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Thread: Opel-Vauxhall Insignia 2008-2016

  1. #1
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    Opel-Vauxhall Insignia 2008-2016

    2008-04-18
    Opel Insignia: A New Design Language For A New Era



    Sculpted design with a flowing coupé silhouette
    Four-wheel drive, active chassis and seven engines available at launch
    World premiere July 2008 at the London Motor Show

    Rüsselsheim. A new name, a new car, a new ambition. With its groundbreaking design and sophisticated technology, the Insignia makes a quantum leap toward rejuvenating the brand and providing the perfect opportunity to discover Opel. The styling of the new 4.83 meter five-seater clearly expresses Opel’s strategy to make advanced technology and attractive design affordable.

    The Insignia boasts a flowing, powerful silhouette with a coupé-like roofline. The body’s sculpted shape is accented by a distinctive radiator grille with a newly-designed Opel emblem. Unmistakable design elements include a sweeping front and rear light “wing” signature and a “blade” side contour that begins directly behind the front wheel and glides through the entire side of the body. Both details give the Insignia’s a muscular but graceful allure.

    “With Insignia we are introducing an exciting new sophisticated design vocabulary, which combines sculptural artistry with German precision,” says Mark Adams, Vice President Design, GM Europe. “Our aim was to develop a confident look which compels the world to experience for themselves the superb driving dynamics the Insignia radiates.”

    Echoing the exterior, the interior shapes and surfaces, which articulate this promise for exciting mobility, are crafted with high quality materials. The dashboard wraps around from the instrument panel to the door in a very sophisticated way, embracing the occupants. This wing theme will be echoed across all Opels. Red ambient lighting, which also will be featured in future Opel models, vibrate a warm, luxurious aura. A lot of emphasis too has been put into the seating, which set the highest standards in ergonomics, comfort and safety.

    Opel’s pioneering role and unique expertise in lighting technology continues in the Insignia with the latest generation AFL Adaptive Forward Lighting system: Nine different light beam settings automatically adjust themselves to cater to various driving conditions, simultaneously enhancing safety and driving excitement. Another new element on the AFL system is the LED daytime running lights, which consume considerably less energy than a conventional system featuring halogen lamps, thereby lowering CO2 emissions from 6 g/km to nearly zero.

    “As each feature demonstrates, the Insignia is the result of our quest to develop a car that combines striking design, excellent driving dynamics and innovative technology” says Hans H. Demant, Managing Director, Adam Opel GmbH.

    The Insignia is offered from the start with front-wheel and all-wheel drive. The “Adaptive 4X4” system’s proactive, instantaneous torque distribution not only ensures optimal traction but also enhances driving stability and dynamic handling performance. In the all-wheel drive Insignia, the FlexRide mechatronic chassis system with its Adaptive Stability Technology helps the car adjust to prevailing driving conditions and allows the driver to select settings to match his mood. FlexRide is also available in the front-wheel version.

    The Insignia will launch with an exceptionally broad range of seven engines. All meet Euro 5 emissions standards and come with either manual or automatic six-speed transmissions. The four gasoline engines range from a four-cylinder 115 hp unit to a V6 with 260 hp. The three new direct-injection diesels feature a displacement of 2.0 liter and outputs spanning from 110 to 160 hp. Subsequently the Insignia engine line-up will be expanded with an EcoFLEX version offering very low CO2 emissions in addition to other, more powerful variants.

    “The Opel Insignia sets new standards in technology and innovation -- this will be obvious right from the launch. But we are keeping several cards up our sleeves when it comes to environmental compatibility, excitement and safety, which we will play strategically overtime” says Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer, GM Europe.

    The Insignia notch- and hatchback will debut July 22, 2008 at the London Motor Show and hit showrooms starting in November. The Insignia was developed at GM Europe’s International Technical Development Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany, which also is home to its production. The Rüsselsheim facility is one of the most advanced car plants in the industry.
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  2. #2
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    wow.... that is surprisingly cool!
    Who killed the Electric Car?
    GO HABS GO!

  3. #3
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    I think it looks very very nice. Might not be the most original, but it's un-offensive and in my eyes a very good looking car. Like a cross between a C5 and Mazda 6, no bad thing, i think they're two great looking cars.

  4. #4
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    there's something wrong in the tail, like in the preceding model, imo. it remember me of the alpina b6, which i like, but it doesn't fit the front properly. even the rib on the side seems like it wasn't supposed to be there...i could like the front btw.
    KFL Racing Enterprises - Kicking your ass since 2008

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  5. #5
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    Yep, I don't quite like it, too. I think it's heavy looking and maybe even depressing. And that rear end which seems to be so narrow...

  6. #6
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    i prefer the edgier style of the astra
    it looks too much like camry/mondeo/hyundai mix

  7. #7
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    Opel Insignia: Design of Opel's Future

    Fluid lines with crisp execution
    New signal for direction of future Opel Cars

    Rüsselsheim. The design of the Insignia takes Opel to a new level, showcasing the brand’s new confidence with a bold, dynamic and sophisticated car. Understanding the concepts and cues that went into the creation of Insignia is vital to appreciating the driving experience.

    The Insignia’s look signals a new direction for the brand and shows the new design elements that will be seen in future models. It also highlights the benefits of GM Europe’s expanded design center, which opened two years ago and offers the latest technologies in design and engineering.

    GM Europe designers spent years, painstakingly refining the surfaces, carving the crisp intersecting lines and colors; testing the textures, feeling the materials and ensuring all the surface finishes were of the highest quality. The result: Sculptural artistry meets German precision.

    “With the Insignia, we have redefined our design vocabulary,” says Mark Adams, Vice President of Design for GM Europe. “The Insignia is athletic and powerful, yet very elegant. It has movement; surfaces flow harmoniously, with crisp intersecting lines that define the dynamic form, so that you never tire of looking at it. Our aim was to develop a confident look which reinforced the car’s superb driving dynamics but also one that made it clear that this was a beautiful vehicle with premium appeal.”

    Insignia: Flowing graceful lines inside and out

    “This is a paradigm shift for Opel,” says John Puskar, Director Interior Design at GM Europe. “We wanted to create interior environments for all our future vehicles that are warm, inviting and sporty. The Insignia is the first evidence of this new philosophy.”

    The overall goal for the design team was to create a simply beautiful car that would herald the next generation for Opel. The exterior’s hallmark is its flowing graceful silhouette. The body’s sculpted shape is accented by sweeping front and rear light designs and enhanced by a bold radiator grille. A distinctive “blade” feature runs through the body side from behind the front wheel, further emphasizing its taut and rakish lines.

    “There are elements of crispness and structure that give the Insignia the feeling of German precision. The sculpted surfaces were then added to this framework to give it movement and make it look fluid and flowing,” says Malcolm Ward, exterior Chief Designer.

    Interior design in sync with exterior cues

    The same design cues are expressed inside the car as well. On opening the doors, the first impression is of the bold wrap around interior. This is dominated by the signature “wing” theme that flows from the front of the instrument panel and dives into the door panels in a downward dynamic curve. The bold surfaces from the exteriors “blade” feature are echoed in the shape of the interior door grab handle, where the bright accent material sweeps dramatically into the door armrest. This sweeping accent is repeated in chrome shapes on the steering wheel and at the front of the center console. All of the materials work together, to create a harmonious, classy feel to the interior. The overall interior has taken a light, spacious approach that is both sporty and welcoming.

    The car’s lighting both inside and out, is giving Opel a more unique night time appearance. Outside, a distinctive illuminated “wing” design on the front and rear light clusters gives the Insignia a unique signature. Inside, designers have added a warm orangish-red ambient light to enhance the overall atmosphere for night driving. Instrument cluster is illuminated white, but on depressing the “Sport” button, this lighting turns red to match the surrounding illumination.

    “Flowing graceful lines give such a strong sense of movement to the interior,” Puskar says.

    Puskar organizes his interior design group into four specific teams, each focusing on one area of expertise; Interior design, component design, color and trim and design appearance quality. Each of these teams work closely with one another, ensuring that all the elements come together to form a perfectly resolved interior.

    On the Insignia, all of the colors and materials have been developed to enhance the premium feel of the interior environment. The sport model uses a high gloss black piano lacquer, to strongly contrast the overall soft feel black grained environment. At the other end of the spectrum, there is a warm environment which enters new territory with a polished Kiba Wood trim, complementing warm brown and light neutral upholstery.

    “We’ve made a radical change in the look, feel and approach to the Insignia’s colors and trims,” says Peter Jaksch, chief designer of Colors and Trim for GM Europe.

    Many themes started in this Interior provide the DNA for future Opel designs. Variations on sculptural artistry – the wing, flowing sculptural forms and a sporty dynamic environment -- will be used moving forward, as Opel refines and builds the vocabulary of its new design language. At the same time, Opel’s roots will be expressed with the execution of German precision in all its vehicles. Still, the cars will not be clones of each other. Each car will have its own distinctive personality. Opel aims to be consistent with its design execution but not prescriptive or predictable.

    European design center to sculpt future mid-sized cars

    GM Europe’s Design Center, one of 11 in the company’s network, houses GM Europe’s exterior, interior and advance design teams, all of which are able to connect with the company’s top engineers to maximize synergies. With GM Europe’s Engineering and Opel’s plant only a few steps away, designers and engineers also keep in close contact with manufacturing to ensure quality is maintained throughout the whole vehicle development.

    The European design center provides designers with the location, atmosphere and tools they need to maximize the creative process and create exciting designs for the future. Nearly 350 people work in the growing design function in Rüsselsheim, creating the new products from Saab, Opel, Vauxhall and some future Saturns.

    The Insignia is the first car within GM to be developed globally, where the creative process that linked interior and exterior designers from Rüsselsheim to the rest of the world. “The focus was very much on designing a beautiful Opel/Vauxhall that would head the portfolio” Adams said. Technically, the car had to be created to allow for regional tastes and safety requirements.

    The new facility utilizes the highest technology, with a state of the art virtual reality center, with its massive screens that allows designers to “build” and test designs and examine them in various environments. Computer programs allow designers to explore a not-yet built interior and exterior with a 360° view from any level and any perspective.
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    I am easily satisfied with the very best.

    "It is a very good looking car, If you have cataract" - JC about the Alpine A610

  8. #8
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    I'm really liking this opel, It's reminding me of how I used to look at the Omega or the Vectra with awe of its awesome shape and grandness. It not the same design motiff obviously but I definatly like its new form, Not to mention all the neat options this model offers !
    I am easily satisfied with the very best.

    "It is a very good looking car, If you have cataract" - JC about the Alpine A610

  9. #9
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    Opel Insignia Hatchback (2009)

    If a mod could shift this into the hide-out.

    Opel Insignia Hatchback

    Opel will showcase to the public for the first time at the British International Motor Show (July 23 - August 3, 2008) both the four-door notchback and five-door hatchback versions of its new flagship car, the Insignia.

    The new Opel Insignia highlights breathtaking design: Both body styles boast a flowing, muscular yet elegant silhouette with a coupé roofline. Designers of the new car deliberately created similar versions to retain the beauty of Opel's latest mid-sized car. The length of both the notch and hatchback, at 4,830 mm, and the wheelbase of 2,737 mm remain the same.

    The Insignia's fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and driving dynamics benefit from the aerodynamic efficiency that was perfected during more than 650 hours in the wind tunnel. The result: A class-leading drag coefficient of 0.27.

    Offering both the notchback and hatchback from the start is particularly important for markets such as the U.K. and France, where 5-door sedans traditionally enjoy a high market share of the mid-size class segment. German and Spanish customers, on the other hand, generally prefer notchback sedans. Prices for the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be announced July 22 in London and cars will hit German dealerships before the end of the year. Opel expects both models to sell in about equal numbers.

    From the beginning, the Insignia will be launched with a broad line-up of motors. Seven engines will be available; all meet Euro 5 emissions standards and come coupled with six-speed transmissions. The four gasoline engines range from a four-cylinder 115 hp unit to a V6 with 260 hp. Three new direct-injection turbo-diesels exclusively developed for the Insignia feature a displacement of 2.0 liters and power outputs spanning from 110 to 160 hp.

    The newly developed chassis can be enhanced with the innovative, integrated FlexRide mechatronic system, as well as the sophisticated Adaptive 4x4. Its lightning-fast distribution of torque over the four wheels ensures top stability and traction while improving dynamic handling performance.

    Opel Insignia Hatchback (2009) #1
    Miscommunication seems to be a direct result of misplaced, text based sarcasm.

  10. #10
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    I don't know... I feel like I like Signum more.

  11. #11
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    you sure its called the hatchback ? cause if it is then my concept of hatchback is seriously screwed
    I am easily satisfied with the very best.

    "It is a very good looking car, If you have cataract" - JC about the Alpine A610

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gt1Street View Post
    you sure its called the hatchback ? cause if it is then my concept of hatchback is seriously screwed
    me too, and I had some hard moments looking at both the versions in the same time
    KFL Racing Enterprises - Kicking your ass since 2008

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  13. #13
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    Well the last Citroen C5 was technically a hatchback.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    Well the last Citroen C5 was technically a hatchback.
    what defines a hatchback in your oppinions ? and spare me the wiki quotes
    I am easily satisfied with the very best.

    "It is a very good looking car, If you have cataract" - JC about the Alpine A610

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    Well the last Citroen C5 was technically a hatchback.
    This does not look like a hatchback at all to me. Is it a liftback?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    Well the last Citroen C5 was technically a hatchback.
    I thought it was a wagon...

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