@Groupe PSA: Firm Grip on all Surfaces: New Opel Insignia GSi with Advanced AWD

• Twinster all-wheel drive and mechantronic FlexRide suspension
• Torque vectoring for optimum torque distribution to all four wheels
• 18 per cent more economical than predecessor thanks to new top-of-the-line engine
• Insignia GSi as limousine or estate orderable from March onwards

Rüsselsheim.  Just a few weeks after the world premiere at the Brussels Motor Show, the order bank for the new Opel Insignia GSi will open in March. The top-of-the-line model variant of the Insignia family comes as limousine or estate, featuring a further developed 169kW (230hp) turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, a new nine-speed automatic transmission and Twinster all-wheel drive with torque vectoring (NEDC¹ fuel consumption: urban 8.9 l/100 km, extra-urban 5.9-5.8 l/100 km, combined 7.0-6.9 l/100 km, 163-161 g/km CO₂; WLTP² fuel consumption: combined 8.8-8.3 l/100 km, 205-193 g/km CO₂). The advanced all-wheel drive system controls the distribution of torque within milliseconds, ensuring that the car follows the driver’s input, for optimum traction and an engaging drive at all times, even on snow and ice.

Combined with the electro-hydraulic brake booster and FlexRide mechantronic suspension, the powertrain makes the new Insignia GSi one of the most dynamic cars in its class – a safer, more precise and more rewarding drive is hard to find.

All-wheel drive for optimum traction on snow and ice

The new Insignia GSi features a state-of-the-art all-wheel drive system with a rear drive module that uses a twin clutch system without differential. Torque goes to one or both of the rear wheels independently, enabling torque-vectoring capability across the car’s full performance range. When cornering, higher torque goes to the outside rear wheel. The engineers have further developed the system – the new Insignia GSi therefore turns in with even more precision, reacting even more spontaneously to inputs from the driver. The engineers have also improved how the new Insignia GSi launches from a standstill on wet or slippery roads.

Four drive modes for maximum driving engagement

The Insignia GSi comes as standard with mechatronic FlexRide suspension, which adapts shock absorbers and steering in fractions of a second. In addition, FlexRide changes the characteristic of the accelerator as well as the shift-points of the nine-speed automatic transmission. The driver can choose between the driving modes “Standard”, “Tour”, “Sport” and – exclusively for the GSi – “Competition”. A double-press of the “ESP off” switch enables particularly skilled drivers to explore the outer limits of the Insignia GSi’s driving dynamics, unassisted by ESP. For an even more active driving experience, the new nine-speed automatic transmission is operable via paddles on the steering wheel.

Benchmark: electro-hydraulic brake booster

With its new electro-hydraulic brake booster, a technology that will be required for automated driving in the future, the Insignia GSi is a pacesetter in the industry as well as on the road. The integrated “eBoost” system is a component for “braking by wire”, which dispenses with the need for separate ABS/ESP modules, vacuum lines and vacuum pumps etc. Pressure builds up quicker and pedal feel is consistently firm under all conditions. Thanks to the automated build-up of pressure, the brake system operates almost silently, especially while Adaptive Cruise Control is active and in stop-and-go traffic.

With its advanced Twinster all-wheel drive, electro-hydraulic brake booster and FlexRide adaptive suspension, the new Insignia GSi is just as at home on the legendary Nürburgring “Nordschleife”, snow-covered mountain roads, in city traffic or on long distance journeys.

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