Opel’s new Insignia will arrive in Ireland this November, with prices commencing from €24,995. Ahead of its official Irish debut we drove the new Insignia which impressed us on a number of fronts. This new model is easily recognisable as an Insignia, with just a few styling tweaks to its exterior. There’s a new front grille which gives the car a lower and wider stance, newly incorporated is an active air shutter which reduces drag, this new Insignia has a drag coefficient of just 0.25.
The interior has seen a fair degree of change over its predecessor, notably with a revised dash layout along with the introduction of Opel’s all-new infotainment system, Intellilink. The multitude of buttons in previous generations has been replaced by a cleaner more intuitive setup. There’s a crystal-clear 8-inch colour touchscreen, steering mounted controls, voice recognition and a touchpad. The later is excellent for inputting or sourcing information on the go without having to take your eyes off the road. Within just a few minutes we were confident with operating all of the Intellilink’s functions. There is also a colour screen integrated into the driver’s instrument cluster which is useful for displaying navigation instructions and accessing trip information.
The new Opel Insignia is available across five trim levels, S, SC, SE, SRi Limited Edition and EIite. The standard level of equipment in the entry-level model is commendable with 16” alloy wheels, air conditioning, LED daytime running lights, cruise control, USB connectivity, a leather steering wheel, electric seat height adjustment and lumbar controls, heated door mirrors automatic lights and an electric parking brake with hill start assist all included.
The Insignia range includes three new engines, the most important of these is undoubtedly the new 2.0-litre CDTi. This efficient engine boasts an output of 140hp and CO2 emissions of just 99g/km, this places it in tax band A2 with an annual road tax fee of €180. Prices for this model commence from €26,995.
On the road the new Insignia feels planted and certainly offers a comfortable ride for all occupants. After a two hour drive we were as fresh as a short trip to the shops, the Insignia is a most suitable car for those that commute long distances regularly. We’ll bring you more on the new Opel Insignia after our week-long evaluation later in the year. In the meantime we’re happy and confident to say that this new Insignia is much-improved on its predecessor, which was a competent car itself. Notably the new Insignia will also be available in the Sports Tourer and Country Tourer body styles, prices to follow.
