Test drive Opel Insignia sedan since 2008 sedan

We try the universal Opel Insignia Sports Tourer tooth

When everything is fine, there is no much sense to engage in changes. Although in most cases, car manufacturers cover, modernize and replace the models without waiting for them to be morally obsolete. Timely update the key to success is all well known

At first, after the debut in 2002, Opel Vectra with diverged well, in Europe in the segment D, it accounted for about 10% of sales. But the farther to the forest, the worse the car, which is called, did not go. Either the faceted design is tired of everyone, or the technical component pumped up or maybe the competitors tried? In general, in order to reanimate their affairs in the D-class, the Germans prepared new iron and surname. Insignia.
Insignia Opel showed the concept in Frankfurt back in 2003. It was a healthy five -door car with a falling, like cars with a body compartment, to the stern of the roof. It turned out Insignia to the cheurters controversial, by the way, not least thanks to the rear -wheel drive (!) Transmission. A hint of kinship with Omega? It seems.
But the GM-Versets did not let the GM-in-wheel drive the concept of the concept, but many stylistic solutions used in the prototype six years ago were transferred to a serial machine. It turned out fresh, bright, concise and pleasant ... And, not unimportant, in the spirit of the latest trends. The designers refused to give up straight, corners and sharp faces, giving preference to pattern lines and smoothly flowing from one to another ... Farewell, boring and suitcase Vectra!
Many will say: here, they say, Opel was pumped up. Here Insignia is similar to Passat CC, there on Mercedes CLC looks like priests! Have you seen the Sports Tourer station wagon? He is spilled behind the Audi Q5!. Fashion. She, as you know, dictates similarity. There is no getting away from plagiarism. The fate of successful decisions is always the only one to be written off under the carbon copy and reproduced again. And the design concerns and technology. If you do not want to be losing, must apply popular proven solutions. Do you deign to be original? Are you from the powers that be? Then, it's OK.
InSignia was based on the Mid-size GM Epsilon II platform (first-generation Epsilon derivative of the global platform), which will be new Saab 9-3/9-5 and the Buick, Saturn and Holden family. In front of MacPherson, a new four -winging behind ... Compared to Vectra Insignia, it has become larger. In length, the increase was 230 mm (up to 4830 mm, and in the station wagon from the nose to the tail in general 4908 mm), the base was extended by 37 mm (up to 2737 mm).
I sit behind the wheel, adjust the governing bodies for myself as if I returned home. The ranges are wide, all organs are in their places. Space in abundance. But where does the feeling are dejavu? Well, for sure! The dashboard, the steering wheel and steering wheel switches are all like a Chevrolet Cruze. Or vice versa? At the back, too, with a height of 190 cm, he sat down freely and conveniently, thank you a long base and a back formed for two.
The basic chassis of Insignia is devoid of all sorts of tricks. But in more expensive variations and all all -wheel drive versions, the Flexride system created by joint efforts with Sachs. She heads the settings of shock absorbers, steering, stabilization system and all -wheel drive.
With loose shock absorbers in Tour mode, insignia is comfortable and imposing. For unhurried family movement just right. But along narrow winding paths near Frankfurt with many cool turns and studs with such settings you can’t quickly go.
I press the Sport button, and the car seemed to be replaced. Devices now shine not neutral white, but red. The suspension has become tougher, the steering wheel is heavier, the machine reacts more acutely to the gas pedal (on all -wheel drive versions, the blocking coupling enters the work sharper). There were no traces left from the rolls. Overfigure to do it has become more pleasant and safer.
InSignia repeats the profile of the road in more detail, informs about the joints on the roadbins, but most importantly, it reacts incomparably better to the steering wheel and more willingly enters the turns. At the same time, Sport stabilization system comes into work noticeably later. An informative and sharp steering wheel adds a pleasure. But how does Insignia keep the intended trajectory! Mmmm! By the way, Flexride itself knows how to respond to changing road conditions, focusing on sensors.
Engines on Insignia as much as nine pieces. The weakest 1.6-liter 115-horsepower gasoline atmosphere, the fastest civilian variation is equipped with a 260-horsepower turbocharged V6. On diesel engines (there are four of them from 110 to 190 hp), which will not reach Russia, it was not possible to travel, but the 1.6-liter turbocharged ECOTEC liked the more from gasoline motors. There are not enough stars from the sky by the engine, but it is valuable to others. This motor can be described as sufficient. 180 horsepower (at 5500 rpm) and a wiping plateau (from 2200 rpm to 5500 rpm) in 230 Newton meters give serious dynamics a half-ton car. The station wagon (with manual transmission) to 100 km/h gets by 9.2 s.
Yes, there is not enough traction at low speeds, but when the engine will get out by 3500-4000 rpm, the InSignia kick receives what is needed. If you do not lower the speed below this line, you can have a good watch. Moreover, the reckoning for annealing will not be so expensive. During testing, we cost 14 liters per 100 km. For a passport, mixed expense is much lower than 7.7 liters per hundred kilometers.
However, the one who craves the speakers and wants to ride as a white person with an automatic transmission will need to, at least, pay attention to versions with a two-liter 220-horsepower engine. This unit is able to deliver a sea of \u200b\u200bpleasure, a nimble six -speed hydrotransformer machine (not put on weak gasoline versions), this sea will make even more. And there is also a wonderful 2.8-liter V6. This is generally a hurricane!
Whom the slipping at the start and the trigger-control operation can choose a 4x4 modification, which has a Haldex IV clutch in the rear wheel drive (as on all-wheel drive Skoda, Volkswagen and Saab). The all -wheel drive on unreliable coatings starts much more confident. By the way, in the fourth Haldex clutches are always slightly pursed, so much so that about 10% traction almost always accounts for the rear axle (the distribution of torque along the axes 90:10). The coupling is almost always partially turned on, it can be completely blocked almost instantly. In some cases, Haldex open completely, for example, when the contrasting system is triggered or in braking.
Insignia is smarter and vigilantly many of its competitors. The machine has become a platform for the debut of the Opel Eye system, developed together with Hella. Opelian eye (goes as an option) observes the signs and position of the car on the roadway using a camera located in the upper part of the windshield.
The camera makes about 30 frames per second, and transfers the obtained images to the electronic brain of the system. In it, pictures are processed and compared with images introduced into memory. As soon as the electronics determined the sign, the corresponding icon will immediately be displayed on the dashboard, and so that the driver does not miss its appearance, a sound signal will be heard in the cabin.
The range of the system is about a hundred meters, in most cases this is enough to take measures to action that the sign prescribes. Opel Eye tracks the position of the car on the road, observing the road marking using the same camera. As soon as the car begins to go aside monotonously or swim in the strip, the system will immediately find the driver.
And Opel Insignia also found an AFL+ adaptive light system (Adaptive Front Light). The light bundle, thanks to the original design of the xenon headlight, is able to look into turns, change the brightness and geometry of the light -leaf border, depending on the conditions of movement. The operation of the system is based on data obtained from speed sensors, acceleration, rotation of the steering wheel, rain sensor and pair of optical sensors that are under the windshield.
The system, noticing objects and oncoming machines standing on the sidelines, allows us to conclude about the environment in which the car is located. For example, in the city at low speeds, a light bundle is wider and hits nearby. The brightness is slightly reduced. On high -speed tracks, the range increases in proportion to speed growth, viewing angle, light spot shape and tilt of the bundle can also change significantly depending on the situation. In total, 11 operating modes are provided.
The world premiere of Insignia (in the UK OPEL is sold under the VAUXHALL brand) took place at the International Motor Show in London at the end of July last year. In Europe, the car went on sale in February (station wagon only now). In China, Opel Insignia will be produced at the factory in Shanghai and sold under the name Buick Regal.
Our orders are already accepted for the car, but in the free sale of Insignia will appear in July. But only with sedan bodies (from 866 300 rubles) and hatchback (from 881,300 rubles). The universal version of Sports Tourer (from 911,300 rubles), which we had to roll back in Frankfurt, will have to wait until the fall. In the meantime, rivals rule the ball in the Russian market. Yes, such! They will turn their heads to anyone: Volkswagen Passat (from 711,465 rubles) with the new CC modification (from 1,043,460 rubles), Mazda6 (from 773,000 rubles), Ford mondeo (from 546,300 rubles), Renault Laguna (Renault Laguna ( From 723 500 rubles), Peugeot 407 (from 695,000 rubles), Citroen C5 (from 717,000 rubles) will soon add to them a new Toyota Avensis. It will be a newcomer to wedge into this company, oh, it’s not easy.
Although, how to see, because the car turned out good. Outwardly it was a success. The chassis with the possibility of interactive configuration GMs made simply wonderful. The functionality is also to match. The whole question is whether buyers will pay for Insignia noticeably more than competitors cost?
Vitaly Kabyshev
   
 
 
 
 
 

 

Source: Auto.mail.ru

Video Crash tests Opel Insignia sedan since 2008