Opel starts production of the new Insignia in Rüsselsheim

Start of series production for the new Opel Insignia:  today, the first model for sale rolled off the assembly line in the Rüsselsheim plant. The spotlight was on an emerald Insignia Sports Tourer with the new 2.0-liter BiTurbo CDTI engine with 195 hp. “This is a moment that we have all been looking forward to, as the new edition of our flagship that we are officially presenting at the IAA in September is the next important milestone in our model offensive,” says Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. The CEO praised the whole team’s outstanding work. “They put everything they have into this – all their know-how, all their experience and all their passion.” With the new Insignia, the 3,300 employees at the Rüsselsheim plant continue writing a success story that began in October 2008 with the start of production of the first Insignia generation. Just one year later European automotive journalists named the Insignia “Car of the Year”, and many other accolades followed. The Rüsselsheim carmaker is particularly proud of the flagship’s top ratings for quality. In the DEKRA Used Car Report 2012, the Insignia came out number one for the second consecutive time with the fewest errors, again achieving the best results in the mid-size class. In the GTÜ Used Car Report 2013, it showed its top class in two categories. It was named the best-quality car in the mid-size class, not only among one-to-three-year-old cars, but also in the four-to-five-year-old model category. To date around 600,000 units of the Opel flagship have been built, with the most important markets being Germany and the United Kingdom. The new model generation brings more drive to the successful model line. The entire Insignia portfolio (four-door, five-door, Sports Tourer and OPC version) has been renewed. The new generation features even more distinctive design, a new high-quality cockpit and newest generation infotainment system with intuitive operation. “The electronics in our flagship’s interior are really impressive. Even very expensive cars can’t compete here!” says Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. In addition, the new highly efficient engines set standards in the mid-size segment – including gasoline and diesel engines with best in class economy. A new 2.0-liter CDTI engine with six-speed manual transmission and Start/Stop consumes just 3.7 liters diesel per 100 km and emits only 99 g/km CO2 (NEDC). And the new 1.4 Turbo gasoline engine needs just 5.2 liters fuel per 100 km with CO2 emissions of 123 g/km. And a new family member is also in the starting blocks: the Insignia Country Tourer with all-wheel drive, higher ground clearance and SUV character. The Country Tourer is exclusively built in the Rüsselsheim plant like all other Insignia variants. Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann: “Today Opel has the strongest model portfolio ever, and the Insignia is a very important part of that. High quality-standards, attention to detail, and the power to innovate have resulted in this car.” Source: media.opel