Opel Insignia Wins European 2009 Car of the Year

17 November, 2008 09:33:00

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The Opel Insignia has won the Car of the Year 2009 (COTY) title in Europe by a panel of car journalists from 23 countries.

The Insignia was chosen from 37 contenders in this year’s competition and took the prize by just one point from Ford's new Fiesta.

To be named the best car of 2009, the journalists must take into consideration criteria such as design, safety, handling and performance. “Technical innovation and value-for-money are particularly important factors,” COTY said.

Opel Insignia scored 321 points to the Fiesta's 320. Third place went to the VW Golf with 223 points, followed by the Citroen C5 with 198.

The Car of the Year is a designation given by 59 senior motoring correspondents from 23 European countries. The Insignia received most votes from 20 members of the Jury while the Fiesta was placed first by 19.

With its breathtaking design and leading technology, the new Opel Insignia, available on the market in notch, hatchback and station wagon variants, truly surpasses these criteria.

The Insignia’s elegant styling can be summed up as sculptural artistry meets German precision. The car also proves to be particularly efficient aerodynamically with a spectacular Cd of 0.27 which positively influences the economic, dynamic and acoustic qualities of the car. Moreover, innovations, like the Opel Eye, which can read road signs and warn drivers when they veer out of the lane, are also segment-leading technologies.

The new car will hit dealerships in Europe this year and early 2009 with a line-up of seven engines. All meet Euro 5 emissions standards and come with six-speed transmissions, either manual or automatic.

The four gasoline engines range from a four-cylinder 115 hp unit to a V6 with 260 hp. The three new direct-injection turbo-diesels exclusively developed for the Insignia feature displacement of 2.0 liters. They offer outputs spanning from 110 to 190 hp and excellent torque values ranging from 260 to 400 Nm. All combinations compare competitively in CO2 emissions. An ecoFLEX variant unveiled at 2008 Paris Motor Show with remarkably low fuel consumption and CO2 emission levels will be added in the near future.

With this designation, the Insignia is the third Opel/Vauxhall model to win this prestigious award. The Kadett won the top spot in 1985; the Omega two years after that. Moreover, it is the first mid-sized sedan to win the award since 1998.