This gorgeous new Opel is not for you

Published Dec 7, 2016

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Rüsselsheim – This is Opel’s new flagship sedan, the Insignia Grand Sport. It’s gorgeous but if you live in South Africa you won’t be able to buy one because South Africans don’t buy medium-to-large sedans that don’t have fancy badges on the bonnet. You can’t really blame GMSA for not considering this, then, when they’d only realistically sell about 0.027 units a year.

So what are we missing out on then?

Built on an all-new platform, the Grand Sport is up to 175kg lighter than the first-generation Insignia and top models feature an all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring, and which Opel claims is the most sophisticated in its class. Also making its debut is an eight speed automatic gearbox and second-generation Intellilux LED matrix adaptive lighting system.

Opel hasn’t mentioned any engines yet, but the Aussie Holden version (which will also be the first Commodore that’s not rear-wheel driven or produced Down Under) has been confirmed with a normally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine rated at 230kW.

European Insignia models are likely to be powered by 1.6- and 2-litre turbo four petrols, with a few turbodiesels thrown in for good measure.

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