Test drive Opel Insignia sedan since 2008 sedan

Straikbrecher

Opel Insignia. Price: from 670,000 rubles. On sale: since February 2009
By resonance among fans of the brand, the appearance of Insignia can only be compared with the Pentecost Opel Kapitan. Like the ancestor at one time, the beginner fundamentally changes the idea of \u200b\u200bthe design of cars from Russelsheim and confidently occupies the vacant place of the flagship in the lineup
Test pilot
Dmitry Tytyuchenko, 32 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience of 14 years, personal car - Jeep Wrangler
In the matrix, the illusoryness of the real world manifested itself under the influence of a red pill from Morpheus. Modest, but eternal bonuses to real life, a truth -seeker, got green numbers in front of his eyes, technological holes throughout the body and plastic food. How it was possible to free the consciousness of the masters from Russelsheim, so that such an extraordinary Opel Insignia is born, history is silent. But the irreversible consequences of this process are positive without any reservations.
The importance of Insignia for the company is not to measure impressive development costs and not transferred to the prestigious flagship place in the lineup. After all, the car personifies the new image of Opel, to which the brand has been striving for the past five years. It took so much time to bring the lifeless prototype to the serial version. And although the conceptual hatch regained a little attractiveness along the way, he managed to maintain the main charismatic nature, appreciated by visitors to the Frankfurt car dealership of the 2003 model.
A high waist line, a low roof and wide rear racks Opel Insignia was created in the spirit of a modern compartment about four doors. And only the presence of window frames with a central counter body will lead to a car fashionist, after all, a sedan. Or a hatchback? Or is a notchback even? Let's figure it out! Kurgous sedan -like trunk notch (in fact the same sedan), the fifth door with a glass of hatch. However, visually these body features of Insignia are barely noticeable. Unless the spoiler at the 5 -boat on the same door is more striking, and the wiper. In practice, the first loses to the second in terms of luggage compartment of 20 liters. However, you should not kill about this: the remaining 500 liters with a margin are enough to transport two dimensionless shuttle bags. Their heterosexual owners (for example, married couple), meanwhile, will be able to relax on the back sofa, without constraining themselves in movements. But under two conditions: average growth and healthy plasticity. Otherwise, the head, which when landing is easy to damage about the back stance, will have to trample the roof. Lucky with growth? Your place is next to the driver: there is significantly more free space. And comfort, frankly, too. The front seats, even in the basic version, are distinguished by good orthopedic properties. And in the top version of the execution, the car is equipped with anatomical sports seats with ventilation, egregious and a wide range of adjustments.
It's good with ergonomics. The internal space is thoroughly thought out and organized with feeling, with plain, with a placement. So acquaintance with the car controls will not take much time. And, by and large, one solution is really controversial. In order to emphasize the effect of the high cost of the interior, large dials of the tachometer and speedometer were dotted with divisions in the clock style. Together with small dials, they, of course, limit the possibilities for reading information, forcing them to peer into the testimony.
By the way, about the dashboard: white backlight with a light movement of the finger changes to the red. True, this requires a version with an adaptive suspension Flexride, which is mass -in -line only in the expensive Sport. But you can change the settings of the car from sports to impoverished with simple alternation of two buttons on the central console. With the transition to sports, the devices are illuminated by anxious red color in order to rejoice the driver. In the maximum tone, Flexride also holds the car: the steering wheel becomes tangibly more acute, the suspension is more collected, the gear shifts occur at higher speeds. In addition, electronics delaying the moment of turning on ESP. In all -wheel drive modification, the system throws more torque to the rear axle, and in the version with an optional inter -normal differential, also between the rear wheels.
With all the variety of the motor line for the test drive, only anterior and all-wheel drive cars with powerful gasoline engines (2.0 and 2.8 liters) were prepared. There was, however, one diesel, but its waiting time in Russia will stretch until the end of 2009 ... In general, the most close to reality was a monotive InSignia with a 2.0 -liter gasoline engine and a 6 -speed automatic. The turbocharged engine develops 220 forces and 350 Nm of torque. It would seem that with such data he should only fly on the road. But you begin to believe in these numbers only after 2500 3000 min-1, before that, excuse me, a failure. It is clear that then Opel takes revenge: in a fit of rehabilitation for unworthy behavior, the car demonstrates a frisky and assertive acceleration and excellent obedience.
With an acute informative steering wheel, which also has a pronounced zero, the car stands well on a straight line and goes into turns, remaining faithful to the initial trajectory. Needless to say, Opel has been well prepared to the new evolutionary level. That should be the flagship of the brand: strong -willed, swift, desirable. And its main message to the top models to the model is still available should play a key role in doubling sales compared to the previous Vectra.
Brave captain
A similar precedent has already happened in the history of the brand half a century ago. In 1958, the Flagship Opel Kapitan of the new generation came off the assembly line of the Russelshaim Plant. By that time, the German company had been part of the General Motors Corporation for almost 30 years. However, the Olevites developed the design of all models on their own. And Kapitan became the first car made by overseas colleagues without the participation of the Germans. The flagship created in the Aerostil did not come to the European court, and its production was turned a year later, returning to more familiar forms.

Driving
Good handling and dynamics will cause a lot of pleasure to an active driver.
Salon
The free space for the rear passengers is limited by the beveled roof, and the finishing plastic depresses in some places.
Comfort
The suspension, even in a more clamped sporting mode, makes road flaws invisible to those sitting in the cabin.
Safety
The basic configuration even has ESP.
Price
The lower price bar looks appetizing, even despite the difference with the ancestor of 100 thousand rubles.
Advantages and disadvantages
+ Modern attractive appearance, high degree of comfort and good handling.
- mediocre visibility back, cheap plastic of the central console, non -informative devices.

Specifications
Mark and model - Opel Insignia 2.0 Turbo Ecotec AT
Dimensions - 4830x1856x1498 mm
Engine - gasoline, 1998 cm3, 220 hp/5300 min -1
Transmission - automatic, 6 -speed
Dynamics - Max 240 km/h; 7.8 s to 100 km/h
Competitors - VW Passat, Ford Mondeo, Mazda6

Our opinion
Unlike the 1958 Opel Kapitan, rejected by potential buyers, Insignia will definitely have a warm welcome. The bold, bright and modern design of the car is able to turn the idea of \u200b\u200ba rather conservative and predictable brand. So with this model Opel can clearly get new adherents.

Author: Dmitry Tytyuchenko

 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [November 2008]