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2010 Opel Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer

Review

Posted on 07.1.2009 14:30 by Terence Keon
Filed under: Opel | Station-Wagon / Estate | diesel cars | Opel Insignia | green cars

The German variant of General Motors, Opel, has already released a green version of their popular four door Insignia model wearing the ecoFLEX badge, but that was it. Well now there is good news for fans of environmentally friendly wagons and estates, because Opel has just announced that their ecoFLEX Insignia will soon be available as a Sports Tourer.

The green five door is powered by a 2.0 Liter CDTI engine with the Clean Tech System producing 160 HP and an impressive 280 lb-ft of torque. The fuel efficient diesel burning drive train is complimented by a six speed manual transmission, complete with a higher final drive to allow highway cruising at lower engine speeds. The result is a Sports Tourer that can go from 0 to 60 MPH in 9.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 133.5 MPH, if those numbers don’t seem too impressive, than consider the vehicle’s fuel mileage of 44 MPG.

If only drivers here in the U.S. could learn to appreciate different things like sports wagons and diesel burning power plants. If we hadn’t attached such a lasting stigma to either of those two items then maybe we could enjoy a spirited ride in an ecoFLEX Insignia Sports Tourer, try getting that kind of performance and economy from a gasoline powered vehicle.

Press release after the jump.

Press release

Green shoots continue to sprout on the Opel model line-up: Starting this fall, the especially environmentally friendly Insignia ecoFLEX will be available as a Sports Tourer. The elegant station wagon version of Europe’s 2009 Car of the Year sips in the combined cycle just 5.3 liters of diesel per 100 km and emits only 139 g CO2/km. (ecoFLEX sedan: 5.2 l/100 km, 136 g CO2/km). – while offering a load capacity of
up to 1530 liters.

All Insignia ecoFLEX models combine economy with driving fun. The 2.0 CDTI engine with the Clean Tech System delivers 118 kW/160 hp and has maximum torque of 380 Nm. The Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer accelerates to a top speed of 215 km/h – three km/h faster than the normal version – and sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds.

The Opel Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer can be ordered now, with prices starting at 28,690 euros (RRP incl. VAT) in Germany. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission, a longer final drive ratio, a range of aerodynamic optimizations and specially developed, 225/55 R 17” low-resistance Michelin tires. “The Insignia ecoFLEX is more than just a green car. It offers the same package of high driving performance, innovative technologies and comfort as the other Insignia models. And for this price, it has no serious competition – this is true for both the Sports Tourer and the sedans,” says Hans Demant, Managing Director, Adam Opel GmbH.

Just how parsimonious the new Opel Insignia ecoFLEX is, was highlighted at the sedans’ press launch in June. European journalists driving the Insignia ecoFLEX for two weeks in the region south of Frankfurt confirmed that the official factory figure of 5.2 liters of diesel per 100 km is very realistic. On the first part of the test circuit, consisting mainly of country roads from the Frankfurt Airport to Heidelberg, most of the cars needed less than five liters of diesel. Some of the journalists really concentrated on their gas pedal behavior; one reporter from Croatia hit a record of 3.6 liters per 100 kilometers.