Opel Insignia Country Tourer is the Buick crossover we really want [w/video]

Wed, 11 Sep 2013

Opel brought out its entire Insignia range for the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, with particular attention paid to each new models refreshed features. Like its colonial cousin, the Buick Regal, the Insignia has gotten a fairly standard mid-cycle freshening that's designed to tide customers over until the next-generation model arrives.

One of the models we've been rather curious about since its debut a few months back was the Insignia Country Tourer - a sort of competitor for soft-roaders like the Subaru Outback and Audi Allroad - that will only be sold in Europe. The lifted, five-door Insignia is distantly related to our Regal, but strikes us as a much more capable, better driving vehicle than the lumbering beast that is the Buick Enclave. Certainly, we'd have no qualms about the Insignia Country Tourer coming to the US and slotting in between the Encore and Enclave. Wishful thinking we know, but do you really blame us?

Take a look up top for our full suite of live images, while photos and a press release on the Insignia Country Tourer are down below. We've also got video of the Country Tourer, which looks like b-roll footage from an episode of Top Gear. Scroll down for more.

A New Kind of Opel Insignia: Country Tourer Ready for Adventure

- Top-of-the-line Sports Tourer with SUV character: Higher ground clearance and distinct protective body elements
- All-round grip: Advanced Opel all-wheel drive with variable torque delivery
- Strong pulling power: Three powerful turbo engines with up to 400 Nm torque
- Athletic appeal: Wide chrome grille and dual exhaust convey inherent power

Rüsselsheim, 2013-07-03 -- The new Insignia family will soon be completed when the Opel Insignia Country Tourer makes its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. While its Sports Tourer sibling is an elegant family and business station wagon, the new Insignia Country Tourer expresses an innate desire for adventure. The athletic all-rounder, with its higher ground clearance, provides freedom beyond the constraints of city limits and asphalt roads. Defining features include protective under-body guards front and rear, combined with prominent wheel-arch and lower body cladding, all complemented by dual exhaust tailpipes. State-of-the-art all-wheel drive ensures grip and sure-footed handling in all driving conditions. It is teamed with powerful turbo engines such as a 184 kW/250 hp, 2.0-liter SIDI direct injection gasoline unit or a high-performance 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI – both generating impressive maximum torque of 400 Nm.

"The sensational success of our young Opel Mokka in the sub-compact SUV segment has demonstrated the popularity of vehicles with a crossover character," says Duncan Aldred, Opel's Acting Vice President Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. "With the new Insignia Country Tourer, we are now filling this sporty niche in the larger, mid-size class. It enables us to offer customers an alternative choice they've never had before at Opel. They can spice up the high quality of our brand flagship with a strong dose of adventure. At the same time, we're confident the athletic appeal of the Insignia Country Tourer will also attract new customers to our brand."

Opel's all-wheel drive: Top-class technology in the mid-size segment
The electronically controlled 4x4 drivetrain incorporates a high-quality clutch, operating on Haldex principles, and an electronic limited-slip differential to ensure superb traction on both paved and unpaved surfaces. It constantly adapts to prevailing road conditions and varies torque distribution seamlessly from zero to 100 percent between the front and rear axles, as well as between the rear wheels. The main benefit is that all this happens even before a wheel starts to slip due to lack of traction, for example on wet or snow-covered roads. In combination with the electronically controlled FlexRide premium chassis, the all-wheel drive system sets standards in terms of reaction time and vehicle control.

When necessary, the clutch controlling drive distribution immediately sends more torque to the rear axle. The 4x4 system's sensors constantly feed individual control modules with information on yaw rate, acceleration, steering angle, wheel speed, gas pedal position, engine speed and torque, and the front/rear power distribution is constantly adapted to the driving situation based on this information.

Ultimate stability and higher dynamics are ensured by the electronically-controlled rear-axle Limited Slip Differential (eLSD). The eLSD controls the distribution of torque between the rear wheels, transferring drive torque to the wheel that has the most grip. While offering better traction in slippery conditions, the sophisticated operation of this adaptive 4x4 drive system guarantees the highest levels of driver control and active safety in all situations. The Insignia Country Tourer can even provide propulsion when three wheels are on loose or slippery ground and only one rear wheel has traction.

The adaptive all-wheel system also supports drivers in non-critical situations. To reduce frictional losses and save fuel, the system automatically reverts to front-wheel drive whenever it senses that no adaptive interventions are required.

Turbo engine line-up: High torque on demand
Strong Opel turbo engine power is a perfect match for the Country Tourer's state-of-the-art 4x4 drivetrain. The choice of three engines is led by a 184 kW/250 hp 2.0 SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) Turbo gasoline engine, delivering excellent performance. Generating an impressive 400 Nm of torque, this direct injection engine guarantees massive levels of traction.

The high-performance 143 kW/195 hp 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI diesel also packs 400 Nm of pulling power. Its sequential, two-phase turbocharger delivers an immediate throttle response for excellent traction. A 120 kW/163 hp, 2.0 CDTI (with single tailpipe) completes the engine line-up, giving access to 350 Nm of torque, which is raised briefly to 380 Nm on overboost.

Both the 2.0 SIDI Turbo and the 2.0 CDTI can be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission, while the 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI is available only with the latter.

Off asphalt, the new Insignia Country Tourer also benefits from larger tires and a raised ride height, in addition to its four-wheel drive traction and lively responses. Ground clearance is 20 mm higher than standard, a major advantage when encountering loose, uneven terrain. So whether it's used for a winter holiday on snowy roads, or simply when the going gets tough, the Insignia Country Tourer makes an ideal companion to easily handle unpaved roads and hilly terrain during work or leisure time. And in the city, its rugged looks also give it a strong stand-out appeal.

Well-toned: Athletic top station wagon with SUV character
The purposeful character of the new Insignia Country Tourer clearly signals its strong desire for freedom. With a signature Opel grille, now wider and deeper, the frontal styling has a distinct appeal. The grille's horizontal chrome bar carries the central brand emblem and is sculpted in a wing form, with its outer tips turned upwards like winglets alongside the headlamps. A protective panel, in a gleaming silver finish, sweeps out from under the engine compartment; a prominent design theme echoed at the rear, where the paneling is framed by two gleaming exhaust tailpipes – all elements that simultaneously communicate a sense of power and protection.

Another characteristic feature is the anthracite-colored protective cladding on the side sills and lower body sections, which also gives the wheel-arches a more pronounced, flared look. The Insignia Country Tourer's robust appearance gives it an assertive, self-confident persona. A final visual flourish is provided by distinctive front and rear light units. The tinted headlamps, with embedded chrome accents, exude high-quality and incorporate wing-style LED daytime running lights (depending on trim version). The graphic design theme is repeated at the rear, where LED brake and taillights also illuminate brightly. With its unique design features, the new Insignia Country Tourer successfully combines its roles as sporty adventurer and prestigious brand flagship.

Prices and equipment details will be announced on the start date for orders – at the world premiere on September 10 at the IAA in Frankfurt.

By Brandon Turkus