, , SOMEONE handsome has been to the gym!, , The regular Insignia has already left its mark on us in $50K Select 2.0T guise as a rapid, rewarding, and luxurious family car alternative brimming with style, value, and kit., , Sure, there are more dynamic rivals – namely the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat that it goes head-to-head with in Europe – but the Opel remains a bit of a secret gem among the mainstream-to-aspirational mid-sizer set., , Euro prestige buyers can do a lot worse here., , But does the OPC version take the Insignia to a whole new level?, , With its beefier body, turbo V6 muscle, all-wheel drive and uprated chassis, Opel ought to have the performance sedan market all sewn up., , But in reality, the fastest and most expensive Insignia is a bit of an enigma., , Despite possessing a whole lot more power and torque than the normal mid-range Select (239kW/435Nm 2.8 turbo V6 versus a still none-too-shabby 162kW/350Nm 2.0 turbo four-pot), the newcomer feels neither sportier nor more dynamic., , Yes, step-off acceleration starts off strongly and then just keeps rocketing ahead with unseemly haste, with a suitably fruity exhaust note to boot., , But the auto transmission could be a bit more reactive to driver inputs and the driver never really feel connected with the whole moving or driving experience. , , Maybe the extra mass of the V6 up front and all-wheel drive gear in the rear have something to do with it, but the eager sprightliness of the smaller-engined Insignias is gone, replaced by a weightier and altogether heftier sedan of somehow more cumbersome proportions.
, , Furthermore, while the steering feels eager and planted, tactile and communicative it is not., The ride is firm, but not uncomfortably so – even in the stiffer adjustable damper setting – and the cabin transmitted some road noise in over several of the rural NSW bitumen varieties we tested it on., , That’s no surprise – this is a German car after all., , Sporadic rain periods over some fun terrain did not diminish the OPC’s grip or civilised behaviour, while on the dry straights the Insignia felt absolutely glued to the blacktop., , A stint around the Eastern Creek racetrack underlined the punchy V6’s big-time power delivery and steadfast chassis neutrality when clumsily pushed wide into a corner, but there does not seem to be the athletic interactivity that, say, a fast BMW or Mercedes offers., , Tellingly, the brilliant little Astra OPC also on the launch drive (and track) quickly eclipsed this as the preferred driver’s device – come rain or shine., , However, against the double-the-price Audi S4, or far exxier Volvo S80, the Insignia OPC stands seriously tall as a sensible yet sexy value alternative. , , We do need to drive it far more, and on more representative urban roads, before a definitive judgement can be made, but right now we think the underrated Insignia Select 2.0T in either of its body styles might be the more prudent and enjoyable mid-sized Opel. , , Our advice is to flex your brain by bypassing the brawniest Insignia for the best value version.
