The Opel GSi is back. That's right, back, because it went away for a while. The previous generation, or the one before the facelift, emitted too...
much CO2 in 260 horsepower-form. Shortly after, the powerful diesel versions were removed from the range as well.
Since the facelift however, they've updated their engine range, and there's a GSi-version available again. However, it now only produces 230 horsepower.
But it's the most powerful Insignia's available today. And it's one of the last of the Mohicans, because it's the final Opel with a...
GM-engine, and it's one of the final cars in its segment. Volkswagen and Ford don't even have cars anymore to put up against it.
If we want to find a comparable car, we have to look in the Stellantis Group, because there's still a brand called Alfa Romeo.
They still have the Giulia, which optionally can produce 500 horsepower. Luckily, there are some normal versions as well.
In the past, we put a 280 horsepower Giulia next to the old GSi, but since the power has gone down, it's a 200 horsepower Giulia today.
So now the big question is, which will have the better cards in the Stellantis Group?
30 horsepower less than before. That means it only has 30 horsepower more than the standard 2.0-litre petrol version. And the standard 2.0-litre...
has a 9-speed automatic gearbox, just like this car. And it's not even that much slower. Also, it's almost €20.000 cheaper.
So what actually is the added value of this car? Well, let me tell you. It's mostly in the back of the drivetrain and chassis.
Let's start at the front though. The engine feels rapid, but it's not overly feisty. The automatic gearbox feels better than before. Sometimes, it can...
feel a little hesitant, but it's not as bad as before. Having said that, the drivetrain as a whole is a very nice system.
And I already mentioned that the difference is at the back of the drivetrain, and it's the rear-differential.
Or rather, it's not a differential, it's two clutches. One towards the left wheel and one towards the right wheel.
And they don't only catch the rev differences between the left and right, but they also divide the power between the wheels.
It all starts with a sprint. Whenever you put your foot down, the wheels don't seem to be slipping or anything. It just powers the four wheels...
and it feels very stable going forwards. It really stands out how nicely this car accelerates coming out of the corner.
Usually, front-wheel drive cars tend to suffer from understeer, but that's not the case in this car. It remains neutral for so long.
The system really works perfectly. The car has also received adjustable dampers, even though the difference between Normal- and Sport-mode...
is minimal. But the car does have a nice and sturdy chassis, without the car becoming too hard. That makes it really usable for daily driving.
The big difference in the Sport-mode is that the throttle response become a little feistier and the steering wheel is less powered.
It's nice and precise though, the steering, although I would've liked it if it was a tad more communicative. It feels a little distant, but other than...
that, it's good. What's good as well, is the seats in the front. They offer a lot of support in every direction. You can even adjust the side support...
with the push of a button. That's very easy. The way the interior has been finished is nice as well, even though it's not particularly premium.
There's a lot of plastic in here, but it still feels alright.
There's nothing to complain about in this car when it comes to interior space. Not in the front, and not in the back. There's more than enough legroom,
even when you're taller. If we move even further back, you've got 490 litres of luggage space to work with. And if you fold down the seats,
so if you accidentally visit the IKEA, you don't have to resist impulse purchases.
When it was facelifted, they updated the multimedia system as well. The functionality isn't that comprehensive, which makes it...
old school General Motors, and that's a good thing. Operating it isn't hard at all, and you can do a lot of things with physical buttons.
That means you can operate a lot of things blindly, so you can keep all of your attention on the road.
The Giulia 'only' has 200 horsepower, 'only' 300 Nm of torque, 'only' eight gears and 'only' rear-wheel drive.
And none of those things are bad. The car is 200 kg lighter to begin with and the drivetrain feels much more alive than in the Opel.
Also, the gearbox feels more secure than the Opel-gearbox. So we might not have flappy paddles behind the steering wheel,
but we won't miss them either. It also doesn't have adjustable shocks, and it also doesn't miss them.
The way the chassis is tuned is so balanced, that it's the right mix between comfort and dynamic. It might lean towards dynamic though.
For daily use, it's more than comfortable enough. And if you want to go near the limit, it will be sturdy enough as well.
Even though this Alfa has simpler tires, Michelin Primacy's, the Giulia feels incredibly stable on the road.
And it doesn't compromise the steering. It feels more precise and more communicative than the Opel, which has better tires.
What helps as well is the weight distribution in this car, which is nearly 50-50. That plays a big role in the balance of this car.
The base setup is very good. You don't need electronics for that, it seems.
The seats in this car aren't as adjustable, but they're still very good. The finishing is good as well. Again, I wouldn't call this premium, but it's got...
that Italian styling, which I like better than Opel's German styling. This car has a new multimedia system as well. Just like in the Opel,
it's not that comprehensive. It does have a lot of functionality, but it has a lot of buttons as well.
And that means it's easy to operate without too much effort, so you can keep paying attention to the traffic.
Just like in the Opel, the space in the front is more than alright. That can't be said about the space in the back though.
They might have the same wheelbases, there's much less legroom in the Alfa. The reason they have the same wheelbase, is because the front...
wheels are pretty far forwards. That's why the balance is so good. Also, the boot is 10 litres smaller than in the Opel, and that's it.
You can fold down the rear seats either, which is a shame. That probably has something to do with the rigidity,
but it doesn't help the practicality.
The difference in personalities in these cars comes from Opels effort to make the Insignia a GSi, whilst the Alfa has a dynamic DNA to begin with..
And if we start looking at the price tags, the Insignia starts at €65.000 whilst the Alfa is already available from €45.000.
That's a €20.000 price gap, when we're looking at base versions. The Alfa we're driving today costs €50.000, and it has some optional extra's.
But that doesn't change anything about its personality. If you want dynamics and the space, you'd have to get to Opel. If you just care...
about dynamic personality, just go for the Alfa.