Opel’s flagship model, the Insignia, has been redesigned and will arrive in dealerships in May. The five-door Opel Insignia Grand Sport will be the first on the market.

The Sports Tourer will be available in early autumn and the Country Tourer with a higher ground clearance in late autumn.

The first generation of the Opel Insignia was launched in 2009 and was immediately named European Car of the Year.

The new Insignia is the first Opel to feature an active bonnet. The bonnet rises in milliseconds in the event of a pedestrian impact, increasing the distance to the hard parts of the engine and thus improving pedestrian protection.

The Insignia’s wheelbase has been extended by 92 mm compared to its predecessor, and the front and rear overhangs have been shortened. The track widths have been increased by 11 mm and the car is 29 mm lower than its predecessor.

The new dimensions mainly benefit rear passengers. There is 32 millimetres more space at the hips and 25 millimetres more at the shoulders and knees. Headroom has also increased by 8 mm.

A test drive of the Grand Sport

We had the chance to briefly test drive the Insignia Grand Sport.

The Insignia is clearly Opel’s flagship, and the whole car gives the impression of quality. The interior has a well finished feel throughout and the surfaces are mostly soft materials.

There are good adjustments for the driver. Even the taller driver gets a good driving position, yet there is still enough legroom for the rear passenger.

Front seat occupants are treated to an optional AGR-certified ergonomic seat with 8-way adjustment, an extendable thigh support and a 4-way adjustable lumbar support. The driver’s seat also has two memory seats and a massage and ventilation function.

The Insignia is therefore a car in which four people can travel long distances in comfort.

Add to this the new Insignia’s versatile equipment and it’s no wonder Opel expects the model to be a success.

The car is Opel’s largest model and there is already enough luggage space in this body style (490 to 1450 litres).

The size of the car also poses a small problem – you have to really reach for the navigation screen if the seat is well back.

Most powerful engine 260 hp

The Insignia Grand Sport’s engine range starts with a new, highly economical 1.5-litre direct-injection petrol turbo (140 hp or 165 hp).

The most powerful petrol engine in the range is the 2.0-litre direct-injection turbo (260 hp), with an all-new eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive with intelligent power distribution.

the 1.6-litre diesel engine is available in 110 hp and 136 hp versions, with a 2.0-litre diesel (170 hp) also available.

I tried both the petrol and diesel models and both made a pleasant impression. The car accelerates quickly enough and a steady cruising speed is easy to maintain with the versatile driver aids.

The car has almost all modern aids, for example the windscreen display is very handy.

Manual and automatic transmissions are available. Both work well. There are also a variety of driving modes, including Sport, which emphasises sportiness.

The car also has Opel’s Onstar service, which provides access to a Finnish-speaking service centre. Among other things, it can be used to ask the customer service agent to download the desired route to the navigation system.

Two equipment levels

The Insignia Grand Sport has two equipment levels – Enjoy and Innovation. Even the standard equipment is quite comprehensive. It includes Driver Assistance (including Lane Departure Warning), cruise control, infotainment with 7-inch colour touchscreen, keyless entry and start, and Opel Onstar personal assistant.

In addition to the above, the Innovation trim level includes parking assistance, Morrocana seat upholstery, navigation system with 8-inch color touchscreen and 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels.

Various equipment packages are available for both the Enjoy and Innovation levels. For example, the Innovation Plus equipment package, available on the Innovation trim level and priced at €930, includes a windscreen reflective screen, traffic sign recognition and a reversing camera.

Intelligent led matrix headlights with 32 individual LED units are available for €1164.

The cheapest version of the Insignia costs €28 608 and the top model costs almost €45 000.