New Car: 2009 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia

Look out Ford – because the Mondeo is about to get some stiff new competition from Vauxhall!
We’ve seen countless test mules and prototypes, but here are the first official pictures of the new Insignia. The new family car contender will line-up against rivals like the new Honda Accord, Mazda6 and Citroen C5 when it hits showrooms later this year.The Insignia is the first car to use GM’s new Epsilon2 platform, which will eventually underpin as many as 13 different models. And while it’s essentially an evolution of the old Epsilon1 platform, there’s nothing evolutionary about the Insignia’s styling.Not only has Vauxhall dropped the name of its existing family model, but the Insignia bears little resemblance to the car it replaces. Mark Adams, GM’s European design boss, said: “There’s nothing of the Vectra in here and that’s deliberate. We’re not going to take baby steps. We wanted this car to be distinctive and dynamic.”As you can see, the traditional V-bar grille has been ditched at the front with the new Vauxhall logo taking pride of place. Smart headlamps feature daytime running lamps as standard and high spec models will even get fashionable LED technology.Another neat touch is the rear badge, which incorporates the boot release button. The Insignia’s smooth styling is clearly inspired by the GTC Concept from last year’s Geneva Motor show and its tapering rear end and pronounced wheelarches provide a muscular look.Measuring 4.82m the newcomer is 21cm longer than the car it replaces, but is almost the same height and just 50mm wider. Despite it’s swooping roofline there’s as much headroom in the rear as you get in the current Vectra, while legroom has actually been improved thanks to the wheelbase, which has increased by 35mm.Three bodystyles will be available with saloon, hatch and estate models all in the pipeline. “We don’t have a separate look for the saloon and hatchback – they’re almost identical and even use the same rear doors,” explained Adams.The biggest difference between the two models is at the back, where the hatchback features a plastic moulding to achieve its sharp profile - the saloon achieves a similar look without it.The car’s sleek design is the result of hours spent in the wind tunnel and company bosses claim it is the best in its class, and one of the best cars full-stop, when it comes to aerodynamics. Its low drag shape will help to boost fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.There’s good news for enthusiasts too, because the Insignia’s suspension has been tuned to suit British roads. The UK is the biggest market for the new car and the big-selling SRI model has been almost entirely tuned here, so bosses are confident it can go head-to-head with the excellent Ford Mondeo on the road.While the Insignia previews the look of future Vauxhall models, don’t expect a series of identical designs. Instead they will adopt elements of this car. “No more Russian dolls!” said Adams. “Future Vauxhall designs won’t necessarily have the same combination of features.”Elements of the Insignia that are set to become trademarks include the vertical ‘precision’ line on the rear tailgate and bumper and the blade-style accent line on the body sides.The stunning new model is set to be the star of the British Motor Show this summer, where it will make its world debut in July. It will then hit UK showrooms in October.