Opel Insignia Hatchback: First Official Images

These are the first official images of the 5door hatchback version of Opel’s highly anticipated mid-size model. As you can see for yourselves in the pictures we’ve added after the jump, even when placed side-by-side, it is hard to tell apart the sedan from the hatchback variant of the Insignia. In any case, both models look the part and if GM execs have any sense left in them, they’ll find a way to bring the Insignia ASAP into the U.S. market.

The length of both the sedan and hatchback, at 4,830 mm, and the wheelbase of 2,737 mm remain the same, but obviously the 5door version will be a tad more practical than its 4door sibling. From the beginning, the Insignia will offer seven engines coupled with six-speed transmissions while some versions will also be available with a new 4x4 system. -Continued

The four gasoline engines range from a four-cylinder 115hp unit to a V6 with 260 hp while the three new direct-injection turbo-diesels feature a displacement of 2.0 liters and power outputs ranging from 110 to 160 hp.

According to Opel, prices for the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be announced on July 22 during the Insignia’s global debut at the British Motor Show in London and cars will hit German dealerships before the end of the year. Opel expects both models to sell in about equal numbers.

Opel Insignia Gets Camera System that Reads Signs and Alerts Drivers

The new Opel Insignia that’s set to go on sale in Europe later this year will be offered with an optional dual-function camera that not only reads speed limit and no-overtaking signs and displays them on the instrument panel, but also alerts drivers when they unintentionally veer out of their lane.

Called “Front Camera System”, it utilizes a front mounted high-resolution camera located between the windscreen and the rear-view mirror that can take 30 pictures per second along with two signal processors that filter and read the photos. -Continued

Depending on light conditions, the system’s Traffic Sign Recognition function begins to repeatedly read signs at 100 metres. When a match is found in the car’s software, the sign is displayed in the instrument panel; it will even prioritise a no-overtaking sign over a speed limit warning sign.

When the Lane Departure Warning function is turned on, the system uses a second signal processor and software to read traffic lanes and record a driver’s normal lane-changing behaviour, taking into account steering input and indicator usage. If the system detects any deviation from the road, then an audible and visual warning is sent from the instrument panel in order to prevent preventing any hazardous situations.

First Official Pics of Opel Insignia’s Interior

These are the very first official shots of the soon-to-be-launched Opel Insignia’s interior, or to be precise, the UK market Insignia that bears the Vauxhall logo. While we had the chance to get a glimpse of the mid-size sedan’s interior in a series of leaked (low-res) images back in April, these official pictures from Vauxhall allow us to see the cabin in high-resolution detail.

The Insignia, which could come to the States as a Saturn, features a relatively sporty wrap around interior design that has nothing in common with the Vectra’s ultra conservative cabin. Highlights include chronometer-inspired instruments and a unique instrument cluster lighting which is illuminated white, but on pressing the ‘Sport’ button, the lighting turns red to match the surrounding illumination. -Continued

“This is a paradigm shift for Vauxhall,” says John Puskar, Executive Director of 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 philosophy.”

“Every detail was meticulously thought through,” says Jochen Werner, Insignia’s Assistant Chief Interior Designer. “We even tipped the infotainment centre at a 30 degree angle to allow the centre console to flow and give the car’s cabin a greater feeling of spaciousness.”

Along with the official high-res interior pics, Vauxhall also released new exterior images of the Insignia in a lusty black colour.

GM Introduces New 1.4-liter Turbo With 120-140Hp and 1.6-liter Turbo CNG With 150Hp

General Motors has developed two brand-new engines for vehicles marketed in Europe and other regions, a 1.4-liter Turbo gasoline unit and a 1.6-liter Turbo natural gas unit. Starting off with the new 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, it will be offered in vehicles worldwide starting in 2010 with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 hp and torque values of 175 to 200 Nm.

It is estimated that this unit will deliver an approximate 8% improvement in fuel consumption compared to a higher displacement naturally aspirated engine with similar output and will be EURO 5 compliant. The 1.4 Turbo variants will be manufactured at the GM Powertrain assembly facility in Aspern, Austria.

The 1.6-liter Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that generates an estimated output of 150 hp and 210 Nm of torque will be introduced in the Opel Zafira minivan in 2009. The 1.6-liter CNG Turbo features a 25% lower CO2 value than a comparable gasoline engine and it will be produced in the GM Powertrain assembly facility in Szentgotthard, Hungary.

10 Millionth Opel Astra Rolls Off The Production Line

Today, nearly 17 years after the first Astra left Opel’s Bochum plant in Germany on August 12, 1991, the 10 millionth Astra rolled of the company’s production line at the same plant. The commemorative model is a Silver Lightning Astra Station Wagon 1.7 CDTI and according to Opel, it’s equipped with special features to celebrate this production milestone.

The Astra is currently produced in eight plants on two continents. In Europe, the current models are built in Bochum, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Ellesmere Port, United Kingdom and Gliwice, Poland. The Astra is also fully or partially assembled in Russia, the Ukraine, Brazil and Serbia. It's also Opel's first compact-sized model since the Kadett B that found it’s way into the USA where its sold with the Saturn badge. -Continued

The British buy the most Astras. Last year, 119,082 units were sold in the U.K. while the second-largest market is Germany (74,226), followed by Italy (43,128) and Spain (41,282). The most popular Astra in Western Europe is the 1.6 ECOTEC model Enjoy.

Opel Insignia 5door Liftback Scooped

The third confirmed variant of Opel’s new mid-sized Insignia model (the other two are the sedan and station-wagon), the 5door Liftback version, has been scooped by spy photographers without a trace of camouflage. Expected to account for the majority of sales in Europe, the Liftback variant of the Insignia doesn’t look at all different from the 4door sedan, with the only visible change being the more angular rear pillar.

Like the sedan, the 5door Insignia will be offered with four gasoline engines ranging from a 115 hp four-cylinder unit to a 2.8 turbocharged V6 with 260 hp and three new 2.0-liter direct-injection diesels with outputs spanning from 110 to 160 hp. -One more pic after the jump

Source: AMS , Via: Autoblog.it

GM’s Opel Planning Several Electric Cars for Europe

Using the Chevrolet Volt program as a base, GM’s Opel brand is planning to introduce a series of electric-powered vehicles. In a recent interview, GM’s chief executive Rick Wagoner told German newspaper “Automobilwoche” that the company’s recently announced $1 billion investment in Opel will include the development of various electric-powered vehicles based on the E-Flex architecture which in turn, is based on the Chevrolet Volt.

"GM is working on a product program, which aims to develop a range of E-Flex models for the Opel brand," said Wagoner. First up will be the production version of last year’s Flextreme Concept (pictured above) that is expected to arrive in the European market one year after the Chevy Volt, in 2011. -Continued

The Flextreme combines an electric propulsion motor and a 1.3-liter CDTI diesel. However, regardless of the Flextreme’s operating mode, it is always electrically powered. The diesel engine is onboard solely to power the generator and charge the battery.

The Flextreme can be charged in around three hours via a standard 220 V electrical socket. A fully charged lithium-ion battery gives the concept car a range of around 55 km or 35 miles in purely electric operating mode. When the battery is run down and no electrical socket available, the Flextreme’s common-rail diesel engine kicks in to provide electricity and recharge it.

Video: 5th-Gear Pits the Vauxhall VXR8 Against the 382Hp Vauxhall Lotus Carlton

Back in the beginning of the 1990’s, Vauxhall -Opel’s UK counterpart- introduced the Omega based, Lotus Carlton which was developed in co-operation with Lotus (then owned by GM) and equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine developing 382Hp.

Nearly two decades after, Vauxhall found the Lotus Carlton’s spiritual successor in the form of the Aussie made, VXR8 which is practically a rebadged Holden Commodore based HSV Clubsport R8. Check out 5th Gear’s video with Vicki Butler-Henderson testing out both cars on the race track right after the jump. -Continued

Opel Corsa OPC 202Hp by Steinmetz

Due to make its first public appearance at the German tuning show “Tuning World Bodensee 2008” that runs from May 1 to 5, the Steinmetz prepped Opel Corsa OPC has been mildly enhanced with minor mechanical and cosmetic upgrades.

The smallest member of the Opel OPC family has gained an extra 10 Hp -thanks to the use of the new left/right silencer system, raising the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine’s output to 202 Hp. The tuning firm has also added a lowering kit that brings the Corsa OPC 30 mm nearer to the tarmac. -Continued

In terms of aesthetics, the Corsa OPC by Steinmetz is distinguished by the new honeycomb grille, a 2-piece front spoiler, the side strips in silver or anthracite and the aluminum filler cap complemented by a new set of 16 to 19-inch alloy wheels. Finally, the interior is enhanced by the stainless steel Steinmetz foot mats.

Video: 2009 Opel Insignia, and Possibly, the 2010 Saturn Aura

If you liked what you saw from the pictures that were released a couple of days ago, then you’ll be happy to know that Opel’s new mid-size sedan looks even better in this official promo video. The Insignia, that will replace the Vectra in Opel’s range and hopefully, the Aura in Saturn’s line-up, will go on sale in Europe this fall where it will be offered with a choice of seven diesel and gasoline engines. –Video after the jump

2009 Opel Insignia: Image Gallery Update

This will probably be our last “unofficial” post on the 2009 Opel Insignia sedan as the German carmaker is slated to release all official images and data on the Vectra’s successor over the next couple of days. The gallery that we’ve included after the jump consists of eight new pictures of the Insignia that is schedule to arrive in European dealerships this fall (more details here). –Click through for the image gallery

2009 Opel Insignia: Engine Range To Include 1.6 and 2.0 Turbo Units

We still have a few days left before Opel officially unveils the new Insignia, but since a whole set of images were leaked into the net the other day, there’s no point for hiding anymore. Apart from the pictures without watermarks, we also have initial details on the Insignia’s engine range.

Starting off with gasoline models, the Vectra’s successor will be offered with five petrol units: 1.6-liter with 115 Hp; 1.8-liter with 140 Hp; 1.6-liter Turbo with 180 Hp; 2.0-liter Turbo with 200 Hp and 2.8-liter V6 Turbo with 260 Hp. The Insignia’s diesel engine range will include four units: 2.0-liter available with 110, 130 and 160 Hp and a top notch 2.9-liter V6 with 250 Hp.

In 2009 Opel will enhance the Insignia’s range with the addition of an OPC version that will be equipped with a 300 HP 2.8-liter V6 Turbo engine combined with an all-wheel drive system. The Insignia will go on sale in Europe this summer and although this is not official yet, it is expected that it will also come to the States as the successor to the Saturn Aura. –More pics after the jump