You might've heard of forgotten vegetables like beetroots, artichokes, or might not even heard of them before.
The same is happening with this category of cars, the D-segment. They're starting to be forgotten, slowly but surely.
You can even tell by the production lines. Opel has already requested a lower production intensity in Russelsheim, where the Insignia is the solely built car.
It's the same with Volkswagen. This Passat is being built in Emden, but since january, they production speed is a lot lower.
People don't want these cars as much anymore, and we know why. People are buying crossovers these days. That's why the Emden-factory...
is being converted to a factory for electric cars. Anyway, we're driving these two 'forgotten' cars today.
Previously, cars like these usually came with diesel engines. Today however, we're driving both of them with a petrol car.
Mind you, they're both available as diesel versions, but the demand is very low for them. Even high-milers tend to choose petrol engines these days.
Maybe it's because of the residual value. So that's why we're driving the petrol versions today. Both are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre,
this one produces 165 horsepower, and this one produces 150. Both of them also produce 150 Nm of torque, with the only difference...
being that the Volkswagen produces its maximum torque at 1.500 RPM whilst the Opel does that at 2.000 RPM. Let's find out how that feels,
because the maximum torque is at a higher RPM.
I don't really get why these cars aren't that popular anymore, Sure, the entry is a little lower, but look at the space. Better than compact SUV's.
Take the Passat for example: 650 litres of luggage space. The Insignia also offers a lot: 560 litres. Very big boots.
The interior space offers enough room for five people, with the rear passengers having enough room for their legs.
It's close, but very good in both. They also have decent towing capacity. The Passat can pull 1.600 whilst this Insignia pulls 1.405 kg.
Decent enough for a reasonable caravan, so no worries.
The Passat has received a facelift not too long ago, and it was one which has freshened it up a bit.
It now has some different bumpers and lights, which you can see at the back and front. However, most of the new features...
are in the safety- and aid-systems. They're now all under one name: IQ Drive. It also has a travel assist. If we move to the back,
you'll immediately spot the letters Passat. Previously, it was hidden underneath the left rear light, but now they're making it extra clear.
This car has a sports chassis, so it's a tad lower and it has the optional 19-inch wheels underneath it. Therefore it's sturdier than the regular Passat.
Let's start with the interior, which has been retouched a little. It still looks good though. The finishing looks good, good materials, good...
ergonomics... It just all seems right. The digital cockpit comes as standard on the Passat. You can even customize it a little with steering wheel or...
in the menu's of the infotainment system. Speaking of which, it's entirely up to date and it's incredibly quick and intuitive.
It has lots of nice functions in which you can configure all of the safety systems to your liking.
It's entirely of this time.
If we look at the drive, we know this is powered by a 1.5-litre TSI-engine, which is the base engine of this car.
However, as is usually the case these days, that's more than enough. 150 horsepower, 250 Nm of torque, and it's a very smooth engine.
Also, it comes with a DSG-gearbox as standard. I did see a manual 6-speed on the pricing list, but most of the cars come with a DSG.
That's logical, because if you have all of those safety systems, it won't be very pleasant if you also have to change gear yourself.
The sports chassis makes the car a tad sturdier, which makes the steering tighten up as well. On the other hand, it's a Volkswagen so it won't...
become very exciting. It's quiet though. Not very enthusiastic. If you ask me, it didn't need the sporty sauce. If anything, it could use some...
additional comfort. That fits this car much better. It would've been nice if you could control the adaptive dampers yourself.
Now however, that's not the case. Right, the driving assists then; IQ Drive.
It's all a little bit more comprehensive than before. Volkswagen has even talked about autonomous driving. And I've tried to test it on the way to here.
Especially the adaptive cruise control combined with reading road signs. The cruise control works together with the satnav,
that's where it gathers information. When the cruise control sees there's a junction or anything, it'll adjust the speed accordingly.
However, this morning I was on the motorway and the car was wrong a couple of times with its speed. It suddenly slowed down to 90 km/h.
Don't ask me why, but there was a car behind me. I had to react quickly, but it shows it's not flawless.
It's the same with keeping the car between the lines. It does work when you choose for TravelAssist. That's why the steering wheel...
is capacitive, so you don't have to firmly hold it. If you lay your hands on it, it's enough for the car to detect you're holding the wheel.
Again, it's not flawless. It tends to swerve a little within the lane. On the motorway, it does bring some sort of calmness with it.
Sometimes, you can let the car take care of it all. Like in a traffic jam for example, if you turn the Traffic Jam Assist on, it'll do everything for you.
So when it comes to safety and assists, this car is completely up to date.
The Opel Insignia in this form has been around since 2017, which isn't very long, but there's supposed to be a new facelift on the way.
That will still another year, but it's still rather fast after just three years. Anyway, we're driving the current version as it was introduced in 2017.
What stands out immediately is that it's a very long car. Almost five metres long, only a centimetre less than that.
That's huge. However, it doesn't really show in the interior. It's not incredibly more spacious than the Passat or anything.
When it comes to styling, it's an entirely different car to look at. I'd almost say it's a coupé-like roofline with a shark fin in the C-pillar.
That's a design detail which is very fashionable these days.
If we look at the interior of the Opel, it shows less quality than in the Passat. It's all built very well, but it's cheaper.
These switches on the wheel feel like cheaper plastic, the lock pins in the doors feel cheap as well. And you don't even need them anymore.
The windscreen wipers are visible as well. Even though that's a small detail, a lot of other cars have obscured wipers.
Now, you're looking right at them. That's a matter of finishing. On the dashboard, there's a head-up display and it looks like it's...
been installed afterwards. Not very refined. So when it comes to a luxurious feeling, this loses to the Passat.
You can also tell by the multimedia system. The screen is smaller and it's all a bit more old-fashioned.
In the Passat, you can connect your phone wirelessly to Apple Carplay, but in here you do need a wire. On the other hand, it does feature Carplay.
In functions well too, so yeah. It's just a little simple aboard the Insignia. And the same goes for the safety systems.
It has all kinds of assists and safety features, some of which are optional extra's. But the amount of autonomous driving the Passat offers...
isn't available in here. It does have Lane Assist, so it'll keep you right inbetween the lines. That's all on here.
The chassis is standard, but it has the OPC Line-trim level. It has pretty sturdy suspension, and it sits on 18-inch wheels.
Still pretty big of course, but as a whole it seems a tad more comfortable. The way it reacts to the steering wheel, is nicer than in the Volkswagen.
The Opel will appeal more to the driving enthusiast, it just works a tad better. More precision than in the Volkswagen.
Just like the Volkswagen, it's powered by a 1.5-litre as well. Despite that, the torque kicks in a tad later.
You'll notice that as well, because it needs a little longer to get going. Despite that, it's a fluent and powerful engine.
It does rev a little higher because of the manual 6-speed. When you're driving at 130 km/h, it'll do 2.900 RPM which is more than the Passat.
And it shows in the fuel consumption. This is a little less economical than the Volkswagen.
On the price list, this car offers adaptive cruise control, but it hasn't been fitted to this particular car. It does have FrontAssist,
just like the Opel Eye-system, which can look ahead and prevent accidents. That's a good safety feature. The car will brake by itself...
if you forget to spot an accident.
Two nice and big station wagons. If you ask me, it's undeserved that they're being forgotten these days.
Sure they're expensive, but a similar car which is a little higher will cost about the same, so it shouldn't even matter.
They're very pleasant travel cars to do long distances with. Just the thing a lot of business people do, or whenever you go on vacation. Luckily,
it can fit a lot of luggage. In this case, the Volkswagen is a tad more expensive than the Opel, but that's because it has a more luxurious trim level.
If you configure the Opel the same way as the Passat, it'll come a lot closer. Despite that, the Volkswagen will stay more expensive.
It also feels more modern. The safety systems make the Passat feel more up to date, just like the torquey drivetrain.
The DSG-transmission makes it a tad more economical as well, so that's why the Passat is the winner here today.