2008 Opel Insignia Teaser Revealed

Opel Insignia / Opel Media

Headlamps show new direction

By Thami Masemola
March 11, 2008 9:09 PM
Filed Under: German, Leaks, Opel

Opel, in keeping with Opel tradition, is introducing a new name to the mid-size sedan market. To be named Insignia, the car will have its world premier at the London Motor Show in July this year as a replacement to the Vectra which itself replaced the Ascona in 1988.

“Dynamic performance is one of the Opel brand’s core values. In the new Opel Insignia, this defining characteristic is realized by sophisticated powertrain technology, active safety and the interface between driver and car. The Insignia’s level of comfort and environmental friendliness is unrivaled even among considerably more expensive competitors,” says Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer, General Motors Europe.

Opel says the new car will set new technological and design standards for its segment. GM Europe’s Chief Marketing officer Alain Visser says the GTC concept of yesteryear is a good benchmark on which to get a good idea about where Opel is going in design terms. The German company did not however, elaborate on whether the new car will differ significantly interior-wise to the current Opels which have been criticized for dashboards that excite the eye just about as much as flipping through pictures of soil samples.

The car will be assembled at Opel’s Rüsselsheim, Germany plant. It will be known in different markets under the brands Vauxhall, Saturn and Opel as Insignia.

Source: Opel Media

Press Release (Click to expand)

Opel’s next-generation range of mid-size cars promises a radical step forward. The new model family, which makes its world premiere at the London Motor Show in July 2008, sets technology and design standards for the Opel brand and mid-size segment. To lead off the proceedings, Opel today announced the new model’s name: Opel Insignia. The new Insignia family will be built at Opel’s home plant in Rüsselsheim, one of the most state-of-the-art automobile production facilities in the world.

“Dynamic performance is one of the Opel brand’s core values. In the new Opel Insignia, this defining characteristic is realized by sophisticated powertrain technology, active safety and the interface between driver and car. The Insignia’s level of comfort and environmental friendliness is unrivaled even among considerably more expensive competitors,” says Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer, General Motors Europe. With the Insignia, Opel continues pursuing its strategy of making advanced technology affordable for more customers.

When it comes to the new car’s design, Visser says, “A closer look at our groundbreaking GTC concept car gives a good idea of how exciting Opel’s new design language will be.”

The beginning of Opel’s modern mid-size heritage dates back to 1970 with the launch of the Ascona, which sold 4.4 million units over three generations. This was succeeded by the Vectra in 1988, heralding a new era of innovative models from Opel. With almost 5.5 million models sold to date, the Opel Vectra is one of the key players in the mid-size segment.