2017 Opel Insignia Grand Sport Drops Kilos and Adds More Attitude

Opel shows its impressive-looking D-segment competitor

Firstly, it’s called the Insignia Grand Sport – a marketing gimmick that most probably won’t catch on the clients. In the States, it's called Buick Regal while Down Under it's known as Holden Commodore. As pictured above, it's UK's Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport.

The Insignia Grand Sport’s lines are inspired by the Monza Concept we saw for the first time in 2013. The flowing lines we’ve grown used to on the previous Opel D-segment model are now even more pronounced, making the Insignia another beautiful display of the "four-door coupé" notion.

The new model is lower, wider and, most importantly, more spacious inside – the wheelbase is 9.2 centimeters longer now. The plunged roof doesn't sacrifice headroom, Opel claims. Furthermore, is helping the Insignia Grand Tourer achieve a 0.26 Cx (aerodynamic coefficient), one of the best values in this class. This translates into better fuel efficiency as well.

Speaking of efficiency – although Opel is scarce on engine line-up info, for now, the 175 kg drop in weight over the previous generation will come with even better fuel consumption figures, regardless the engine choice. We do know, for a change, that the Insignia Grand Sport will feature an eight-speed automatic transmission on the all-wheel drive versions.

Opel says the Insignia Grand Sport's all-wheel drive (with torque vectoring) is the most sophisticated in class. Having the rear axle differential replaced by two electrically-controlled multi-plate clutches, the Insignia Grand Sport can transfer torque more precisely (and faster) to any individual wheel in need of power.

Its FlexiRide chassis is an improvement from what we've seen in the first generation: the differentiation between the Standard, Sport or Tour chassis presets is more pronounced now; when in Sport, the steering, and throttle responses are "more direct", with the ESP being more permissive.

The cabin looks wonderfully crafted – although we firmly believe the one in these images belongs to a top-spec model, so it can’t get better than that. No need, to be honest. There’s a notable lack of buttons, which means the car’s controls will mostly be covered by the dashboard-integrated infotainment screen.

Speaking of infotainment: the new Insignia will offer both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with the omnipresent Bluetooth connection. A head-up display will also be available, most probably as an optional feature.

Naturally, Grand Sport's seats are AGR-certified (stands for "Aktion Gesunder Rücken", German for "healthy backs campaign"), providing higher levels of comfort. The front seats come with massage, heating and ventilation functions.

Safety-wise, the Grand Sport is boasting an upgraded IntelliLux LED matrix light system, which now has 32 LED segments. Other additional driver assistance systems that the second-generation Insignia offers include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and rear cross traffic alert.

The new Insignia Grand Tourer will mark its debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Until then, we expect to see more of the new sleek Opel D-segment car, eventually the bonkers Tourer version.