Forming part of a simultaneous global unveiling, GM Europe brand Opel has revealed its new Insignia Grand Sport. This new flagship car is based on the Buick Lacrosse and is built around GM’s new Epsilon 2 architecture, bringing the option of front- or all-wheel drive with niceties such as torque vectoring and a kerbweight up to 175kg lighter than its predecessor’s. This Insignia Grand Sport is a whopping 92mm longer than today’s car at 4897mm from nose to tail. It will be available with a wide range of latest generation turbocharged engines and transmissions when it is officially launched next year. The friction-optimised, highly efficient eight-speed automatic transmission is new to the line-up. It impresses with class-leading shifting comfort and will initially only be available in combination with all-wheel drive.
The Insignia’s new intelligent all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring is the most sophisticated in class. It is combined with an all-new, high-tech five-link rear suspension. Two electrically controlled multi-plate clutches in the all-wheel drive system replace the usual rear axle differential, providing a much more precise power transmission to each rear wheel individually, no matter whether the roads are graveled, wet, icy or snowy. When cornering, additional torque is transmitted to the outside rear wheel, sensibly reducing understeering and enabling more precise control. The system reacts within a split-second when the accelerator is pressed ensuring that the car remains more stable and easier to steer in every situation. This is one fantastic looking Insignia and one we can’t wait to test!
