The Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September as the third member of the brand’s latest large car range.
The car is effectively an off-roader version of the Sports Tourer, the estate variant of the new Vauxhall Insignia line-up. It targets the likes of the Volvo V90 Cross Country, Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, and Audi A4 and A6 allroad models.
Vauxhall says that the Country Tourer is more spacious and considerably lighter than its predecessor, thanks to its all-new architecture, and includes much innovative technology.
The car sits 2cm higher from the ground compared to the Sports Tourer, and comes with signature black cladding around its lower shell, along with silver front and rear skid plates to give it a more rugged appearance.
New diesel engine
According to its makers the Country Tourer will be offered with a wide powertrain range, though details are yet to be specified. It will likely follow that of the Sports Tourer but will include a new range-topping diesel engine and the availability of an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
All-wheel-drive will also be on offer, with torque vectoring – this employs two electrically controlled multi-plate clutches to more precisely transmit power to each wheel as it is needed.
The car will use an improved version of the FlexRide chassis that adapts the dampers, steering, throttle response and shift points (on automatic models). There are three modes, ‘Standard’, ‘Sport’ or ‘Tour’, which can be selected by the driver.
The new Country Tourer has a 9cm longer wheelbase compared to the previous version, while cargo space with the 40/20/40 seats folded down goes up 135 litres over the old car to 1665 litres.
Technology aids include a feature of the Keyless Open & Start that allows the tailgate to be opened by a simple kicking motion under the rear bumper. A vehicle silhouette projected onto the ground shows the correct area and another kicking motion will close it.
Other technology is shared with the Grand Sport and Sports Tourer variants. Among highlights are the second generation of adaptive IntelliLux LED matrix headlamps, which has 16 LED segments integrated into each slim design, and includes active curve lighting and and LED spotlight with a range of up to 400 metres.
A head-up display, adaptive cruise control(ACC) with automatic emergency braking, Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction and Rear Cross Traffic Alert will also be available for the car, as will Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible IntelliLink connectivity infotainment systems.
Vauxhall is not yet indicating prices for the Insignia Country Tourer but as the car will be pitched as a range-topping member of the Insignia line-up, it is likely to cost somewhat more than the around £25,300 of its predecessor.
