The Geneva motor show in March will see the debut of the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer alongside its saloon Grand Sport sister.
Both are expected on UK sale by the summer of 2017, assuming flagship roles in the Vauxhall line-up.
Like the Grand Sport (see our story here) the estate-bodied Sports Tourer takes its styling inspiration from the Monza concept, created by a team led by Vauxhall-Opel design head Mark Adams and first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013.
It has a sleeker look than its predecessor, but use of all-new architecture also frees up extra interior space, including maximum boot space with the rear seats folded of 1,638 litres – 100 more than the outgoing car – in a boot extended by 10cm.
Longer and lighter
The Insignia Sports Tourer is 7cm longer than the previous model, measuring up at almost exactly 5m, with a wheelbase extended by 9cm to 2.8m. New construction techniques also see the weight of the car reduced by up to 200kg.
As with the Grand Sport details of the powertrain line-up are yet to be revealed, Vauxhall only stating that they will be latest-generation units, which suggests efficiency improvements.
It is know that both the saloon and estate versions will include include torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive and a newly designed eight-speed auto gearbox.
Nine out of ten Insignia sales have previously been to fleet buyers and Vauxhall will be seeking to attract new customers with a swathe of technology.
LED matrix lighting, Lane Keep Assist, Head-up Display, front and rear-seat heating and a heated windshield will all be available, as will the IntelliLink connectivity/infotainment system and Vauxhall’s OnStar personal assistant service.
Prices for the new range will likely be announced closer to the car’s launch – industry observers suggest they will broadly be in line with the current model, starting from just over £20,000.
