Test drive Opel Insignia
Content
Opel Insignia inherited some models of engines and gearboxes from its predecessor - Vectra C. From it, “Insignia” got three body types in which it can be purchased. Compared to Vectra, inside the Insignia it seems closer, but the quality of the interior in it is noticeably better.
📌Exterior Opel Insignia
The appearance of this car completely changed the style of the Opel brand several years ago. Note that, compared with the concept, the model has not changed much. The car looks “muscular”, defying the typical, faceless and angular crafts of all brands overwhelming the roads. Issued "Insignia" in the sedan, hatchback and five-door station wagon. Since 2015, a liftback body was added to them.
The latest generation Insignia in the station wagon body looks like a business class model: almost 5 meters in length, despite the fact that it belongs to class D. The car body has galvanization, which will help maintain its external gloss for a long time. According to the experience of the owners, even when paint falls off with small chips, rust does not threaten the car. The restyled version differs from its predecessor in a modified grille, LED headlights, front bumper. The back is decorated with a chrome strip with the brand logo connecting the updated LED lights. The rigidity of the body compared to Vectra in this model is 19% higher.
📌How does the Opel Insignia drive?
Given the presence of turbocharging on some versions, you can already count on at least not getting stuck in a dense stream. Motors themselves are evaluated by car service experts as fairly reliable. But it is worth noting that due to the increased mass compared to Vectra, the “atmospheric” engine accelerates the car more slowly than we would like.
It is not necessary to be afraid of turbocharging, since the “snail” used by the Garrett brand in cars runs up to 200 thousand km without the slightest repair. The price of the turbine starts at $ 680, and this is the best possible replacement for the "atmospheric" engines on this model, which allows, rather than moving around. The main thing is not to get involved in riding "to the cutoff." 2,0 turbo is the most requested version of Insignia. And in order to reduce the load on the crankshaft, with which there were problems, it is advisable to purchase an option with automatic transmission.
As for the dynamics - there are specific figures: a restyled 170-horsepower power unit produces 280 Nm of torque and does not need to be refueled with "ninety-eighth" gasoline. With it, the car accelerates to 100 km / h in 7,5 seconds. And the V6 A28NET / A28NER engines, with a low resource of the timing parts, make the car even faster, but Insignia modifications with such an engine are more common in Europe than in the post-Soviet space, and are not cheap to repair.
The disadvantages of motors are more than compensated for by the suspension resource, the repair of which will not be prohibitively expensive. Overall, the Insignia is a decent car and, according to some opinions, even underestimated, despite the present problematic configurations.>
A little more about the suspension. You should not buy Insignia in a top-end configuration with an adaptive Flex Ride suspension and a bunch of electronic assistants. This is guaranteed to affect your finances not in the best way, since complex systems require additional maintenance.
According to analysts, the popularity of the model suffered due to incorrect marketing: the 1,8-liter engine was not sold with a "automatic". Therefore, competitors in the form of Ford Mondeo and others, bypassed Insignia in popularity.
📌Technical characteristics
The Insignia sedan and hatchback are the same in length and wheelbase (4830mm length, 2737mm base), and the estate is slightly longer at 4908mm. The all-wheel drive version of the station wagon called the Country Tourer has a higher (extra 15 mm) ground clearance. For generations 2013 and newer, there is an extensive range of petrol and diesel engines from 140 to 249 hp.
Key Features of the Insignia 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI Sedan:
| Acceleration 0-100 km / h | 8,7 seconds |
| full speed | 230 km / h |
| Fuel consumption in the urban manual transmission cycle | 6,5 l |
| Fuel consumption in the city automatic transmission cycle | 7,8 l |
| Clearance | 160 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2737 mm |
📌Salon
Post-styling modifications of the Opel Insignia are the most comfortable and roomy. The liftback has a plastic interior trim with leather inserts as standard (see photo for details). Also, the post-styling modification is easy to recognize by the touch screen of the multimedia system on the center console. There is a heated steering wheel. Special trim levels are offered with a full leather interior.
The driver's and front passenger's seats are spacious, with good visibility in all directions. There is also enough space in the passenger row, but a little more could have been done. Passengers have convenient cup holders. The trunk has a large loading area and many niches of different sizes for tools and other little things. And of course you can fold the rear seats as needed.
Soundproofing still brings the noise of the tires when driving inside the cabin, but the engine feels pleasant and does not get on your nerves (especially on diesel versions). In the D-class there are examples with better sound insulation, but here it cannot be called bad. And thanks to the comfortable fit, you will forget what fatigue is for a long time. The car is often used by family people, which already says a lot.
📌Cost of content
According to official documentation, the frequency of maintenance of Opel Insignia is 15 km or 000 year (whichever comes first). In the first 1 thousand, the engine oil is replaced with the filter, the level and quality of antifreeze and the oil level in the power steering are checked. Approximate service prices for operations:
| Work | Price |
| Replacing ICE oil and oil filter | $58 |
| Cabin Filter Replacement | $16 |
| Timing Belt Replacement | $156 |
| Ignition Module Replacement | $122 |
| Replacing the front brake pads | $50 |
Diagnosing a car from an official immediately after purchase (which is strongly recommended) will cost you about $ 8-10. It is possible to change the oil in the automatic transmission, this is another 35 dollars with a partial replacement. Tire service on demand - about $ 300. According to rough estimates of one of the owners of the 2018 Insignia, troubleshooting and scheduled maintenance after running 170 thousand km will cost about $ 450. The cost is approximate, since the condition of the car depends not only on the mileage. As a result, an inexpensive car for its class is obtained. There are practically no problems with the availability of spare parts.
📌Safety ratings
In 2008, the debut Opel Insignia received five stars on the Euro NCAP safety scale and 35 out of 37 possible adult passengers safety plus 4 stars for child safety. The bodywork is based on a high-strength steel frame with programmable deformation zones to absorb impact energy. The side parts of the body are also made with the expectation of dissipating kinetic energy.
Complement the range of measures for protecting airbags and curtain airbags, three-point belts, active head restraints and child seats with ISOFIX mount (there are mounts on all rear seats). To warn of the danger of a collision, the Opel Eye electronic system is included in the package of the car - the one that also monitors road markings.
📌Prices for Opel Insignia
Prices for new cars of this model start at approximately $ 36, depending on equipment. For example, Opel Insignia Grand Sport 000 with a 2019 hp gasoline engine. and "automatic" can be purchased for $ 165. But its version with a two-liter diesel engine will cost more than $ 26. In general, you are limited only by your own preferences and financial capabilities, the choice of equipment is very wide.
Opel Insignia is sold in the following trim levels:
| Execution, year | Price $ | |
| Opel Insignia GS 1,5 L XFL Automatic-6 Enjoy Pack 2019 | 27 458 | |
| Opel Insignia GS 2,0 L (210hp ..) Automatic-8 4 × 4 Innovation 2019 | 41 667 | |
| Opel Insignia GS 1,5 L XFL Automatic-6 Enjoy Pack 2020 | 28 753 | |
| Opel Insignia GS 2,0 L (170 hp ..) Automatic-8 Innovation 2020 | 38 300 | |
| Opel Insignia GS 2,0 L (210 HP ..) Automatic-8 4 × 4 Innovation 2020 | 43 400 |
📌Video test drive Opel Insignia 2019
