In 2008, Opel replaced the Signum and the Vectra with the Opel Insignia.
The car entered a higher segment, and that wasn't a wrong move from Opel.
More than 1.000.000 Insignia's were sold.
Reason enough to keep going and present a completely new Insignia.
Opel also knew what they did wrong with the previous Insignia, and what had to be improved.
The weight had to go down, the space had to increase,
and the dashboard had to be improved on quality, because it was deemed too 'American'.
So, here it is. The completely new Insignia.
Its flaws have been noticed as well. It's bigger than before,
Opel really wants to present it as their flagship car, with much more prestige.
Also, what stands out. It's now called 'the best alternative for premium'.
It's almost an E-segment car. Previously, they called it a 'real' premium car,
which it wasn't. So they've reconsidered that statement as well.
And to see how the new Insignia holds its ground, we've brought along another big boy from the D-segment.
When it comes to space, it really is an alternative for the E-segment;
the Skoda Superb. A big car as well.
A lot of car for a reasonable amount of money.
If we compare these two versions, we've got two cars which match very well.
That's a 1.4-litre turbo, and this is a 1.5-litre turbo.
That one's got 150 horsepower, this one's got 165.
But, even though the Insignia lost weight, the Superb still is 100 kg lighter,
that also means it's quicker. A fitting comparison, wouldn't you say?
Let's find out which one is better.
Right. The new Opel Insignia. I'm not gonna name every detail with you guys,
just watch the introduction video about this. Otherwise, you'll get double information.
Right now, it's about the comparison with the Skoda.
Some small details about this specific version then. 1.5-litre turbo producing 165 horsepower.
The 1.5 replaces the old 1.4 turbo. Even though the engine is bigger,
it's lighter as well. That means less weight in the nose,
and better handling.
And that was necessary, because the 1.4 wasn't a good engine.
It really wasn't Opel-worthy. It almost ruined the Insignia, and Astra as well.
It was a very lazy engine. It produced 140 horsepower, but in such a tiny rev range...
But this new engine... It's got much more torques,
spreaded over a bigger range as well. If you keep revving higher,
there's still power available. It does pay off to get into higher revs.
And that does make the car a lot nicer to drive than before.
What Opel did, is feed a lot of features through from the Astra.
The Astra was received very well, so that's no problem.
That weight shed of 170 is really noticable throughout the car. The previous one just was too heavy.
Lightness is something you can really feel in a car. You feel it when you put your foot down,
you feel it when you steer, and it has really made the Insignia a better car to drive than before.
However, don't think it's just a bigger Astra. It's much more refined.
If you encounter a hump or something, the car heaves a little bit,
but the dampers flatten it out again. The wheelbase is very grown up, very refined,
and that translates to a very adult handling.
The interior has been improved as well. There's still a lot of bling,
still some GM-influences perhaps? The ergonomics are good though.
Everything is where you expect it to be, so you'll get it right immediately.
The multimedia system works fine as well. Skoda has done a better job, which I'll get to in a second,
but there isn't a lot to complain about. It's a very dashboard however.
Opel has chosen for a lot of buttons and screens. It's half analog and half digital,
so it requires you to get used to it at first. But, because everything is where you expect them,
it isn't too big of a problem.
The seating position is lower than in the previous Insignia. Opel has done that deliberately,
to create a more dynamic driving experience. That way, you'll notice it's meant for driving dynamically.
The chassis was already good in the previous Insignia to be honest.
Its obesity was the problem, not the driving qualities.
Considering the driving experience has improved, you get a really nice driving car.
I really like the way the Insignia drives, steers and the whole feeling to it.
It isn't too uncomfortable. The chassis isn't too hard.
They've balanced it very well, just like in the Astra.
One of the things Opel does very well, is offer you a lot of features for a reasonable price.
Take this demo model for example. Heated seats, heated steering wheel,
head-up display, heated front windshield, active forms of lane keeping,
fantastic LED-lighting in a lot of forms, which can create dark spots for oncoming traffic.
When you're travelling down a dark road, that's really epic.
Also, what's fun if you buy a new car, or if you have to pick a new lease car,
you can fully load your Opel without the skyrocketing the price.
Of course there are things which don't affect feelings, but can be measured.
The space for example. Let's start in the back.
The Insignia is 55 mm longer than its predecessor, but the wheelbase got extended by 9 cm as well.
There's more space in the middle. That means there's more legroom for people in the back.
Look at the space for my knees. I'm sitting behind myself now,
I'm relatively far to the front, but there's a big margin here.
My feet do fit underneath the chair, although that could be better.
You won't hear me complain though.
The car has been chopped a little bit, to give it a sportier look.
The headroom does suffer because of that, especially since it's got a sloped roof.
It's doable however. I'm touching the roof with the top of my head,
which isn't uncomfortable. But if I'd have a sunroof or if I were above 1,90 m.,
I'd start to notice it.
Let's move further back shall we?
The Insignia isn't available as a sedan anymore. You can only choose this Grand Sport 5-door,
and the station wagon. The advantage is that you've always got a big boot.
I'd choose the hatchback above the station wagon, because if you get rid of the boot cover and if you fold down the seats,
and you've got a big square in which you can put a lot of boxes.
The hard numbers say 490 litres, which is a lot for a car like this.
The only problem however, is that we've got a car which laughs at those numbers...
Yep. If there would be one reason to choose the Superb, it would be this wishing well right here.
670 litres!
The Superb also isn't available as a sedan, it only comes as a hatchback or a station wagon.
But 670 litres in a car like this, that's enormous.
If you put down the seats however, you get a whopping 1760 litres of luggage space.
How much space do you need?
It really is enormous. If you get rid of the boot cover...
Just look at the void that arises.
Ah, a little Skoda-quirk. Light bulbs everywhere.
There's also an umbrella in the door. You could almost say;
'how much room do you need in a car?' Well, if this still isn't enough for you,
you might want to consider a minivan.
Let's take a look in the back as well, because that ought to be just as good.
In here, I'm sitting behind myself as well.
Let me just fold back the seat for a moment...
The legroom... Well, where else would you find this than in a extended S-Class?
Headroom is slightly better than in the Insignia... There's quite a lot of difference.
The seat is in a different angle as well. That's very nice.
Of course, that means you don't need the same height to have a better seating position.
It does stand out that the seats are quite slippery. In the Insignia, you get more of a feeling you're in a real chair.
In here you're able to slide from left to right more easily, but that isn't too big of a deal.
It does look better in the back of the Insignia though. It feels cheaper than in the front, and that's something you notice.
On the other hand, the kids have a 220V-socket.
What stands out the most in the Skoda, especially when you just got out of the Insignia,
is that both are very big cars. However, the Skoda is a tad longer but you can really feel that.
You really get the impression that's it a lot of car. You're all the way in the front,
and there's a lot of car behind you.
In the Insignia however, you're more in the middle and that feels nicer.
In here you get the impression you're tugging along the car, really.
And that's the image of the Skoda Superb. The seating is decent.
The seating position is okay, but it feels a little bit more superficial.
You don't get nice seats like in the Insignia. It might sound very negative,
but you really notice the car is aimed for a lower position than the Insignia, because of the it feels.
You can't really argue about that, because that's just the way the Superb has been positioned.
It does have the advantage of an incredible engine.
The 1.4 TSI with cylinder deactivation, which is also found in a lot of other Volkswagen-products.
It produces 150 horsepower.
The turbo has to wind up a bit, so it'll go at about 1.600/1.700 RPM.
If you reach that, you have lots of torque until you hit the rev limiter.
It also reacts very directly to the throttle. It isn't shuddering or anything,
almost like it's atmospherical. In the Opel, you really notice the turbo's have to start up.
We've been spoiled a little bit, because that new 1.5 in the Opel is such an improvement...
...compared to the old 1.4, but this 1.4 TSI is still in a league above.
I can't put it in another way.
Everything put together, it's a lot quieter in here than in the Opel.
It's all a little bit more simplistic, it does have a nice, expensive multimedia system.
It's nice to operate, it's very quick...
We've already seen it in other Volkswagen-products.
You won't get annoyed by it, because it does exactly what you want it to do,
even if it has to happen quickly.
In front of you, you can find old-fashioned dials.
No digital screens, not a lot of extra options...
It's those little quirks which make Skoda attractive, instead of a lot of options.
And of course, the space aboard.
It's still a whole lot of car for quite a reasonable price.
They have updated the chassis quite thoroughly however, because its predecessor was quite the bumpy car.
And that doesn't fit the current day Skoda's, because the Volkswagen Group has clearly put Skoda in the comfortable-section.
You can notice that in the Octavia, in the Kodiaq,
both are very soft cars. So naturally, this Superb is softer than its predecessor.
Actually, it's almost to soft. The rear axle is quite far away,
and it heaves quite a bit. Just take this little hump for example...
Like that... and heave, and heave...
If your kids get car sick, this car might not be the car you're looking for.
Optionally, you can order dynamic dampers.
Even though this demo car doesn't have those, I do recommend them.
It really is a difference if you put them in "Sports"-mode, because you can keep the car in control even better.
In my opinion, the springs are too soft.
If you love comfort however, and if you really want to float down the road,
this car suits you better than the Opel Insignia.
In both cars, the principle 'a lot for not a lot' is very important.
That's why it'd be nice to know for how much 'not a lot' both cars are available.
And that's why I've got the prices here, from both test cars.
Let's start with the Skoda Superb. It's a HB Style Business,
available with a 1.4 TSI, 150 horsepower, and a manual gearbox, and it'll set you back €37.350.
If you add the color, the leather upholstery, electric seats and 18" wheels,
the Business-package includes satnav, airco, etc. Typical "Business"-things.
So that includes this beautiful satnav system. All of that will set you back €40.750.
That means it has passes 40k, so you can't say a lot for 'not a lot',
I'd rather say a lot for a reasonable price now.
Then, the Opel. An Insignia Grand Sport, 1.5-litre turbo,
165 horsepower... Prices start at €34.550.
If you want luxury seats and fun packages with that matrix-lighting, which you really should want if you get an Insignia, or even an Astra if you ask me.
Parking sensors, blind spot-package, OPC-package, a fully heated package as well...
Heated steering wheel, heated seats and such...
Foglights, a color and 18" wheels. All of that will set you back €44.800.
So it's €4.000 more than the Skoda, but it has got more equipment aboard,
so you can tick off a lot of options. Because that Skoda is much more comfortable,
and the Opel aims for dynamics, some of the customers will already have made their choices,
but I think, when it comes to a total car...
The Insignia truly feels like it's from a higher level, and I get more fun out of it.
So that's why I think the Opel is number one.