News Source: topspeed.com

It would be easy to underestimate the importance of the upcoming Opel Insignia, especially if you take one look at the Opel  name and that this will be a car only for Europe  . But in fact, the Insignia will be sold with a Vauxhall  badge in the U.K., a Holden  badge in Australia, and will come to the U.S. and China both as the Buick Regal  . It will serve as a brand flagship sedan in most markets (though not the U.S.), and will show the way forward for the design languages of the various brands that will give their own tweaks to the bodywork.

From what we can see in the spy shots, the design borrows heavily from the 2013 Opel Monza concept  that was shown in Frankfurt  in 2013. This was what the Monza was for, more to show off new design ideas that would be implemented than to serve as a preview for a reborn Monza model. The design will definitely be toned down, but it’s not all that clear yet just how much. The finished product most likely won’t debut until the 2017 Frankfurt show, so all we can do now is make some educated guesses.

Updated 01/25/2016: The upcoming Opel Insignia was caught testing once again, this time during cold winter conditions. The current Insignia comes in several different forms, but this is said to be scaled back for the next generation. There will be the sportback-type hatchback found in a number of the more expensive German sedans — this is what you’re seeing in the spy shots — and then there will be a full-on wagon version. It’s safe to assume that we won’t be getting the wagon in the U.S., so the Buick  version will have only one body style, just as it does in the current generation. The wheelbase will be pushed out by almost four inches, and the car will be about 200kg (440 pounds) lighter. The car styling will borrow heavily from the Monza concept, but the huge gullwing doors will definitely not make it onto the new Insignia, and the styling will be generally more toned down than the concept. We know the wheelbase will be increased by about four inches, so don’t expect passenger room to improve too much. Recent reports indicate that the car will receive OnStar, and Wi-Fi hotspot capability. It has also been suggested that engineers are working on a large, digital display for the dashboard — similar to the one we saw on the Monza Concept. Don’t expect it to be quite as big as the full dash display with 18 LEDs from the concept, but it should be a nice addition and may offer the ability to customize it as you wish. Reports also suggest that the new Insignia will receive a heads up display as well. Unfortunately the dash is completely covered in our spy shots, so no help in verifying that information there. The interior on the current model is attractive and modern, so expect to see that built upon and improved for the next generation.

Note: drivetrain from 2010 Opel Insignia OPC shown here.

We also don’t know anything about the drivetrain just yet, but for the current model there is a choice of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder attached to a mild hybrid system or a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that makes 259 horsepower. You can have either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, as sedans that send power to all four wheels are very popular in America. Options for the new version are likely to be similar, but there is also the chance of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain available, as was found in the Monza concept. For the U.S., the Buick Regal sells for $27,000, and there is no reason to expect that the price will be too different for the next generation. Of course, that base price gets you a very stripped down version of the car, and the top trim with the optional all-wheel-drive sends the price all the way up to $45,000. Since Opel  isn’t as premium a brand as Buick, Europe will probably get a slightly cheaper version of the car, and the same goes for Australia. China’s version will be more expensive, but that’s the case with all foreign cars in China. This is one area where you can expect to see some significant changes from the current model. Driver’s aides in the form of all manner of electronic wizardry will be introduced on the new model. We don’t exactly know what these will specifically be, but the concept had an infotainment system that was designed around reducing distracted driving, for instance. It’s reasonable to think that this will make it into production, along with the usual lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control. The shape of the new Insignia is an intriguing development in the evolution of the model. The hatchback will be a very different direction for the Insignia, especially when it comes to the U.S. market. It suggests that Opel/Buick might be looking to be a little more daring when it comes to styling, and that’s potentially a very good thing. Whatever happens, it will be a very important car for GM all over the planet, and so one hopes that it will be well executed.