OPELInsignia Sports Tourer 2013 - 2017

　　Five years after introducing the Insignia nameplate in Opel’s inventory, the German automaker unveiled the refreshed version of it, which affected all bodywork variants, including the Sports Tourer.

　　Opel was still under GM management when it launched the Insignia in 2008 to replace the Vectra lineup, a model that seemed to fade away in customers’ preferences. The automaker made the new model based on the same platform as the Buick Regal and the Holden Commodore. Unfortunately, the world financial crisis that plagued the automotive industry led to big losses for Opel, barely dodging the bankruptcy bullet. After 2011, when the European economy started to rise again, the German brand’s sales grew, and the car manufacturer tried to keep that trend going by introducing a refreshed version of its flagship model.

　　The 2013 Insignia Sports Tourer featured redesigned headlights that sported new LEDs for the daytime running lights, which kept the straight upper outer corner but sported a waved shape on the lower side. Between them, the automaker installed the broad grille that sported a thicker slat at the top followed downwards by three other horizontal bars. Underneath it, on the lower side of the bumper, the automaker added enlarged side intakes underlined by chromed trims.

　　From its profile, the long-roof version of the Insignia sported a chrome trim around the windowline and black B- and C-pillars. The sculptured doors featured a curved line that descended on the front ones and ran along the rear ones. At the back, a racked forward tailgate adorned by a roof spoiler tried to create a sportier look for the 16-foot (4,91-meter) long vehicle. Opel chose to install the taillights on the tailgate, and when customers opened it, a second set of lights remained fixed on the rearmost pillars. Finally, under the bumper, depending on the engine version, the car featured a single exhaust or dual ones mounted on the sides.

　　Inside, the 2013 Insignia Sports Tourer greeted its customers with one of the best front bucket seats on the market. These were separated by a tall and wide center console that housed the gear stick and a rotary knob that controlled the infotainment system. The center stack looked cleaner than before, with fewer buttons. In front of the driver, the binocular-style instrument cluster featured individual binnacles for the speedometer, the tachometer, the fuel gauge, and the coolant temperature indicator. In addition, a TFT display sat in the middle, showing data from the onboard computer. In the back, the Sports Tourer provided more headroom than the Insignia hatchback. Three passengers could sit comfortably on the split-folding bench and charge their laptops from a regular 220-volt outlet. In the back, the large trunk boasted 541 liters (19.1 cubic feet) of space.

　　Under the hood, Opel installed a wide choice of diesel and gasoline engines paired with manual or automatic gearboxes. Besides the front-wheel drive versions, the automaker also offered the car with all-wheel drive models, depending on the engine.

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