Opel Insignia OPC 2013 Review

VW’s all-wheel drive sedan is seen by the company as the most obvious competition for the newly launched high performance Opel Insignia OPC.

Trouble is VW doesn’t actually sell the Passat R36 any more. Trouble for VW, that is. For Opel Australia that’s good news because it is convinced the Insignia OPC (for Opel Performance Center) can swoop in and fill a market niche.

Priced just under $60,000, powered by an Australian-built 2.8-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine and driving all four wheels, the OPC is to a standard four-cylinder Insignia what the Commodore SS is to a V6 Berlina… a whole lot more fun!

There’s a $59,900 recommended retail price, $695 for premium paint and $1000 for 20-inch forged alloy wheels (19-inch flow formed alloys are standard) and that’s about it.

OPC standard equipment reflects the mainstream Insignia’s Select model line and includes perforated Siena leather trim, bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lamps and adaptive forward lighting, and an MP3-compatible premium audio system with seven speakers and seven-inch colour screen.

Dual-zone climate control is also standard, along with cruise control, Bluetooth telephony with voice control, sat-nav and a USB input with iPod connectivity. Recaro sports seats are also part of the deal.

The exterior body kit includes tiger tooth-shaped air intakes (!), rocker panels, an integrated rear spoiler and dual exhaust pipes. The grille is finished in OPC-exclusive satin chrome.

Unlike the Astra and Corsa OPCs launched at the same time, which come only as six-speed manuals, the Insignia is a six-speed auto with paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.

MECHANICAL

The OPC trades the four-cylinder for a V6, and front-wheel drive for all-wheel drive – but there’s plenty more to the story than that.

The engine is at the heart of it. The 2.8-litre V6, which is built by Holden in Melbourne and then shipped to Germany for installation, produces 239kW and 435Nm, making the Insignia OPC Opel’s strongest production car ever.

Peak power and torque is delivered at 5250rpm, but 400Nm is available from 2000rpm. OPC claims a zero to 100km/h time of 6.3 secs and a less impressive 10.9L/100km combined fuel consumption rate.

Part of the problem is weight, as the car’s claimed tare mass is a hefty 1809kg.

No doubt the all-wheel drive gubbins contribute to that. The Insignia employs a Haldex centre differential that can transfer 100 per cent of torque to either axle. An electronic rear limited slip differential aids rear axle torque distribution.

At the front of the car Opel’s HiPerStrut helps tame torque steer and improve grip by separating the steering and suspension actions of the MacPherson strut front-end.

The Flexride electronic adaptive chassis offers three modes for the driver to set various functions including damping. Standard is the default setting, Sport mode stiffens the chassis and reduces body roll, while OPC sharpens the hydraulic steering and throttle response and illuminates the gauges in red. It also activates two sub modes that further stiffen damping and reduce body roll.

Compared to the standard Insignia, the OPC uses stiffer bushings and springs, while anti-roll bars have been stiffened in the rear and softened at the front.

Four-piston Brembo front brake calipers and 355mm cross-drilled discs are another important element of the go-fast package.

One area where they do vary is aerodynamics; the standard sedan boasts a slick 0.27Cd, while the blockier OPC, with its body kit and wider wheels, has a still-decent 0.30Cd.

Luggage capacity is identical, the boot offering 500 litres of space expanding to 1015 litres with the rear-seat split-folded. Of course if you want real carrying capacity then there’s always the Sports Tourer. The only trouble is the OPC version isn’t destined for these shores, at least for the moment.

In the passenger compartment storage is relatively limited. Up-front there are door pockets, cupholders, a small lidded bin and a medium-sized glovebox. In the rear there are door pockets but no seat-back pockets. Cupholders and a storage box are contained in the fold-down centre armrest. There are also controllable rear air-conditioning vents.

The driver is faced by a flat-bottomed reach and rake adjustable steering wheel, a straight forward instrument panel and a far more complex looking button-festooned centre stack. As we noted with the Astra OPC, a Lexus-style mouse controller seems called for.

Both front passengers are accommodated in Recaro integrated sports seats, which sit 15mm lower than the standard items, offer eight-way power adjustment, cushion extenders and heating.

Anti-lock brakes, active headrests, five-lap sash seatbelts and front and rear park assist are also standard. The Insignia gets a five-star ANCAP rating, although that is based on a European crash test of a left-hand drive diesel sedan.

All very good, but what other four doors are out there at 4800mm plus, around 1800kg, with torquey six cylinder engines? You know where we’re going – the Ford Falcon XR6 and XR6 Turbo and the Holden Commodore SV6… maybe even add a couple of cylinders and include the Commodore SS?

Okay, there’s a fair pricing differential in favour of the local iron, and they are rear-wheel drive not all-wheel drive… but surely the sporting intent is similar?

Instead, it’s all about being swift and sure-footed, more sports tourer than sports sedan.

The Flexride chassis system is a key to this. In standard mode it seems un-fussed on Sydney suburban roads, even rolling on 20-inch 255/35 rubber. That is a heck of an achievement considering the crud ride some far more expensive Euros deliver on their run-flat tyres and stiff suspensions.

The Insignia’s liveability is accentuated by a top-notch interior including great seats and good space.

Flick it into Sport or even OPC mode and things get progressively more aggressive, but still mostly acceptable.

Into some twisty stuff and the grip level is strong and the steering accurate, if not endowed with a lot of tactility. The gearbox is more intuitive, downshifting to provide engine braking, yet only really offering the occasional thumping change in OPC mode.

The paddle shifters work sharply, but lack any mechanical connection. The throttle and brake feel link back to the driver more communicatively.

You will find yourself using those shifters a bit, as the engine doesn’t quite feel to have the verve its figures suggest. It’s linear rather than strong, something underlined by a rather distant audio that never intrudes enough - except for a boomy resonance at low revs.

Some tyre roar on coarser surfaces was another unwelcome intrusion, although it's not as bad as other imports we’ve tested.

A brief stint at Sydney Motorsport Park underlined the Insignia was definitely road rather than race oriented. There were cars on both the standard 245/40R19 standard tyres and on the 20-inch option, and the latter definitely felt that little bit crisper. But understeer and bodyroll were part of the deal, even in OPC mode.

Compared to the Astra OPC sampled at the same venue on the same day, the Insignia felt clumsier, less confident and not as powerful accelerating or braking. But that’s hardly a surprise is it?

It’s also worth noting the throttle action can be omitted from the OPC settings via a ‘config’ button the dashboard and when disengaged that can really affect the feel of the engine’s liveliness. That was especially noticeable at the racetrack.

So our advice? Don’t race your Insignia OPC.

Instead, keep it out in the real world because it’s a versatile sporting tourer with a real ability to cope with our crap roads and deliver some driving enjoyment along the way.

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