Opel's Vectra replacement cannot come soon enough, and the good news is it is leaps and bounds better.
Due to land here in time for the New Year, Opel says it will have 1000 ready for January delivery. Opel's Vectra simply couldn't compete with the excellent Ford Mondeo, but thankfully for consumers Insignia most definitely will.
Styling is now more sophisticated with Insignia oozing a more upper class feel. There are hints of posher brands like Lexus and even Mercedes S Class to the exterior and as for the interior, well, it is at last a little more interesting! The dullness that dogged the Vectra is gone to be replaced by a more well thought out and logical design.
Two body styles are available, a 'hatchback' and a 'notchback' (saloon to you and me), although it is a shame Opel couldn't have pinched Skoda's 'Twin-Door' tailgate from the Superb. An Estate version is on the way also.
So will any self-respecting sales rep want to bee seen in the Insignia? Yes. The front end is imposing and smart with a new grille dominating the look. The car is far more curvy with new creases in the bonnet and along the side that give the car a hint of drama. As for the rear end, well, Insignia carries over none of the Vectra's angles.
Power comes from petrol and diesel engines with a 115bhp 1.6 litre being the entry level in the Irish market. The 2 litre diesel can be had with 130bhp or 160bhp outputs for a €500 premium. There is a hot 2 litre turbo petrol version (220bhp) and of course a 2.8 litre V6 for those who like plenty of power and VRT! Both of these cars are great to drive and surprising craic. All manual gearboxes have six forward gears and the biggest revelation was the smooth automatic. The speed-speed self-shifter was silky smooth.
Insignia is slippery in the air too and features just 0.27cd of drag. A 70 litre fuel tank is also standard so the gaps between fuelling should be impressive. The boot is decent with 500 litre in the four door and 520 in the hatch.
On the road Insignia feels tight and sure-footed. Vectra was always a little vague behind the wheel (with the exception of the slightly mental Vectra OPC). Insignia on its standard suspension is impressive. If you go for the 'Flexride' option you will get adaptive suspension that can be triggered with the flick of a switch. There are two settings: a comfortable 'Tour' setting that is set up to give the most relaxing drive or the firmer ‘Sport' option which tightens and sharpens everything up. Both turbo petrol Insignias are available with 'Adaptive 4X4' that pretty much does what it says on the tin, offering up tremendous grip and superb traction in slippy conditions.
Is the Insignia better than the Ford Mondeo? That's a tough one after two short days of test driving; it is damn close. Insignia is right up there with Ford's Mondeo, Mazda's 6 and Citroen's C5 in a highly competitive 'D' sector.
Michael Sheridan
