Opel/Vauxhall Insignia Named Car of the Year 2009

RÜSSELSHEIM – November 17, 2008: The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia was named Car of the Year 2009 (COTY) today by a panel of car journalists from 23 countries, recognizing the mid-sized car as truly revolutionary for the brand.

“Many jury members appreciated the looks and visual quality of this model but the new C/D (mid-sized) car from Rüsselsheim is much more than style,” the non-profit COTY organization said.

“Active and passive safety, comfort and a wide array of efficient engines characterize this model. The richness of equipment can be increased with sophisticated options such as the ‘Opel Eye’, that reads road signals, FlexRide suspension and nine-mode Adaptive Forward Lighting.”

Hans Demant, Managing Director of Opel and Vice President of Engineering for General Motors Europe, says: “We are extremely proud the Insignia has been named Car of the Year. This is confirmation of the hard work of our designers, engineers and workers; and their commitment to quality that makes the Insignia a true flagship for our brand.”

The Car of the Year is a designation given by 59 senior motoring correspondents from 23 European countries. They chose the Insignia from a tough field of 37 contenders in this year’s competition. Twenty journalists placed the Insignia as number one.

To be named the best car of 2009, the journalists must take into consideration criteria such as design, safety, handling and performance. “Technical innovation and value-for-money are particularly important factors,” COTY said.

With its breathtaking design and leading technology, the new Opel Insignia, available on the market in notch, hatchback and station wagon variants, truly surpasses these criteria.

The Insignia’s elegant styling can be summed up as sculptural artistry meets German precision. The car also proves to be particularly efficient aerodynamically with a spectacular Cd of 0.27 which positively influences the economic, dynamic and acoustic qualities of the car. Moreover, innovations, like the Opel Eye, which can read road signs and warn drivers when they veer out of the lane, are also segment-leading technologies.

The new car will hit dealerships in Europe this year and early 2009 with a line-up of seven engines. All meet Euro 5 emissions standards and come with six-speed transmissions, either manual or automatic.

The four gasoline engines range from a four-cylinder 115 hp unit to a V6 with 260 hp. The three new direct-injection turbo-diesels exclusively developed for the Insignia feature displacement of 2.0 liters. They offer outputs spanning from 110 to 190 hp and excellent torque values ranging from 260 to 400 Nm. All combinations compare competitively in CO 2 emissions. An ecoFLEX variant with remarkably low fuel consumption and CO 2 emission levels will be added in the near future.

With this designation, the Insignia is the third Opel/Vauxhall model to win this prestigious award. The Kadett won the top spot in 1985; the Omega two years after that. Moreover, it is the first mid-sized sedan to win the award since 1998.