Few of us really enjoy classical music, even though we rightly attribute its historical significance and enduring charm. At the right times, it can be the best music in the world, for example when you have the opportunity to listen to it on expensive audio equipment.
Soft tones, nuances and a special atmosphere, which today's music can no longer convey, give the classics infinite longevity, thanks to which they never grow old. And that's exactly what the last German Insignia is forever.
AMERICAN WAGON
How German can a car be that was designed by the Americans and you bought it from the French? Very. Despite all the vicissitudes of ownership, it still remains a true Opel in the best sense of the word. Just look at that huge station wagon, it actually looks pretty American, doesn't it? Without a few millimeters, it is five meters long, and if it was the year 84, it would belong to the largest full-size category. After all, it is Full-size even by today's European standards! You won't find such a large station wagon on the market today, so if we don't count SUVs, even the popular domestic Superb is a full 117 mm shorter. It is the largest model in the history of the car company to date.
Well, we have a giant station wagon of giant dimensions that is giant – that almost sounds like a recipe for S portovna U rytkový V ůz. But do you really need an SUV? Do you go off-road? I'm just telling my parents that they want something easier to get into. Huh! It is true that it takes up a lot of space on the road, so it will take a lot of drivers to get used to the enormous width of the largest Opel. Fortunately, there are helpers, assistants, a reversing camera… The more its dimensions will annoy you on the Small Side, the more you will appreciate them when cruising on the highway.
Perhaps a kind of coldness is blowing from Germany, underlined by the dark gray metallic. Nothing for young heys, Opel is clearly targeting a more mature clientele. It's not that it's boring, the low silhouette of the flat and long station wagon looks almost "mafia-like" from some angles, but the designers kept themselves in check, so the design of the Insignia will age very slowly.
(INFINITE PLACES)²
There must be a lot of space in a car this big. Yes, too! None of the passengers will be in need in any direction, and the easiest way to communicate with your fellow passengers is over the phone, how far apart you are. The interior also plays on a classic note. Everything is "old" in its place. The levers are where you expect them, the buttons are just as far away. What I would give Opel the Nobel Prize for ergonomics for is the infotainment control panel. The physical buttons perfectly complement the touch screen and the circular volume control is just right at your fingertips. We probably won't see such a solution in cars anymore… It's a shame.
The materials used are at a decent level, both to look and feel, but what is truly perfect, what creates a feeling of quality and durability, are the touches. The way the buttons are pressed, the rotary controls click… It sounds silly, but it's the details like this that will win you over, it exudes superior "Germanness" and precision, almost like Mercedes used to. Infotainment is generally standard and simple, it reminds me a bit of the one in the Dacia Duster, but in a good way! The setup is slow, no frills, so orientation is easy and it does everything it's supposed to, including smart navigation.
I usually don't pay too much attention to the size of the luggage compartment, but here I will make an honorable exception. The station wagon Insignia has a giant trunk. Unexpected, right? The basic volume is 560 liters and can be increased up to 1665. I'll bet my shoes that a refrigerator would fit here.
Important footnote: From the second-highest Ultimate trim, you can pay extra for a brown leather interior, which is really beautiful and luxurious (albeit expensive)
RUNNING CHASSIS
I have spent a lot of time trying to find out what the true origins of the Opel Insignia are. He really is German . I didn't really want to believe it, because it drives like a real American. Each of us is a different age, but let's all remember that in the old days, big cars were always comfortable. Over the years, comfort has faded, so today even a three-tonne truck has to be properly sporty. I'm very glad that Opel is going against the grain here.
The chassis is very soft, buoyant and soothing, perhaps exactly the same as in the 1984 Cadillac DeVille , with the only difference being that it sits well on the road. It filters unevenness with such grace that you no longer mind driving to Brno on the D1. Perhaps only the seats are a little stiffer, which makes it harder to fall asleep on the highway, but these are plus points for active safety.
Well, what if you switch to SPORT mode? Nothing will happen, because there is no such thing here. Not even paddles under the steering wheel. Everything is classic, as it should be. Thank God. If someone really wants a sports chassis in a car that doesn't fit at all, let them buy a Mondeo ST-Line .
DIESEL CLASSIC
It's clear to me that I'm already rehashing the classic a bit, but allow me at least one last time. We are approaching the age of electricity at the speed of lightning, and we will remember the stench and soot with tears in our eyes…
Leaving aside the gasoline fork-eight cylinder, what could be a better power unit for such a large station wagon than a diesel two-liter? I can still think of a six-cylinder three-liter, but it does not even appear in the offer of competitors, and the four-cylinder is also able to repay itself with very good consumption. On paper, the figures look very decent: 174 hp (128 kW) and 380 Nm, but on the road it is not so famous. The first thing that strikes you about the German four-cylinder is its refinement. You can hear him, can't you. She purrs contentedly somewhere far ahead of you, but just enough so that you are sure she is there and working. So what's the problem?
The problem is in the gearbox, it has 8 gears, but she is not really sure which one to choose. Shifting itself is smooth, without jerking, the problem is that the gearbox constantly underspeeds the engine, then it chokes, does not drive and vibrates. Together with the Euro thousand emission standard, which kills the already dead reactions to the gas pedal, there is a terrible feeling that perhaps something is broken on the Insignia as it drives slowly. The culprit is Brussels again. Since we don't have a SPORT mode, it can be easily solved either by downshifting in manual mode, or with a classic kickdown, or if you want it simple: In order for it to move, you need to flood it under the boiler. However, it seems to me like a universal lesson for all new cars. Paradoxically, the Insignia is more suited to a faster pace than would suit its soothing nature. It is made for the highway. Speaking of which, at 130 km/h in eighth gear, it only spins 2,000 rpm and eats almost nothing, it still has enough power to fly past the 200 mark.
The Opel Insignia W̶a̶g̶o̶n̶ Sports Tourer is definitely not a sports car, but when you step on its neck, it can show off, for example overtaking is no problem, you just need to shift down properly. However, it mainly pays off with excellent fuel consumption. On average, I drove for a full 7L/100 km, mostly in congested winter Prague, which is not bad at all for a giant station wagon. He can handle distances even under 6.
THE SWAN SONG OF THE GERMAN KOMBI
We live in a special time of uncertainty . Not only the existential ones, but also automotive ones. It won't be long and we will never be able to buy a diesel station wagon again. The market will be flooded with Chinese electric SUVs (one day you will prove me right), for which we will just pay a flat rate. The life of the Opel Insignia will also take a little less time. I confess that I don't know what the French have planned for him, but one thing is certain: In his German-Americanness, as we know him today, he will probably be with us for the last time this year. No one will ever make another German Opel, this is the last one please.
It is also probably the last XXL diesel station wagon. Statistics say that there is no interest in such cars today, everyone wants an SUV. I do not get it. The Insignia is a great car. Huge, very comfortable station wagon with low consumption. It sounds like something out of a 1955 Chevrolet brochure, but it actually is. The Insignia doesn't offer too many emotions, but it has years of tested and proven certainty, wrapped in a modern guise. Our children will one day say that it was the last real Opel. And although the new French Opels are also worth it, this one is the last of the family. The last German Opel.
Basic price: CZK 649,990 (after discount)
Basic price of the tested version: CZK 874,900 (2.0 CDTi 8.st AUT Elegance)
Price for the tested configuration with extras: 953,900 CZK
