Vauxhall, the General's proper English arm, today revealed the 2009 Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, which is the estate version of the 2009 Vauxhall Insignia, which is also the Opel Insignia and likely the 2011 Saturn Aura. The estate, which is set to debut at the Paris Motor Show, will get two engines not available in the sedan or hatchback version. Although final power numbers haven't been released, one of the motors will be a more powerful turbodiesel and the other a smaller turbocharged gas motor. An environmentally friendly ecoFLEX Sports Tourer is also on the horizon. Personally, we'd be happy with the CDTi turbodiesel, which achieves 59.8 mpg on the Extra-urban cycle. Let's hope the wagon version makes it over with the 2011 Aura. Press release below the jump.
VAUXHALL TO REVEAL THIRD INSIGNIA VARIANT AT PARIS SHOW VAUXHALL TO REVEAL THIRD INSIGNIA VARIANT AT PARIS SHOW * Stand-alone estate model to join range * Retains wheelbase and design language of hatch and saloon * Two new engines available from launch
Luton. These are the first official shots of Vauxhall's new Insignia estate, which will debut at the Paris Salon on 2 October.
Known as the Sports Tourer, it will be available to UK buyers in the second quarter of 2009 and will feature two new engines - a more powerful turbodiesel and a smaller capacity turbocharged petrol unit - in addition to the five powerplants available from launch in the saloon and hatchback models. An ecoFLEX Sports Tourer with competitively low emissions and fuel consumption will also be available in the near future.
Mark Adams, Vice-President of GM Europe Design, described the Sports Tourer's design as athletic, powerful and elegant. "However," says Mark, "this is a stand-alone model and not simply an estate version of the saloon. In fact, all the bodywork aft of the B-pillars is unique to the Sports Tourer. We've also ensured that its design combines the sculptural artistry and technical precision found in the saloon and hatch models."
Designers gave the rear of the Sports Tourer a unique, yet cohesive appearance by pulling the wraparound tailgate deep in to its flanks and accentuating it with large, fully integrated tail lights.
Inside, as with the Insignia saloon and hatch, the Sports Tourer has ample room for five adults and one of the best loadspace volumes in its class. (Full dimension and capacity details of the loadspace will be revealed at the Paris Auto Show in October 2008.) Despite this, Vauxhall has retained the hatch and saloon's wheelbase (2,737mm) and added around 80mm to its length.
The new petrol and diesel engines available in the Sports Tourer will complement the Insignia's existing line up of three petrol and two diesel units, including the 130 and 160PS 2.0 CDTi which achieve 58.9mpg on the extra urban cycle, the 220PS 2.0i Turbo, and the 260PS 2.8i V6 range-topper, capable of powering the Insignia from 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds.
Like the Insignia hatch and saloon, the Sports Tourer will also be available with front- and all-wheel drive, as well as Vauxhall's FlexRide system with its Adaptive Stability Technology.
The new estate model will also benefit from the high levels of technology showcased at Insignia's launch, such as Vauxhall's latest generation Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), with its nine light beam settings, and the Front Camera System, which can read and memorise road signs and alert drivers if they unintentionally veer off the road.
[Source: Vauxhall]