British Motor Show Preview: Opel Insignia to debut in hatch and sedan forms

click the Insignia for a high-res gallery
GM's European branch is planning a big debut later this month at the British Motor Show in London for one of its most important mainstream models. The new Insignia is replacing the venerable Vectra name plate and brings with it a whole new design language. We got our first preview of the new look on last years GTC and Flextreme concepts. In London Opel will be displaying hatchback and sedan variants of the Epsilon II based Insignia. The sharp edged look of the last Vectra is replaced with smoother flowing lines and scooped out side panels. European drivers will have seven engines to choose from including four gas and three diesel models all with six speed gearboxes. The four and six cylinder gas engines range from 115hp to 260hp while the 2.0L diesel fours get 110-160hp variants. The Insignia will also be available with a version of the Haldex torque vectoring all wheel drive system used on the Saab Turbo-X. GM plans to announce pricing for the new model on July 22 in London with sales later this fall. The translated Opel press release is after the jump.

[ Autoblog (Vauxhall) ]
[ Tag: british motor show, BritishMotorShow, opel insignia, OpelInsignia ]

First official shots of Opel Insignia interior released

The first official look at the Opel Insignia's interior leaves us with the impression that Opel / Vauxhall's new sedan is going to be a nice place in which to log some miles. Put simply, the cockpit is identical to the one first shown in the slick-looking Opel GTC concept that debuted last year. Simple, attractive gauges are joined by amber lighting and a nice blend of plastics, brightwork, and other trim to create a driver-focused cockpit meant to be as usable as it is attractive. One of the little elements that's kind of cool is how the gauge lighting shifts from white to red when the car is put into sport mode. Expect even more info on the Insignia and plenty of closer looks at the cabin when the car debuts in London next month at the British International Motor Show. If you can't make it to London, just exercise a little patience, cross those fingers, and wait. This car will likely come Stateside as the next Saturn Aura at some point in the future. GM's official PR is pasted after the jump.

[ Autoblog (Vauxhall) ]
[ Tag: BIMS, british motor show, BritishMotorShow, insignia, insignia interior, InsigniaInterior, interior, london motor show, LondonMotorShow, opel, opel insignia, OpelInsignia, vauxhall ]

Barcelona Motor Show: GM unveils Opel Corsa GSi

The Barcelona Motor Show kicks off today, and GM will use the Spanish venue to show off its new Opel Corsa GSi (its UK twin, the Vauxhall Corsa SRi, has also been announced). Positioned below the range-topping Corsa OPC, the GSi gets a detuned version of the OPC's 1.6L 192-horsepower turbo four In GSi guise, the little hatch is good for 150 horsepower. That'll still be enough to let it do 0-62 in 8.1 seconds and top out at 130 mph, all while pulling down nearly 30 mpg (US) in the combined cycle.
In the UK, the Vauxhall Corsa SRi will also be available with 1.7L CDTi diesel, which will drop the acceleration time to 9.1 seconds and increase fuel economy to over 49 mpg US.
Available in 3-door and 5-door variants, the Corsa GSi gets sporty bodywork, an attractive set of 17" five-spoke wheels, and two-tone seats. It goes on sale in Europe this September. We'll have to wait for the next-gen Corsa to arrive, which will be sold here as a Saturn.

[ Vauxhall ]
[ Tag: 1.6,corsa,corsa gsi,corsa sri,CorsaGsi,CorsaSri,turbo ]