Opel continues the celebration for its 150th anniversary with the introduction of a special trim package for its Corsa, Meriva, Astra and Insignia models, dubbed ‘150 Year Opel’.

With this celebrative package, both Corsa and Meriva will get 16″ wheels, tinted rear glass, fog lights, heated steering wheel, cruise control, an MP3-CD stereo and an adjustable panoramic roof or sunroof with separate air conditioning for both the driver and the front passenger. whereas the Astra will get the same goodies but with a set 17″ rims. As for the Insignia, the package is completed by heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a Navi 900 Europa info-tainment system, an electric sunroof and a glazed panoramic roof as well as 18″ alloys. Needless to say, the whole lot will also receive slew of anniversary-themed badges and finishing.

What makes the ‘150 Years Opel’ jubilee trim even more interesting is that it promises to be quite cheap, savings of up to 2,100 € over the usual price of the aforementioned extras. The jubilee trim packages start at 450 euro (recommended retail price in Germany including VAT). Depending on the model, they represent a cost saving of 876 euro.

via | CarFanaticsForum

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Opel announces that in January there will be a new version of the Insignia sitting at the top of its diesel range: the BiTurbo CDTI. The model will be equipped with the same 2.0 diesel unit of the current engine range, but with a new configuration that produces 195 hp and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. This increase in power is mostly due to the addition of two turbochargers, which have different sizes and can work either separately or together, providing the car with a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph).

However, this new Insignia isn’t all about performance. The model boasts a fuel consumption rating of 4.9 liters per 100 kilometers (48 mpg US), with average CO2 emission level of 129 g/km CO2, in the front-wheel-drive notchback version. The new 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI is available in all Insignia body variants (four-door hatchback, five door sedan and the Sports Tourer station wagon) with 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox as well as front or all-wheel drive (with rear electronic slip differential). As usual, all versions with manual transmission are also equipped with Start-Stop system.

Also worth mentioning are the addition of a new radar system located behind the front grille that provides the model with new functionalities: the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC, which maintains the selected speed during cruising and automatically adjusts the vehicle speed according to traffic), the Following Distance Indication (FDI, which informs the driver visually about the distance to the car ahead), the Forward Collision Alert (FCA, which provides a visual and an audible signal to warn the driver of an imminent collision with the car ahead) and the Collision Imminent Braking (CIB - which automatically decelerates the vehicle if the risk of a collision is detected).

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Italian tuner Romeo Ferraris introduces its own rendition of Opel Insignia OPC. The main feature of the car is its re-tuned ECU, which allows the standard 325 hp 2.8-litres V6 to reach 375 hp at 4800 rpm. Peak torque as well has received a big boost, going from 435 Nm up to 515 Nm and, as a result, Romeo Ferraris Opel Insignia OPC goes from standstill to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds (whereas the standard model needs 6 seconds flat to do that). The tuner also claims that the re-mapped ECU actually improved the car’s overall fuel consumption.

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The Opel Insignia could easily be considered one of the best value-for-money sedans on the market in Europe, not to mention its good looks and competition among the ‘budget’ German brands. The most important update for the 2012 Insignia is the new turbo petrol engine range debuting 1.4- and 2.0-litre models.

The new engines modernise the Insignia range in terms of power but reduced fuel consumption. The new 1.4-litre Insignia replaces the 1.8-litre aspirated model but has the same 140 hp and an extra 15 percent of torque at 200 Nm. It will get start&stop technology, new steering which appears across the range, and an updated aerodynamic kit and low resistance tyres. This particular engine has performance stats of 0 to 100 km/hr in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 205 km/hr. The Sports Tourer model makes 5.9 l/100 km and has CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.

The Insignia’s new two-litre turbo petrol engine has 250 hp (up 30 hp) and all-wheel drive. Tweaks to the engine including higher pressure, optimal fuel injection and a new aspiration system make for an improved driving experience. The engine is built entirely from aluminium and has turbo compressor, air cooling system and variable valve management. Torque is up 50 Nm to a total of 400 Nm, and acceleration to 100 km/hr takes 7.5 seconds (top speed is 250 km/hr). Start&stop and low resistance tyres means Opel claims average fuel consumption of 8.4 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 197 g/km. The two-litre Insignia is also available in a front-wheel drive version with 220 hp.

Continue reading: 2012 Opel Insignia

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After rumours that Opel would be up for sale, the internet has gotten creative with future Opel plans and models being considered. After suggestions that the Opel Allegra citycar would bring the brand back to the US, the latest idea is of an Opel Insignia Crossover model, and to us it makes a lot more sense.

egmCarTech is talking of an Opel Future Large Vehicle which would be a kind of crossover model to use the Insignia platform. The model would be a revival of the original FLV project, which was terminated in 2008, and would be an important addition to the line-up above the Insignia.

The new Opel SUV model would take a lead from the new Opel Zafira Tourer and have a luxurious, flexible seven-seat cabin and either front- or all-wheel drive. This model could well make it to the US, but under the Buick badge instead.

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According to reports from the US, Opel could soon get a couple of rebadged Buick models on the European car market. After General Motors moved the Opel Insignia and Astra to the Buick line-up as the Regal and Verano models, it will try things the other way, too.

The Opel range could soon make room for the Buick Enclave and LaCrosse models, as GM increases production on minimal investment, and the models could be manufactured in the US or China to further cost savings. In terms of size, the models would be larger than the current Opel Zafira - the biggest model in the Opel lineup and the second MPV it offers after the more compact Meriva.

There could be room for the crossover characteristics of the Enclave, but we’re not sure whether Opel needs to carry a second sedan (the LaCrosse) after its own Insignia. They’re both quite good looking cars, but as Autoblog points out, some further styling work would need to be done for Europe, and a strong offering in the engine line-up, especially with diesel variants would be needed. Details are sketchy, so we can’t say if all this will be happening at some stage in the near future.

Source | GMInsideNews

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The Opel Insignia OPC Unlimited version is a lot of hot performance in one sedan. According to the company, it’s been built to customer requests for more sports performance. So for the occasion, the Insignia OPC Unlimited gets a 325-hp V6, all-wheel drive and a top speed of 270 km/hr (although we wouldn’t mind a bit more speed and engine noise in the video).

The Unlimited OPC is different from the standard OPC for its Brembo brakes with blue callipers, and a new-look odometer. Anyone buying this model though, gets a special driving course at the Dudenhofen testing centre (for German customers), and the experience to spend a day with drivers like Joachim Winkelhock. We like the sound of that.

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The project to revive the Opel Calibra to the delight of Opel/Vauxhall fans looks like it could be a reality, with the guys at Autoblog.nl apparently getting their hands on internal Opel documents which state that the Calibra could appear at the beginning of 2013. The rumours of a Calibra coupé revival have been continuing since the Opel Insignia first debuted and if this report is correct, those rumours just became reality.

According to the Dutch blog, the pre-production phase will start in 2012 and the link to the sedan model will be a close one. The Calibra will be built on the Insignia platform, components will be shared and even some of the engine technology will be carried across. The Calibra will therefore be offered with either front or all-wheel drive, with the latter likely to be reserved for higher performance models.

In the Opel document, there is also talk of the Calibra’s target market and commercial goals. At this stage, a sales figure of 14,000 units a year has been mentioned. The Opel Concept GTC from the 2007 Geneva Motor Show will come into play as a design inspiration, as will the Flextreme GT-E from last year’s Geneva event.

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A new Opel Insignia ecoFLEX option is available on the European market. The sedan now comes equipped with a 1.4 turbo petrol ecoFLEX engine with 140 hp, which has already debuted on the Astra and Meriva. The new powertrain will substitute the Insignia’s previous 16 valve 1.8 aspirated unit and should provide a more ecological option for the sedan.

The new engine has the same power as the old one, but has a higher torque level of 200 Nm at 1,850 rpm compared to the previous 175 Nm at 3,800 rpm. The Insignia gets standard Start&Stop system with CO2 emissions of 136 g/km (compared to 179 for the 1.8 engine being replaced). The station wagon gets 139 g/km of CO2 emissions. The model should be offered at the same price.

Opel Insignia 1.4 Turbo EcoFlex

Continue reading: Opel Insignia 1.4 Turbo EcoFlex

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Despite a few internal business problems of late, Opel is still making high quality, well designed vehicles that are among the best for value for money at the moment. Even among the German cars on the market, all of which demonstrate good quality, Opel can compete with a dash of extra individuality and a competitive price. Every year the DEKRA organisation of Germany puts together a ‘reliability’ report of vehicles on the European car market, and this year the Opel Insignia won with a 96 percent perfection rate, measured on the date of purchase until the report is put together.

Of its organisation, DEKRA says:

Our products and services include motor vehicle testing, damage reports, accident analyses and technical reports, safety tests, initial and in-service training, employment agency work and outplacement, certification, environmental services, materials testing, building surveys, consulting and specialist publications.

The reliability report examines 15 million inspections on 230 different models, taking into account any possible problems after the date of purchase of the vehicle. It’s got nothing to do with design or price point, but it seems the Opel Insignia wins out on all accounts. The DEKRA site has limited information but if you want to know what they do in detail, go to the DEKRA English website.

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Opel-Vauxhall CEO Nick Reilly has confirmed that the Opel Calibra will be back as an Insignia-based coupé model. He says it will be inspired by the 2007 GTC Concept although there was no word on this year’s Opel GTC Concept. It was more of a hatch model which could remain in concept phase apart from a few elements borrowed to kit out the new Opel Astra GTC.

The original Calibra was killed off in 1997 and while Reilly hasn’t revealed any concrete production plans, it looks like the new Calibra will be the spiritual heir to the previous model. Mostly turbocharged engines will probably be used although a VXR version could build on the 320 hp of the original 2.8-litre V6 turbo.

The top-of-the-range future Calibra could have four-wheel-drive like its predecessor, although we’re hoping that if Opel doesn’t go overboard with this, we could have a fantastic Opel coupé in the line-up. Reilly says the new, direct-injection petrol engine range offers a mix of economy and power, meaning that optional extras could flesh out the model for more hard core users while others get accessible engine options.

Opel Calibra vintage pics

Continue reading: Opel Calibra back as Insignia coupe model

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The Audi S4 might be considered unfairly pitted against the Opel Insignia OPC (or Vauxhall Insignia VXR for the British) just because it’s an Audi. But the guys from Fifth Gear are here to prove that the Audi hasn’t got everything. The Insignia is heavier and 7 hp behind the Audi, but it’s also a lot cheaper meaning it could be the hot sedan of choice for those wanting performance without the price tag.

The classic track challenge is the forum for this comparison, and the idea was to check out two all-wheel drive models. The Insignia is significantly heavier though and while the figures don’t mean much on paper, transferred to the driving experience is where they make themselves felt. We’re not suprised by the results, frankly, and if you’ve got the money - is there really a choice between the two at all?

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