Opel’s new Insignia sports tourer debuts at the Paris International Motor Show this weekend.
It will be available to Irish buyers in the second quarter of 2009 and will probably feature two new engines – a more powerful turbodiesel and a smaller capacity turbocharged petrol unit – in addition to the five powerplants available from launch in the saloon and hatchback models.
Mark Adams, vice-president of GM Europe Design, described the sports tourer’s design as athletic, powerful, and elegant. “However,” says Adams, “this is a stand-alone model and not simply an estate version of the saloon. In fact, all the bodywork aft of the B-pillars is unique to the Sports Tourer. We’ve also ensured that its design combines the sculptural artistry and technical precision found in the saloon and hatch models.”
Designers gave the rear of the sports tourer a unique, yet cohesive appearance by pulling the wraparound tailgate deep in to its flanks and accentuating it with large, fully integrated tail lights.
Inside, as with the Insignia saloon and hatch, Opel says that the Sports Tourer has ample room for five adults and one of the best loadspace volumes in its class. Despite this, Opel has retained the hatch and saloon’s wheelbase (2,737mm ) and added some 80mm to its length.
Opel says the new petrol and diesel engines available in the sports tourer will complement the Insignia’s existing line up of three petrol and two diesel units, including the 130 and 160bhp 2.0 CDTi which achieve a claimed 58.9mpg on the extra urban cycle, the 220bhp 2.0i Turbo, and the new environmentally based VRT will surely be unfriendly to the 260bhp 2.8i V6 range-topper, capable of powering the Insignia from 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds.
Like the Insignia hatch and saloon, the sports tourer will also be available with front- and all-wheel drive, as well as Opel’s FlexRide system with its adaptive stability technology.
More on this after the Paris Motor Show.
