OPEL

Opel Insignia Grand Sport 1.5 TText: José Luís Abreu
Insignia completely moved away from the 'old' Vectra, and the jump that this new version gave is equally great, and after the success that made it the European Car of the Year 2009, the responsibility of this model is great . But so are his arguments ...This new Opel Insignia has renewed itself to continue to give strong fight to cars for example as the Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb, and so suddenly, at first glance it is a great car. Great not only for having now more room for passengers, but fundamentally because if we want to be rational and look closely for this model, it is certain and well known that we will pay well less than for a BMW or Mercedes equivalent, and still have much more power . The top-of-the-range Opel clearly looks like an alternative to premium models. Good, but there is no beautiful without ...







With prices starting at € 28,680, this new Insignia Grand Sport has been renewed all over the line, Opel engineers have lowered its weight by 175 kg, it is as elegant as ever, the aerodynamics has been refined, it emerges with a new system of integral traction with vectorization of torque as well as the new generation of headlights IntelliLux of matrix of LED. In terms of safety, it has as standard the Maintenance of Range, emergency braking and also Camera 360º. It now has ergonomic AGR seats, and heated rear. Also the windscreen is heated. As it should be, Infotainment is 'IntelliLink' and features Opel OnStar.With a design inspired by the 2013 Opel Monza Concept, it's a 'happy' car, and we need to 'shop around' a lot to find a mid-sized family car that offers such a wide range of so-called 'smart' technologies. In terms of aesthetics, the car was pretty well done, it's very stylish. And another thing that seduced me is the well being on board. Of course, for those who already know Opel, it is 'hard', but it is very functional and has space to give and sell in the passenger compartment and also in the luggage compartment. Moreover, there is not even a lack of head-up display in driving assistance systems. In short, it seems to have what it takes to supplant the deeds of his older brother ...

TechnologyThe connectivity is ensured by the IntelliLink system, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which still does not work in Portugal. The Opel OnStar system now offers the additional 'Personal Assistant' service, allowing the operator OnStar to book hotels and help search for parking spaces, for example, and a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for connection to seven devices to the Internet. The battery of the smartphone itself can be charged by induction.Already in the Driving Assistance Systems, this Insignia is perfectly well packed. At the top of the list is the new generation of IntelliLux LED matrix headlamp LEDs, which doubles the number of LED segments on the Astra, which already had excellent illumination, now passing the 32 elements, with the system improving in both intensity and in the quality of the light distribution, including for example a new function which increases the intensity of the LEDs on the inside of the curve according to the steering angle. In the total position of 'maxima', it illuminates up to 400 meters away.But there's a lot more to it, like the 'head up display', which projects information such as speed, traffic signals, navigational indications and adaptive speed programmer onto the windshield. The 360º camera system consists of four cameras, one placed on each side of the car and allowing images to be obtained from all angles, facilitating parking maneuvers and low speed. The Adaptive Speed ​​Scheduler (ACC) uses a radar to measure the distance to the vehicle driving ahead, adjusting the speed of the Insignia accordingly. The system triggers automatic emergency braking if the distance drops abruptly. The Track Maintenance and Lane Departure Warning system acts autonomously in the direction to smoothly correct potential path deviations. The Approaching Traffic Alert relies on sensors installed on the rear bumper that can detect vehicles approaching from the left and right at a distance of 20 meters. These are the main highlights ...

Motor
This Insignia comes equipped with 1.5 liter turbocharged 165 hp engine. This Innovation version comes with a price of 34,380 €, but there is an Ecotec version of this same engine, only 140 hp, whose value is 28,680 €. We did not try this engine, but this 165 hp version is quiet, very smooth in its use, and moderately economical, if our driving is focused on the least possible fuel expense, ie we have the 165 hp there, but it's us that we have to enter 'Ecotec' mode. If consumption is not a concern, and we always want to explore all that is best for the engine, then I tell you that the torque is excellent, and from very early on the engine has the strength to move the huge Insignia with great speed. The 'force' of the engine, which rises to 250 Nm, is felt between 2000 rpm and 4500 rpm, where most of the family's use is located. This engine is perfectly suited to the Insignia, which does not need higher powers to provide much more driving pleasure.The recoveries are very good, and it is understood that the gearbox is long because this is clearly a car for long trips, so it would not make so much sense to a shorter box, which would give more pleasure to use on more winding paths. If we take the Insignia to the limits of the engine, it will not be 'ashamed'. Within the context, it is an excellent engine.The gearbox is good, very smooth, even with quick changes when we test the model with a higher rhythm, it has always been accurate, and as I mentioned before, whoever purchases it has to take into account that if it is to walk mostly on winding paths you will not enjoy it as much, since the box is long. If it is to do essentially road, wonder.

Vasco Reis, Portugal