2018 Opel Insignia GSi Sports Tourer – Sharp, Powerful and Uncompromising Station Wagon. 2018 Opel Insignia GSi Sports Tourer – Drive, Interior and Exterior.
Extra sharp, extra precise and extra powerful with a new top-of-the-line engine: the new sporty Opel Insignia GSi Sports Tourer station wagon wins over not only the driver, but also the entire family. Because it sparks an unrivalled scope of driving fun without compromising on space and practicality. It is simply uncompromising.
The new Insignia GSi Sports Tourer offers everything that sporty drivers wish for: the sharp station wagon can now also be powered by the engine tailored for the Opel flagship, the 154 kW/210 hp two-liter BiTurbo diesel with powerful torque of 480 Nm (official fuel consumption 2.0 BiTurbo according to the New European Driving Cycle: urban 8.9 l/100 km, extra-urban 6.1 l/100 km, combined 7.3 l/100 km, official specific CO2 emissions combined 192 g/km). Standard features include an especially dynamically tuned FlexRide chassis, innovative all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, high-grip tires and a new eight-speed automatic transmission that can also be operated via shift-paddles at the steering wheel – almost like a racing car.
All these features ensure an extremely active driving experience. Opel designers have given the Insignia GSi Sports Tourer a sporty look to match its driving performance. Large chrome air-intakes at the front and a neat rear spoiler unmistakably show that this is the flagship station wagon with sporty ambitions. In the interior, the driver settles in behind the sport leather steering wheel in an optional integrated sport seat specially developed by Opel for the GSi. The rest of the occupants enjoy the familiar high level of comfort in the Sports Tourer – with generous space also in the second row, up to 1,665 liters load volume as well as all-round infotainment and connectivity with Opel IntelliLink and Opel OnStar. This makes the new Insignia GSi Sports Tourer the efficient Opel flagship station wagon that brings more excitement and fun into every day.
Just like with the Insignia GSi Grand Sport, the engineers fine-tuned the Insignia GSi Sports Tourer on the legendary Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. Here in the Eifel mountains Opel runs a test center for setting up its performance cars. Opel has equipped the Insignia GSi Sports Tourer with a top engine for powerful performance with a punch: the new two-liter BiTurbo diesel features sequential two-stage turbocharging, delivering 154 kW/210 hp at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 480 Nm from only 1,500 rpm. The GSi Sports Tourer BiTurbo accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 7.9 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 231 km/h.
Those who prefer a lively turbo gasoline engine for the GSi are right on target with the 191 kW/260 hp two-liter turbo gasoline unit that delivers maximum torque of 400 Nm from 2,500 to 4,000 rpm.
The foundation for maximum driving fun and effective performance output is the all-new GSi chassis: shorter springs lower the sporty station wagon by 10 millimeters compared to the normal Sports Tourer; special sports shock absorbers reduce body movements to a minimum. The standard FlexRide chassis adapts shock absorbers and steering in fractions of a second. The system also optimally adapts the calibration of the accelerator pedal and the shift points of the eight-speed automatic gearbox to driving performance. Subject to the chosen mode – Standard, Tour or Sport – steering and throttle-response are softer (Tour) or even more direct and further sharpen the driving experience (Sport). Exclusive to the GSi is the Competition mode, which is activated via the ESP button. A double-press allows skillful drivers more yaw and switches off traction control. And if the Insignia GSi driver really wants to have direct control of everything, he can shift gears via paddles at the steering wheel on the standard eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Twinster all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, unique in this class, is a perfect match to the sporty chassis. A twin clutch system replaces the conventional differential on the rear axle and ensures more precise, individual power transmission to each tire. This means the Insignia GSi Sports Tourer drives exactly the line the driver wants (and understeer, when the front wheels push towards the outside of the corner and can cause the car to drift out of its lane, is practically banished).
To bring the performance onto the road with optimal traction, engineers have fitted the Insignia GSi Sports Tourer with extra high-grip Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires – on large 20‑inch wheels. And for superb deceleration at high speeds, powerful Brembo four-cylinder brakes (diameter 345 millimeter) take over. All of this together with the familiar light-weight design of the Insignia Sports Tourer ensures an incomparably direct, sporty driving experience that one does not normally expect from a station wagon.
