Vauxhall Insignia in photos
The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia replaces the unloved Vectra in Europe. Not only does the new name mean an attractive new style, but some interesting tech too.
London Motor Show 2008 The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia replaces the unloved Vectra in Europe. Not only does the new name mean an attractive new style, but some interesting tech too.
When you're done here, there's also our video of the Insignia from the 2008 London Motor Show.
Bye bye angles, helloooo curves!
The last Vectra achieved seemingly contradictory tasks of being both boring and ugly at the same time. Its replacement, the Insignia, suffers from neither of those problems.
80-kay limit ahead, sir
The windshield mounted camera scans the road for lane markings and can warn the driver if they are drifting out of their designated lane. That's cool and nifty, but it's already been seen elsewhere.
Insignia's new trick is that its camera can spot speed limit signs on the road ahead and display them in the dashboard's information window. Drivers can also set the cruise control to the posted speed limit.
Don't forget to check out our video of the Insignia from the 2008 London Motor Show.
And a free pair of steak knives
In the UK the new Insignia range will start from under £16k (AU$33k), pretty much line-ball with major rivals like the Ford Mondeo.
The place to be
The old Vectra was not only frumpy on the outside but not that pleasant to be on the inside. Again, the new Insignia seems to have no such problems.
New logos
Both the Opel and Vauxhall models sport updated lightning bolt and Griffin logos, respectively. Trainspotters are already salivating.
Sedan and hatch
Two Insignia models have been revealed thus far: a sedan (on the right) and a hatch (on the left).
A quick reminder
Just in case you've forgotten what the old Vectra looked like — we won't judge you harshly if you have — here it is.
Daewoo ... sorry, Holden Epica
High prices and dowdy looks killed Vectra sales in Australia, so Holden replaced it with a cheaper Korean model. The Epica was basically an updated and re-skinned Daewoo Leganza circa 1997 — it too has failed to set the sales charts on fire. Hopefully, either Holden sees the (Euro) light and brings the Insignia here or the next generation Epica is a stunner.