Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport
The all-new Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport is on sale now priced from £17,115 on-the-road, and will arrive at dealers in May 2017.
Following on from the previous generation, which won the European Car of the Year in 2009, and with approaching a quarter of a million sold in the UK to date, the Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport is based on a completely new vehicle architecture. Its revised proportions result in a more spacious interior, giving the car a more athletic appearance and an improved road stance, including class-leading aerodynamics and Cd figure of just 0.26.
Like with the Astra, efficiency was key for the engineers. Optimised packaging and the use of lightweight materials have helped cut the weight by up to 175kg, allowing high-tech features such as the ultra-modern all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring and the new eight-speed automatic transmission to exploit their strengths to the full.
There is a raft of top technologies that make driving the Insignia Grand Sport safer, more relaxing and more comfortable than before. Next generation IntelliLux LED matrix lighting, Lane Keep Assist, Head-up-Display and unique AGR-certified premium seats, front- and rear-seat heating and a heated windshield are just some examples.
Outstanding infotainment and connectivity are also on board thanks to the latest generation IntelliLink systems and Vauxhall OnStar, which with the launch of the Insignia Grand Sport, will offer even more functionality for customers. New OnStar features allow occupants to book hotel rooms and search for suitable parking spots via an OnStar advisor.
It is also the first Vauxhall with an active aluminium bonnet, improving pedestrian protection considerably.
Debuting with the new Insignia range and taking personalisation to the next level, Vauxhall Exclusive allows customers to select their car in the colour of their choice, using any colour they like. As well as choosing the colour, it also allows customers to decide on one of three distinctive paint finishes: tri-coat, metallic paint and pearl. In addition, Vauxhall Exclusive will offer further personalisation including leather options, a selection of wheels and decorative design elements solely-reserved for Exclusive customers.
"Vauxhall is raising its game even further with the launch of the new Insignia Grand Sport," said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall's Chairman and Managing Director. ""It has all of the virtues of its successful smaller brother the Astra, and takes those to a higher level. The Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport will set new standards for design, efficiency, technology and connectivity when it arrives in showrooms this summer."
With a completely new architecture, longer wheelbase and captivating design, the new Insignia Grand Sport delivers with its striking Monza Concept-inspired looks. The "Grand Sport" name for the hatchback communicates that the new model is a true flagship with premium looks and feel both inside and out. Occupants can look forward to a cockpit perfectly tailored to their needs, with the revised layout improving driver convenience and safety.
Monza Concept-inspired design by Brit Mark Adams
The Monza Concept was the inspiration behind the interior and exterior design. Although the exterior dimensions have grown slightly, the new Insignia looks much more athletic and agile. A prominent front grille and Monza Concept-inspired headlights add to the dynamism in the Grand Sport's design.
The Grand Sport's stance is emphasised by the extended wheelbase, now 2,829mm, and overhangs that have been reduced considerably. The silver roof rails help visually stretch the car, make it look lower, and emphasise the high-quality design.
On the outside, the new Insignia's shape looks lighter than before too, with the second-generation model defined by clear lines. The slim, slightly protruding LED rear lights in double-wing design help the rear end of the new Insignia make a strong impression in either body style. Despite a largely unchanged length compared to its predecessor, the new generation Grand Sport has managed to shed around 60kg of weight from its body-in-white alone. In total, the new car weighs up to 175kg less than the outgoing model. Its roof is 29mm lower and its track has increased by 11mm.
The grille sits lower than on the outgoing model and further emphasises the car's solid stance. What its British Designer Mark Adams calls a "sweepspear" feature starts in the front door and gives the impression that the new Insignia is always ready to pounce, another nod to the athletic lightness of the Monza Concept.
Down both sides, the window graphics feature an upper chrome strip, rather than a full-chrome treatment, and the roofline graphically pulls the car down and emphasises its stretched appearance. The "blade" light catcher in the lower doors pulls attention rearwards, while clear and simple lines at the rear, combined with the double-wing LED signature, also give the car a wider appearance. The newly-designed, high-mounted LED brake light has been integrated into the roofline and helps to give the rear end of the Insignia a high-quality look that is often limited to premium brands. A further advantage of this sporty body design is that the new Grand Sport has an exemplary drag factor of 0.26 making it one of the most aerodynamic vehicles in its class.
"In its proportions as well as in each detail, we wanted the new Insignia to deliver an upscale quality feel," said Mark Adams, Vauxhall/Opel Vice President Design Europe. "Its design combines flowing lines and subtle surfaces with crisp, precise lines to exaggerate its dramatic proportions: it looks longer, lower and wider than it actually is, and it definitely looks upscale. Every design feature conveys technical know-how and the utmost precision. The new Insignia is an excellent value proposition with the aura of a car from the premium, upper class."
The attention to detail is also apparent inside the new Insignia Grand Sport. Clean lines, tactile surfaces and first-class craftsmanship provide a feeling of elegance and lightness to all occupants. The cockpit is fully aligned to the driver, who sits 3cm lower than previously, and they are better integrated to get a completely new driving experience. The centre console provides additional support, the instruments face the driver and all controls can easily be reached. All this results in a position similar to the one provided in a competition touring car.
The frameless touchscreen of the IntelliLink infotainment system has a sophisticated and technical charm, and the new system is more intuitive to use than before. The instrument panel features subtly sculptured surfaces, with a distinct driver orientation and a wide horizontal layout.
Many functions are controlled via the touchscreen to simplify the interface, while all functions have been grouped into three distinct sections to allow quick and intuitive operations: the upper ones for the major functions of the infotainment system, the central ones for climate and heating controls, and the lower ones for driver assistant controls.
The new Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport introduces a more refined and sophisticated IntelliLux LED headlight system featuring new functions that further improve night-time visibility.
Having developed its award-winning matrix lighting technology in recent years, Vauxhall has introduced a 32-light system within the Insignia's ultra-slim headlamps. The increased number of LED segments in the headlamps results in smoother transitions between lighting patterns to suit every driving condition. Automatically and constantly adapting the range and distribution of light from the headlamps, the new system delivers a brighter light in a precise manner, at all times managing to avoid dazzling other road users.
New functions, including curve and spotlight illumination, improve long-range visibility when driving at night. When taking a curve with the full beam engaged, the light intensity automatically rises based on the steering angle to increase the illumination and help the driver to see the road situation ahead. Each headlight also features a high-beam spotlight for additional illumination up to 400m ahead, further improving the Insignia's long-range visibility.
First shown on the Vauxhall Monza concept in 2013, demonstrating the company's vision of how its cars would look in the future, Vauxhall introduced its IntelliLux LED matrix headlights in the award-winning Astra. Initially featuring a 16-light system, Vauxhall has been able to develop the technology significantly with the second generation, incorporating twice as many LED segments while maintaining an ultra-slim appearance.
In addition to the latest generation of IntelliLux lighting, the new Insignia has a number of driver assistance systems and technologies. No other car in the segment offers such a wide range of intelligent technologies when compared with Vauxhall's flagship model.
The additional driver assistance systems include the latest Head-up-Display technology. The system projects information on speed, traffic signs, set speed of speed limiter or navigation direction onto the windscreen and into the driver's direct line of sight, helping you keep your eyes on the road.
The new Insignia is also equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which measures the distance to the vehicle in front and adapts the speed accordingly. ACC will also initiate automatic emergency braking if the distance decreases suddenly. Additionally, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) provides gentle steering wheel movements (and LDW alerts if necessary) to help drivers avoid accidents due to unintentionally drifting out of their lane.
The Rear Cross Traffic Alert system uses radar sensors in the rear bumper to detect objects coming from up to 20m at 90 degrees from the left or right side behind the vehicle, making reversing out of driveways or parking spaces safer and easier. Forward Collision Alert assists drivers in avoiding or mitigating the impact of front-end collisions with situation-dependent emergency braking settings. If the Insignia nears the vehicle ahead too quickly, the system warns the driver with a loud audible alarm, a visual warning in the instrument cluster and an LED projection on the windscreen.
Parking is easier too thanks to Advanced Park Assist. Ultrasound sensors on the Insignia's front and rear bumpers identify suitable parking spaces and detect possible obstacles. When the parking spot is calculated, the system automatically parks the vehicle without the driver needing to touch the wheel, only requiring the driver control the pedals and gears.
Thanks to the latest Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible IntelliLink systems, the Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport offers outstanding connectivity at an affordable price. While your smartphone is seamlessly integrated into the vehicle's infotainment system, it can also be charged wirelessly thanks to the latest inductive charging technology.
The ground-breaking connectivity and service assistant, Vauxhall OnStar, is also on board, offering services ranging from automatic crash response to stolen vehicle assistance. A new concierge service will be launched with the all-new Insignia, enabling its occupants to ask OnStar advisors to select a hotel and proceed to room reservation. Furthermore, up to seven devices can be connected to the Wi-Fi Hotspot available with OnStar.
Vauxhall OnStar with powerful mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot and comprehensive services
Occupants of the new Vauxhall Insignia with OnStar will always be fully connected thanks to the powerful 4G/LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot to which they can connect all their mobile devices. In addition, they have access to convenient services such as vehicle diagnostics and destination download.
Vauxhall has extended the OnStar service by offering two features that will make their debut in the new Insignia. The first new addition is OnStar's Personal Assistant service, where subscribers can contact OnStar to ask the advisor for hotel recommendations, and subsequently book suitable accommodation via booking.com.
Supplementing the Personal Assistant service, OnStar will offer a second new feature to reduce the stress often associated with the search for a suitable parking space. OnStar users can contact an advisor for directions to the most suitable car park and have the exact location sent directly to the car's navigation system.
Phone integration via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Making connectivity easier than ever, your smartphone is integrated seamlessly thanks to the second generation of Vauxhall's flagship R 4.0 IntelliLink and Navi 900 IntelliLink infotainment systems compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,
When it is safe to do so, Apple users are able to make calls, start navigation directions to a destination with Apple Maps, send and receive messages, and listen to music via Spotify, all either through the integrated touchscreen or Siri. Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now and the ability to talk to Google, as well as a growing audio and messaging app ecosystem. Vauxhall OnStar also allows up to seven smartphones to be connected to the car's powerful 4G/LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot.
The R 4.0 IntelliLink system comes with an intuitive seven-inch colour touchscreen, whereas the Navi 900 IntelliLink system, with integrated navigation, comes with an eight-inch colour touchscreen.
Built-in Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and audio streaming is available across the range in the new Insignia. DAB+, enabling better radio selection and reception, is also available as an option. In addition, Navi 900 IntelliLink not only offers an integrated navigation solution, but also a high level of personalisation - the home screen and its 'apps' can be tailored according to customer preferences.
Bose sound system for better in car audio
Insignia owners can increase their in-car listening experience further by choosing the optional Bose sound system. Vauxhall engineers have worked closely with Bose to ensure that the system delivers top quality sound throughout the new Insignia
To achieve the impressive sound, the system has eight high-quality speakers, which are all connected to the digital amplifier with Bose Digital Signal Processing, delivering seven channels of customised equalisation and Active Sound Management.
The layout of the Insignia Grand Sport enhances the space available for occupants and luggage, while the ergonomically-designed seats for the driver and front passenger give premium levels of comfort.
Vauxhall is still one of few manufacturers to offer seats certified by "Aktion Gesunder Rücken" (Campaign for Healthy Backs). These premium ergonomic seats offer a unique combination of side bolster settings, massage, memory and ventilation functions.
The three-way, optional 40:20:40 split foldable rear seats (40:60 split standard) increase maximum load volume and offer flexible stowage solutions to adapt to a wide variety of loads.
The new Insignia helps to banish cold conditions, all too familiar for drivers in the UK, with several safety and comfort features to keep the driver and passengers comfortable when it is cold outside.
The windscreen can be easily defrosted at the push of a button by a fine wire heating element, and also prevents fogging in humid conditions to further improve visibility and safety. The heating switches off automatically and can be reactivated if necessary by another press of the button.
In addition to the heated windscreen, the new model provides drivers and passengers with several ways to keep warm. Drivers can stay snug thanks to the heated steering wheel, while heated seats are available not only for the driver and front passenger, but also for the occupants of the outer rear seats. The heating in the front is adjustable and can be controlled through the personalisation menu in the information display.
The heated seats and steering wheel are also operational when start/stop is running. By switching on the heated rear window, the heated wing mirrors are activated for improved visibility to the rear.
The new Insignia cabin has clean, crisp surfaces that give a premium feel while boasting a spacious layout. Rear occupants greatly benefit from the new design and the reworked proportions, which was achievable thanks to the extended wheelbase and a completely new layout. As a result, rear passengers have 32mm more room at hip height, 25 mm more shoulder and knee room and 8mm more headroom. This makes the Insignia more comfortable for occupants especially on long journeys.
The new Insignia is also extremely flexible and delivers multiple storage solutions. To enlarge and divide the luggage compartment as needed, the second row of seats can be folded down in a 40:20:40 three-way split (optional). Luggage compartment volume in the Insignia Grand Sport therefore increases from 490 litres, up to a maximum of 1,450 litres.
Storage in the new Insignia extends beyond the versatile luggage capacity, with the new model featuring an array of practical storage spaces and compartments for everyday items. Side pockets in each door, the illuminated glove compartment and the centre console provide multiple stowage opportunities, while four cup holders - in the front and rear - keep drinks safe and secure. The FlexOrganizer Pack with side rails, dividing nets and various fastening solutions is available as an option so that all loaded materials can be stored safely and tidily.
The new cap-less fuel filler features an internal mechanism that, when the fuel nozzle is inserted into the filler opening, pushes aside two opening covers in the filler neck. The system also has an integrated misfuel detector which ensures that the internal cover of the fuel filler neck can only be opened by using the correct fuel nozzle. When the nozzle is removed, the covers automatically close.
The all-new Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport has a range of six state-of-the-art petrol and diesel powertrains ranging from 110PS to 260PS, including an all-new 1.5-litre Turbo petrol unit.
Expected volume sellers (1.5-litre Turbo petrol and 1.6 CDTi diesel) see a reduction in fuel consumption between three and ten per cent compared with the equivalent outgoing models, according to the Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). The WLTP is more representative of real driving behaviour than the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).
Leading the petrol engine portfolio is an all-new 1.5-litre Turbo powertrain. This turbocharged four-cylinder unit with central direct injection belongs to the family of all-aluminium small displacement petrol engines notable for their performance, efficiency and refinement. The entry-level version offers 140PS (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 37.7mpg, extra-urban 57.6mpg, combined 47.6mpg; 133g/km CO2) with 250Nm of torque between 2,000 and 4,100 rpm.
The more powerful 165PS version (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 38.7mpg, extra-urban 54.3mpg, combined 47.1mpg; 136g/km CO2) is three percent more fuel efficient than the previous 1.6-litre Turbo (170PS), in accordance with the WLTP driving cycle. The 1.5-litre unit has the largest displacement of all the ultra-modern three and four-cylinder members of Vauxhall's small petrol engine family. It also impresses with its sharp throttle response and ample torque in every situation.
The range-topping 2.0-litre (260PS), another all-new powertrain, delivers maximum torque of 400Nm between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 24.6mpg, extra-urban 40.4mpg, combined 32.8mpg; 197g/km CO2). The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit comes in combination with the new smooth shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, and a highly sophisticated all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring - a unique feature in the midsize segment.
The diesel engine offering includes the 1.6-litre Turbo D ecoTEC available with either 110PS (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 61.4mpg, extra-urban 78.5mpg, combined 70.6mpg; 105g/km CO2) or 136PS (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 55.4mpg, extra-urban 72.4mpg, combined 65.7mpg; 114g/km CO2).
Technical highlights of the 136PS engine include a low-emission combustion system, a multi injection fuel system, a water-cooled turbocharger with variable turbine geometry, controlled piston cooling jets, a switchable water pump and variable displacement oil pump. The new combination of friction-optimised manual transmission and refined 1.6 CDTi with 110PS results in average fuel savings in the WLTP driving cycle of ten per cent compared to the outgoing model.
Rounding off the diesel engine portfolio is the popular 2.0-litre Turbo D with 170PS (NEDC fuel consumption: urban 42.2mpg, extra-urban 65.7mpg, combined 54.3mpg; 136g/km CO2).
The new eight-speed automatic adds a high-end transmission to the Vauxhall portfolio. Compared with a six-speed automatic, the new eight-speed gearbox is even more responsive. Additional contributors to its outstanding performance include smart design packaging, which reduces its mass and dimensions compared with six-speed units. There are also six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes available in the Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport range.
Two electrically controlled multi-plate clutches replace the rear axle differential, meaning for the first time there will be an all-wheel drive Vauxhall with torque vectoring. The vehicle receives steering impulses via the active, controlled torque distribution to the individual wheel. For example, when cornering, additional torque is transmitted to the outside rear wheel, enabling the Insignia to corner more precisely. The system reacts within a split-second when the accelerator is pressed, keeping the car more stable and easier to control in every situation.
The further improved FlexRide chassis provides the basis for optimal, situation-based driving behaviour. It adapts the dampers, steering, throttle response and shift points (on automatic transmissions) independently or based on the modes 'Standard', 'Sport' or 'Tour', which can be selected by the driver. Depending on the selected mode, steering and throttle response are more direct and the ESP anti-skid system intervenes at a different stage to suit. The new central 'Drive Mode Control' software is the heart and soul of the adaptive chassis. It continuously analyses the information provided by the sensors and settings, automatically recognising the individual driving style.
The latest Insignia, with the all-new eight-speed automatic transmission, is available with a state-of-the-art torque vectoring all-wheel drive system that aims to deliver exceptional levels of grip and handling.
All-wheel drive with torque vectoring is the best way to put high power onto the road, be it wet, dry, icy or covered in snow. But the additional weight and complexity of conventional torque vectoring systems prevent them from meeting Vauxhall's high standards for performance and efficiency.
As a result, the new Insignia uses an all-wheel drive system with a rear-drive module that employs a twin clutch system without differential. The Insignia's all-wheel drive system can apply torque to one or both the rear wheels independently, enabling torque vectoring capability across the car's full performance range. When cornering, higher torque is sent to the outside rear wheel, inducing rotation around the vertical axis (yaw) - meaning the Insignia turns in with more precision, responding spontaneously to inputs from the driver.
Torque vectoring also makes the car safer by controlling the distribution of torque according to changes in throttle position, steering angle and road surface, reducing the amount of yaw. This intelligent use of torque distribution, also known as "yaw damping", results in neutral vehicle behaviour, making the car more stable and steerable for the driver.
New Insignia drivers can choose the amount of yaw damping to suit their driving style by selecting the appropriate driving mode: from high yaw damping in "Tour" to low in "Sport".
