Frankfurt show: Opel Insignia mid-life upgrade

OPEL revealed the updated Insignia overnight ahead of its public debut at September’s Frankfurt motor show, and expected Australian launch in early 2014.

The German-made sedan and wagon range gets new front and rear styling, a cleaner instrument panel design, new and more frugal engines and claimed improvements to ride comfort.

The facelift comes nearly five years into the current-generation Insignia's life-cycle. Opel pitches the car as a rival to the likes of Volkswagen’s Passat.

Design updates include a wider and lower chrome grille, sleeker bi-xenon headlights with daytime running lights, a new rear bumper with wider number plate housing, new tail-lights and a redesigned rear spoiler.

Inside, the fascia design is less fussy and full of buttons that the current version. Opel says a key consideration in the design was the reduce driver distraction.

To that end, it has relocated most multimedia functions to an eight-inch touchscreen that displays sub-menus for radio, smartphone hook-up and 3D navigation.

There is also a nifty touch-sensitive pad in the centre console (next to the park brake switch) that operates infotainment functions through haptic feedback – even individual letters can be traced to search for a song or location. Opel has also updated its voice-recognition software.

Opel’s new range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines also feature.

Turbo-petrol options are a 125kW/260Nm 1.6-litre SIDI unit (which will debut here in the revised Astra GTC Sport next month), and a punchy 184kW/400Nm 2.0-litre.

A 143kW/400Nm 2.0-litre BiTurbo diesel has also been added, alongside the Euro-friendly 88kW/320Nm and 103kW/370Nm diesels that chew as little as 3.7 litres of fuel per 100km, and emit as few as 99 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (104g/km for the wagon).

In comparison, Opel Australia’s current Insignia range uses a 162kW/350Nm 2.0-litre petrol, or a 118kW/350Nm diesel. As yet, the company’s local arm has not confirmed specifications for the local range.

The 239kW six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive OPC powertrain remains as before.

Opel says its engineers tweaked the dampers, stabilisers and the electric steering system, leading to claimed noise reductions and a more comfortable ride.