified premium seats, front and rear seat heating, and the heated windshield further enhance the new Insignia’s comfort. Outstanding infotainment and connectivity are present and accounted for, including the latest-generation IntelliLink system as well as the Opel OnStar telematics, personal connectivity and service assistant.

The new Insignia’s advanced safety technologies work to protect occupants as well as pedestrians. It is the first Opel with an active aluminum hood, which — in case of a collision with a pedestrian — lifts in milliseconds to increase clearance with the hard engine parts, thus improving protection considerably.

“Opel once again lands a major coup with the new Insignia Grand Sport. Our new flagship takes all of the highly acclaimed virtues of its successful brother, the Astra, to a higher level. No other car in the Insignia class can boast as many ultra-modern technologies. We made it light, agile and fantastic to drive. And our designers gave it an exceptional combination of elegance and athleticism that even cars from upper classes and prices will envy. The new Insignia really reaches new heights. It is a Grand Sport in the best sense of the word,” said Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

Designers drew inspiration from the Opel Monza Concept in designing the interior and exterior of the 2018 Insignia Grand Sport. In fact, the Monza was standing in the design studio while designers were working on the new Insignia. Their mission was to make the new Insignia look as upscale, slim and athletic as the Monza concept.

In developing the new Opel Insignia, designers drew influence from the 2013 Opel Monza concept (pictured)

Despite a marginal growth in length over its predecessor to a total of 4,897 mm (192.8 inches) of overall length, the new Insignia sheds around 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of weight from its body in white alone. In total, the second-gen Insignia weighs up to 175 kilograms (385 pounds) less than the first-generation.

The wheelbase of the new model has grown by 92 millimeters (3.6 inches), the length of its front and rear overhangs have been sensibly reduced, and its tracks have been widened by 11 millimeters (0.4 inches), giving the Insignia Grand Sport proportions that are more familiar to rear-wheel-drive cars in segments above it. The sweeping roofline of the new model is 29 millimeters (1.14 inches) lower, adding to the Insignia’s design drama and of an athletic and elegant silhouette of a coupé.

The prominent grille and the slim-line headlamps were directly inspired by the Monza Concept and enhance the wide horizontal gesture of the front end, providing it with a bold appearance. The grille, meanwhile, sits lower than that of the outgoing model and further emphasizes the new model’s solid stance.

Rather than the full-chrome treatment, the side window graphics of the new Insignia feature only an upper chrome strip. The coupé-like roofline graphically pull the car down and emphasize its stretched appearance. Meanwhile, the “blade” light catcher in the lower doors pulls attention rearwards.

At the rear, clear and simple lines combine with the slim, precise double-wing LED signature to give the car a wider appearance. The new Insignia features a newly-designed center high-mounted LED stop lamp, which has been integrated into the roofline, thereby helping give the rear end a more high-tech look typical of premium brands’ vehicles.

“In its proportions as well as in each detail, we wanted the new Insignia Grand Sport to deliver an upscale quality feel,” said Mark Adams, Vice President Design Europe. “Its design combines flowing lines and subtle surfaces with crisp, precise lines to even exaggerate its dramatic proportions: it looks longer, lower and wider than it actually is, and it definitely looks upscale. Every design feature conveys technical know-how and utmost precision. The new Insignia is an excellent value proposition with the aura of a car from the premium, upper class.”

But it’s not just about the appearance, since the new Insignia Grand Sport is as sleek as it looks: it has an exemplary drag factor of 0.26 making it one of the most aerodynamic vehicles in its class.

The attention to the smallest detail carries through to the new Insignia’s interior.

The cockpit clearly reflects Opel’s design “sculptural artistry meets German precision” design philosophy, with the overall design reflecting a feeling of efficiency, precision and spaciousness. Clean lines, sculptural surfaces and first-class craftsmanship with soft feel, premium material in all touch zones also contribute to a great feeling of wellness and elegance. The cumulative experience is intuitive and elegant in its simplicity.

The instrument panel features subtly-sculptured surfaces, a distinct driver orientation, and a wide, horizontal layout. The cockpit is fully aligned to the driver, who sits three centimeters (1.18 inches) lower than in the first-generation Insignia, thereby being better integrated into the car, resulting in a sportier, more engaging and more intense driving experience. The center console further embraces the driver and provides the feeling of sitting in an upper class car.

The seats in the Insignia Grand Sport also set standards in comfort. Opel remains one of the very few manufacturers to offer seats certified by “Aktion Gesunder Rücken” (Campaign for Healthy Backs); the automaker also contributed  the most to their democratization. The premium ergonomic front seats in the 2018 Insignia offer a unique combination of electric side bolster settings, massage, memory and ventilation functions in addition to the multiple standard adjustment possibilities.

Rear occupants greatly benefit from the new platform, design and reworked proportions. The extended wheelbase and completely new packaging enables rear-seat occupants 32 millimeters (1.25 inches) more room at hip height, 25 millimeters (nearly 1 inch) more shoulder and knee room, as well as 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) more headroom. In addition, the two outside rear seats will be offered with seat heating.

Trunk volume of 490 to 1,450 liters (17.3 to 51.2 cubic feet) is also quite impressive.

Designers and engineers focused on the controls and the infotainment interface of the new Insignia. The frameless touchscreen of the IntelliLink system exudes a sophisticated and technical character. Many features can be controlled using the touchscreen in order to simplify the interface, while three functional zones of controls have been designed to allow quick and intuitive operations:

• The upper set of controls for the major functions of the infotainment system
• The central set of controls for climate and heating controls
• The lower set of controls for driver assistance systems

This very clear set-up avoids drivers and passengers having to dive into sub-menus on the touchscreen to find the most essential functions.

Great entertainment and outstanding connectivity, characteristics typical for Opel, are provided by the latest Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible IntelliLink systems. In addition, the new Insignia features a wireless smartphone charging system, enabling customers to charge compatible phones without using a cable.

The vehicle also features the Opel OnStar infotainment, connectivity and service assistant, which offers services ranging from Automatic Crash Response to Stolen Vehicle Assistance. A new Personal Assistant service will be launched together with the new Insignia, enabling the vehicle’s occupants to ask OnStar advisors, for example, to select a hotel and reserve a room.

The 2018 Insignia also features 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot as part of the OnStar system, allowing all Insignia occupants to connect their devices to the net.

Other notable technologies include a heated windshield that guarantees good visibility quickly on cold winter days as well as keyless “Open & Start”, which is standard on all trim levels and enables comfortable access to the vehicle.

The new Insignia Grand Sport has an impressive safety story, including:

• A strong body structure
• Proven post-accident safety features such as a airbags and Opel OnStar
• Ultra-modern driver assistance and active accident prevention safety features

Driver assistance systems include:

• Head-up-Display, which projects information on speed, traffic signs, set speed of speed limiter or navigation direction onto the windshield in the driver’s direct line of sight ensuring that the eyes remain on the road.
• 360° camera, which consists of four individual cameras on each side of the car, enabling a 360-degree bird’s-eye view, thus making parking maneuvers easier.
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which measures the distance to the vehicle in front and adapts the speed accordingly. ACC will initiate automatic emergency braking if the distance decreases abruptly.
• Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) provide gentle steering wheel movements (and LDW alerts if necessary) to help drivers avoid unintentionally drifting out of their lane.
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses radar sensors in the rear bumper to detect objects coming from up to 20 meters (65 feet) at 90 degrees from the left or right side behind the vehicle, a very useful function when reversing out of a parking spot with limited visibility.

The 2018 Opel Insignia Grand Sport features the second generation of Opel’s innovative and award-winning adaptive IntelliLux LED matrix lights that are enabled by new-generation LED technology and further developments from Opel engineers.

The high-beam function now has 32 LED segments – twice as many as in the Astra – longitudinally integrated into the very slim headlamps of the new Insignia. The increased number of LED segments enables the various light patterns to adapt to the prevailing traffic situation even more precisely and the transitions between the multiple lighting patterns are faster and more seamless, resulting in an improvement of both the quality of light distribution, light intensity and reaction speed.

To improve visibility even further while driving through curves on full high beam, Opel engineers added an innovative active curve lighting function to the new Insignia’s IntelliLux LED matrix headlights. Based on the steering angle, the light intensity provided by the LED segments lighting the inside portion of the curve increases to better illuminate the line to follow, while illumination of the exterior of the curve is dimmed.

In addition, another dedicated LED spotlight located within the low beam module provides additional illumination at full high-beam for up to 400 meters. The solution is much more affordable than laser high beams and more relevant as well, since the spotlight can be activated and used much more often.

The Insignia Grand Sport is available with a wide range of latest-generation turbocharged engines and transmissions.

Engines

This section coming soon.

Transmission

Part of the lineup is a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Friction-optimized and highly efficient, the transmission impresses with class-leading shifting comfort and will initially only be available in combination with all-wheel drive.

All-Wheel-Drive

The all-wheel drive system features torque vectoring, and is the most sophisticated in class. It features two electrically-controlled multi-plate clutches that replace the rear axle differential typically found in such systems, providing a much more precise power transmission to each rear wheel individually, whether the roads is graveled, wet, icy or snowy.

When cornering, the AWD system transmits additional torque to the outside rear wheel, sensibly reducing understeer and enabling more precise control. The system reacts within a split-second after the accelerator is pressed, ensuring that the car remains more stable and easier to steer in every situation.

The new Insignia features a new suspension system highlighted by an all-new, high-tech five-link rear suspension.

Further improving the Insignia’s suspension is a FlexRide chassis, which provides the basis for optimal, situation-based driving behavior. It adapts the dampers, steering, throttle response and shift points (on vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission) independently or based on predefined, driver-selectable modes, including Standard, Sport or Tour.

Depending on the selected mode, steering and throttle response are more direct and Electronic Stability Control anti-skid system is either more or less intrusive. The new central ‘Drive Mode Control’ software is the heart and soul of the adaptive chassis, as it continuously analyzes the information provided by the sensors and settings and recognizes the individual driving style.

On several occasions, Opel has referred to the Insignia Grand Sport as its flagship. The delineation is important, as it suggests that there won’t be any other vehicles positioned above the Insignia.

Information about and photos of the 2018 Insignia Grand Sport were released on December 7^th, 2016. The vehicle will have its public debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March 2017.

The 2018 Opel Insignia Grand Sport rides on GM’s new E2 platform.

This section coming soon.

The 2018 Open Insignia Grand Sport will launch across Europe in calendar year 2017.

The 2018 Opel Insignia Grand Sport will also be sold in other markets as the:

• 2018 Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport
• 2018 Holden Commodore
• 2018 Buick Regal and 2018 Buick Regal GS