2021 Opel Insignia: The Smoothest Ride Ever

The newly designed and face-lifted Opel Insignia has mirror breaking beauty and a flamboyant character. It is fast, offers a much superior ride quality when compared to other cars in its class and is loaded with modern connectivity and driver assistance features. The trim we are testing is the Insignia Elegance+ and it is the top trim of the model. While it has the same engine specs as the base model, but the cabin is more refined with premium seating and other convenience features. The Opel Insignia is fun to drive and it accelerates fast. The transmission is quick to change gears making the driving experience sharp and entertaining. The area where Insignia scores the highest is ride comfort for second row passengers. In our opinion the ride quality is very much comparable to the BMW 7 series. The head up display on the Insignia is crisp and sharp. It automatically detects the current speed limit on the road by scanning the road signs and alerts the driver in case of over speeding. The system is also able to detect when a pedestrian is on the road and looking to cross. The cabin insulation is good with minimal wind or engine noise. You can hear a bit of the road noise if the tarmac isn’t of the highest quality but you’d hardly be in that situation considering the UAE has the world’s best road quality. Fuel Economy was a bit of a negative for us. The manufacturer advertises 8.7 liters of fuel spent per 100 km (Highway numbers) and we found these to be lower when compared to other cars in its class.

2021 Opel Insignia Specs:

Engine: 2.0 Liter – Turbo Horsepower: 200 BHP Torque: 350 Nm Drive System: Front Wheel Drive Transmission: 9 Speed Automatic

Exterior:

In the front, it gets a new front grille that is slimmer than the previous models, new sleeker LED headlamps and a sloping roofline gives it a sporty “fastback” look. It appears that the Opel Insignia has been aerodynamically re-designed as well. We see the front bumper has gone lower and hosts additional design elements which don’t necessarily aide in better aerodynamics but make the car look good though. Insignia’s side profile has clean lines, a hint of chrome around the windows and body colored door handles and mirrors. The rear tail lamps have also been redesigned and now feature fog lamps as well. The alloy wheels are 17 inch in size with a 5 twin spoke design. These look seriously good on the Insignia.

Interior:

Insignia’s cabin is roomy and sports some of the most comfortable seating for both rows of passengers. The medium sized D shaped steering wheel is covered in leather and conveniently houses buttons to control the infotainment, cruise control and other driver assist features. Most of the dashboard is made from hardened rubber (something very common in german cars like the Audi) and also sports some carbon fiber imitations. Since its not a sports car, we didn’t really understand the idea behind using these inserts. The infotainment system is controlled by a 8inch multimedia screen that supports USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity. There are 7 speakers inside the cabin and the cabin acoustics deserve a mention. Front seats are equipped with ventilation and heating and an on demand massaging function. The driver’s seat is power adjustable and comfortable even while stuck in traffic. There is an extravagant sunroof as well, opening it makes the cabin look more roomy. 5 months in year we recommend heavy use of the sunroof to get the best cityscape views. Rear seating in the Insignia can easily accommodate three adults. There is ample leg room but considering the sloping roofline of the car, the head room is a little tight. But overall it is an amazing place to sit when planning an inter city travel or a daily rush hour commute. The luggage space in the truck is also impressive. I was able to fit all of my belongings (two large suitcases) and my golf bag plus loads of loose items as I took the Insignia to a trip to Abu Dhabi for the weekend. What a weekend it was!

Other Highlights:

• Wireless Charging
• Auto Dimming Inside Mirror
• Push Engine Start Button
• Electronic Stability Control
• Anti-Lock Braking System

Opel Insignia Price in UAE:

The 2021 Opel Insignia starts from AED 129,000 including 5% VAT. The Elegance+ trim we tested is priced at AED 139,900 and is sold with a 5 year / 100,000 km warranty.