Opel Insignia OPC in Sports Tourer Form Spied Completely Undisguised!

If you were in any doubt that Opel and consequently, its British arm Vauxhall, was readying an estate version of the recently introduced Insignia OPC, here's the proof that you've been asking for. Carscoop's secret agent hit the jackpot with the Insignia OPC Sports Tourer snapping the car without a single trace of camouflage. Naturally, the German firm's Audi S4 Avant contender comes with a similar sports outfit to the sedan featuring a new front end with two large vertical intakes and a specific rear bumper with dual integrated exhausts.

The profile photos also show a roof spoiler and a new set of wheels. Like the sedan, the Insignia OPC Sports Tourer will ride on 19-inch alloys shod in 245/40 high performance tires while 20-inch lightweight forged wheels with 255/35 tires will be available as an option.

As you probably have already guessed by now, under the skin you'll find the same hardware used in the Insignia OPC sedan. In other words, a four-wheel drive chassis mated to a 2.8-liter V6 fitted with a twin-scroll turbo that generates an output of 325 horsepower and 400Nm or 295-lbs/ft of torque. Power is channeled to all wheels through a six speed manual gearbox. As with the sedan, the transmission is coupled to an electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) that can feed torque to individual wheels.

A sportier suspension set up and beefier Brembo brakes with cross-drilled discs complete the changes.

Since it's almost certain that the Insignia OPC Sports Tourer will be a bit heavier than its sedan sibling, don't be surprised if you see slightly worst acceleration figures. For the record, the OPC-ized Insignia saloon hits the 100km/h mark in 6.0 seconds (0 to 60mph in 5.8 seconds). Top speed should remain the same at 250km/h or 155mph (electronically limited).

(The black colored Insignia pictured below is an OPC prototype scooped near the 'Ring)

2010 Saab 9-5: First Undisguised Photos of Cockpit and Rear End!

Our spy photographers outdid themselves this time snapping the first undisguised shots of the all-new Saab 9-5 as it was being transferred on a trailer. The photos reveal the premium sedan's swoopy, almost coupe-like roofline as well as its curvaliscious rear end with the distinctive LED tail light assembly. A closer look at the images indicates that Saab's designers have opted for a traditional boot instead of fastback rear gate. Exterior photos aside, we also have by far the best spy shots yet of the 9-5's interior providing us with our first uncluttered view of the premium sedan's newly designed dashboard.

The Swedish automaker has kept the usual 'Saab' driver-focused cockpit with three deep-set instrument gauges and flush-mounted starter button and infotainment controls, that sweeps up from the central console to the main display screen.

Saab aficionados with a strong memory will recall that the same exact dashboard design -minus a few minor details- was previewed on last year's 9-4X prototype. Same goes for the newly designed three-spoke steering wheel which Saab refers to "aircraft-shaped trimmed".

Underneath the sheetmetal, the new 9-5 uses the same Epsilon II chassis as the Opel Insignia. Saab of course has not released any details, but it's no secret that the engine range will be common between the two models. This means that the 9-5 will be offered with 2.0-liter turbocharged four pots and 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 gasoline units as well as with an updated line-up of 4-cylinder direct-injection diesels.

Saab's new executive sports sedan is expected to make its global debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with sales following in early 2010.

High-Res Photo Album of New Opel / Vauxhall Astra, Plus Official Statements

Updating our previous post on the all-new 2010 Opel Astra, we now have a photo album of the UK market iteration of the subcompact hatch adorned or rather photoshoped, with Vauxhall's coat of arms (yes, same images but in higher resolution) along with official statements from GM Europe's execs. The new Astra will debut in Frankfurt this September and appear in showrooms across Europe by the end of the year.

It will be offered with four petrol engines, a naturally aspirated 1.4 with 100HP, a 1.4 turbo in 120 and 140HP guises and a 1.6 Turbo with 180HP plus four diesel units ranging from 95 to 160HP.

"The only part of the Astra which isn't new is its name," said Andy Gilson, Vauxhall's Marketing Director. "And that name currently accounts for around 30 per cent of all Vauxhall's car sales, with the five-door hatch taking 60 per cent of those sales alone – so it's important to lead with this body style."

"Not only is the Astra a crucial new model for Vauxhall, but we're confident that its blend of dynamic design, new-to-class technology and immense driver appeal will attract an even broader spectrum of buyers in this sector," Gilson added.

As one would expect, Mark Adams, Vice President of GM Europe Design concentrated his comments on the new Astra's styling. "We're continuing with the same premium design cues as the Insignia, inside and out of the car," said Adams. "However, the main design themes, like the wing-shaped light signatures and the blade, needed an individual execution to avoid 'cloning' the model ranges. This is why, for instance, you see twin wings in the rear lights and a reversed blade on its flanks."

For more details on the new Astra, click here to read our initial post.

2010 Opel Astra Fully Revealed: New 1.4 and 1.6 Turbo Engines, Sales Start this Fall

While these aren't the first photos of the all-new Astra, they are certainly the best we've seen up until now, revealing Opel's (Vauxhall in the UK) new subcompact hatch in all its glory ahead of its scheduled world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Clearly influenced by the Insignia, the sixth generation Astra hatch is based on GM's new Delta platform that also underpins the Chevy Volt and Cruze models and it comes with a new set of engines including 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol units.

Unlike VW's rivaling Golf VI with its stale design language that keeps evolving from previous generation models, the new Astra features a new design and from what we reckon by looking at the photos, it will be a head turner. Its up to date and clean looks combine a sleek and sporty shape with the latest Opel styling cues such as the characteristic scalloped side blades and the Insignia-inspired headlights.

Opel has not disclosed any photos of the new Astra's interior yet, but thanks to our spy photographers, we have a few shots of the hatchback's dashboard that borrows heavily in design from the Insignia. Highlights include the four deeply positioned instrument dials in front of the driver and the swoopy central console with an elevated lower section.

European buyers of the Astra will be able to select from a broad selection of gasoline and diesel engines. Aside from an entry-level 1.4-naturally aspirated engine and the Insignia-derived 1.6-liter Turbo with 180HP, the Astra's petrol range will also include GM's new 1.4-liter turbocharged unit. It will be offered with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 hp and torque values of 175 to 200 Nm. General Motors says that the 1.4 Turbo engine will deliver fuel savings of up to 8 percent compared to the naturally aspirated 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines that it will replace.

The diesel range comprises of 1.3-liter, 1.7-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged units ranging from 95 to 160HP while Opel also plans to introduce an ecoFLEX version with low CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy sometime in 2010.

Depending on the market, the five-door Astra will go on sale in Europe this fall. It will be joined by a sporty three door fastback variant called GTC Coupe and the more practical station-wagon in late 2010 - early 2011 followed by a four-door sedan model and a coupe-cabriolet with a retractable hardtop.

And no, we do not know if the Astra will make it across the Atlantic and arrive in one form or another in U.S. showrooms due to the instability in GM's current situation and of course, the pending sale of the American automaker's stake in the Opel / Vauxhall brands.

*Click Here for an Updated High-Resolution Photo Album of the 2010 Astra

2010 Opel Astra: New Teaser Photos Released

As we're getting closer to the Frankfurt Motor Show, GM's European unit Opel is getting more daring with its official teaser shots of the all-new Astra that will be sold in the UK under the Vauxhall brand. This time, Opel has released three photos of what appears to be the final clay model of the five-door variant with the Astra's Lead Designer Marc van der Haegen and Engineering Coordinator Laszlo Kreth, hiding parts of the car with pieces of paper adorned with some kind of designs. There are also a few shots of an early test mule with widened tracks that uses the body of today's Astra.

Aside from the five-door hatchback, Opel is also planning to introduce a coupe-like three-door hatchback called the GTC, a four-door sedan, a station-wagon and a Coupe-Convertible model of the Astra with a folding hardtop.

The Astra uses the same architecture found under GM's Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid. However, the small compact model will be powered by a wide range of conventional gasoline and diesel engines including a new generation of 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol units available with various outputs.

And for those looking for something sportier, as with today's model, there will also be a Golf GTI rivaling OPC model (VRX in the UK) equipped with an evolution of the current 240HP 2.0-liter turbo four pot.