Opel has toughened up its Insignia Tourer (estate) with the 'Country Tourer', and our test car this week is the range-topping 4X4 version. Prices start from €35,595 for the entry (two-wheel drive) Country Tourer, with the 4X4 range starting at €38,095.
When it comes to beefy estate cars, Audi has held the high ground for desirability with its tough-looking A6 (and A4) 'Allroad' Avant (estate). Skoda, with the Octavia and Superb 4X4 Combi estates, offers brilliant interior space and value for money.
Using a few tricks of the trade, Opel has beefed up the Insignia Tourer to make the Country Tourer. It features an extra 20mm ride height for added ground clearance that also delivers a taller driving position. There are plenty of plastic mouldings to add to the car's butch look too!
Our 4X4 was powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 163hp on tap and 350nm of torque. This four-cylinder unit, while reasonably powerful, is very noisy and relatively slow to sprint from a standing start. It is only when moving off you notice the car's 1,757kg weight. An automatic version (bi-turbo only) is also available. The six-speed manual gearbox has a reluctant shift and is not that pleasant to use - especially in 1st and 2nd. The good news is there is a new, more refined 2.0-litre diesel from Opel coming in the near future.
Once up to speed the Country Tourer is a lovely cruiser. Many expected 'extras' are standard fit e.g., the heated steering wheel is more useful than you imagine, as is the power tailgate! The four-wheel drive system requires no input from the driver, so in normal conditions it's a front-wheel drive car and power only gets sent to the rear wheels when needed. Opel's 'Flexdrive' adaptive ride system is standard, so you can adjust the car's ride characteristics to suit your needs.
The five-seat Country Tourer is subtle and understated compared to an SUV. When compared to the standard Insignia Sports Tourer it looks much more imposing. Inside, the cabin features more rear headroom than the saloon. The 540-litre boot is a good size and there are up to 1,530 litres available with the rear seats down.
Of course, all the new electronic toys we saw with Insignia's facelift are present and help the tech-savvy driver interact with the car. A massive TFT screen displays the speedometer, among other things. To be honest, you could do night classes and still not fully understand the technology available.
Buyers will definitely love the very handy and compact pull-out tow hitch (€880 option) that features a neat wiring plug-in socket. This makes trailer use an uncomplicated pleasure. The towing capacity is impressive at 2,100kg.
Opel Insignia Country Tourer sits in the middle ground between the expensive Audi Allroad family and the value-for-money of Skoda's 4X4 Combi offerings.
Insignia Country Tourer will be a niche machine.
Michael Sheridan
