On a wing and a blade, Opel's new Insignia could be the resurrection of the marque, says Paddy Comyn.
OPEL WON'T necessarily miss the Vectra. It was a car that, despite various tweaks and changes in its lifecycle, you feel they weren't all that proud of. Here in Ireland, it never really competed properly against the Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis and the Volkswagen Passat. It was always something of an afterthought in buyer or user-chooser's minds. However, that could be about to change, and that's our opinion before we have even driven it.
It's goodbye Vectra - hello Insignia. The first impression for many readers of certain age will be that the name evokes memories of a rather whiffy range of deodorant and shower gels, but for Opel it signals a new symbol of the company.
"For us it means sculptural artistry with German precision. With the Insignia, we have redefined our design vocabulary," says Mark Adams, vice-president of design for GM Europe at GM's European design centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany. So no deodorant links then. Puns about smell of success and all that are vorboten.
We are here in Germany for two reasons. One is to see how the new car, which will debut at the London Motor Show in July, was designed, and second to see how its built, and the attention to detail and quality involved in the process. Opel wants to iron out any previous questions about reliability.
With the Insignia, Opel is playing the quality card. Where the Vectra failed to inspire, the Insignia hopes to wow with its considerable size, good looks and Germanic high-end feel.
As the wraps come off the car at this exclusive preview, you can tell that the designers are rather pleased with themselves. "This car has been worked on in the design studio for the past three years and I am still not bored with it. And it's not the end of that journey," adds Adams.
Pictures don't tell the full story of how handsome this car really is in the flesh. It is beautiful.
Through clever use of the so-called "blade form" which is cut into the side starting from the tail lamp, thrusts forward to just behind the front wheel, and then runs along the side of the car. This blade and wing theme continues on various parts of the car. It can be seen on the front and rear lights too. The rear of the car is probably the most impressive part of the car. It looks broad and muscular, with a very coupé-like appearance.
"The rear is personally my favourite part of the car. It is very emotional, very appealing," says Malcolm Ward, exterior chief designer for mid-size cars at GM Europe. "You can really see its muscularity and sportiness, yet it remains a luxurious-feeling car."
However, as good as the exterior design is, it is in the interior where Opel has really made improvements. The interior has a distinctive wrap around look.
Again, the signature "wing" theme is in evidence, flowing from the front of the instrument panel into the door panels.
It is all very Audi-like, no doubt one of the manufacturers used as a benchmark.
High-quality materials have been used throughout, and buyers will be able to choose between three interior trims which include a sporty interior with a piano black theme and red details, and a high-end Cosmo theme with high-quality leathers and woods used. There are new warm environments available, which include polished Kiba Wood trim, with brown and light neutral upholstery.
"We wanted to make the Insignia inviting; like a magnet. We want it to be mouth-wateringly attractive," says Peter Jaksch, chief designer of colour and trim. "We have created a rich, inviting look," Jaksch claims. "It is very enticing and in some way it is a radical departure from our past interior."
Sitting in the cabin of the Insignia, it feels a world away from what we are used to with Opel. Their interiors have usually felt well built, but have been a sea of black grainy plastic and were rather uninspiring. The Insignia feels like a high-end executive car and has the exterior design to make it, finally, desirable.
It will be launched with a range of seven engines, with either manual or automatic six-speed transmissions. The four petrol engines will range from a four-cylinder 115bhp 1.6-litre to a 260bhp V6. There will also be three new direct-injection 2.0-litre diesels with power from 110bhp to 160bhp. Drive will be either front- or four-wheel drive.
The car is set to make its public debut at the London Motor Show on July 22nd and looks set to arrive in Ireland in November 2008. It will take a drive next month to determine if Opel has hit the jackpot with its new car.
Wrestling Irish buyers out of their Avensis, Mondeo and Passat favourites won't be easy, but on first look and feel alone, Opel might just have a chance.