Production of the Insignia began in 2008 as a replacement Vectra and Signum. The car is sold under the Vauxhall brand in the UK, in North America and China as the Buick Regal, and in Australia and New Zealand as the Holden.
The Insignia Concept was first introduced in 2003 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. The car has a hydropneumatic suspension system, a pantograph mechanism for the rear sliding doors and LED lighting. Opel announced in early 2005 that this concept car would not be built because it would be too heavy and expensive.
September 2007 in the magazine «What Car?» computer-generated images emerged showing what the Vectra replacement would look like. In November 2007, it was announced that the name of the successor would be Insignia.
The closest competitors are the cars of the following models − Audi A4, bmw 3 series, Citroen C5, Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Infiniti G, Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Teana, Renault Laguna, Peugeot 508, Skoda Superb, Subaru Legacy, Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat.
Opel Insignia A (2008—2017)
The first Insignia debuted on July 23, 2008 at the British International Motor Show in London. It then went on sale at European dealerships in October 2008 as a 5-door hatchback, 4-door saloon and 5-door station wagon, dubbed the Sports Tourer. This is the first production vehicle based on the Epsilon II platform. The Insignia was never sold in Japan as Opel had already exited the Japanese market before launching this model.
Also the first car on which Opel introduced its new safety solutions such as adaptive front lighting, «Opel Eye» (camera on the top of the windshield to monitor the area in front of the car, which analyzes road markings, signs and warns the driver of danger). Structurally, Insignia offers 30 mm (1.2 inches) more knee space than Vectra.
June 2013 saw a major facelift with new exterior and interior styling, new engines and new safety features. The new design includes a cockpit with a simplified control panel and two 8-inch color displays and other modern devices. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013, a restyled car and a new Insignia Country Tourer model were introduced. Its main competitors are Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, Audi A4 Allroad and Škoda Octavia Scout.
The line of gasoline engines consists of eight models - 4-cylinders with a volume of 1.4 to 2.0 liters with a capacity of 115 to 250 hp. and one 6-cylinder V-shaped with a volume of 2.8 liters with a capacity of 260 hp. There are six diesel engines - all 4-cylinder turbocharged 2.0-liter engines with power from 110 to 195 hp. Gearboxes two - both 6-speed, one mechanical and one automatic.
Opel Insignia B (2017—present)
The second generation was presented to the public at the International Automobile Fair in Belgrade in March 2017. In Australia, the car will be known as the Holden Commodore, and in the Americas and Asia as the Buick Regal. Also assembled on the Epsilon II platform. Body styles four options - 4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback (liftback), 5-door station wagon and 5-door Country Tourer.
Since the start of sales, only three petrol 4-cylinder engines of 1.5 and 2.0 liters with a capacity of 140, 165 and 260 hp have been announced. There are also three types of diesel engines with a volume of 1.6 and 2.0 liters with a capacity of 110, 136 and 170 hp. Transmission two options - 6-speed manual and 8-speed automatic.