Opel Insignia Country Tourer | Test Drive

20 February 2020 Redazione News, Tested

COUNTRY ROAD

Words by Tommaso Mogge / Photos by Andy Williams

Daring to face the total dominion of SUVs there is a category of cars able to position itself halfway between traditional estates and generous dimensions crossovers. They are called differently depending on the brand and in the Opel world it means that your choice has met the Country Tourer, a name that leaves no room for doubt and allows you to exploit the starting point of an excellent wagon like the Insignia (in this case in the ST version) even on more difficult surfaces than usual, above all thanks to an extra 2.5 cm of ground clearance, four-wheel drive and aesthetic devices such as black plastic profiles to protect the lower part of the body, exactly like underbody plate covers.

The Insignia Country Tourer is therefore a car for families, designed for spare time but suitable for living with the needs of everyday life, this aspect is also seen in the available engines, diesel only and which provide the only option of a 2.0 from 170 or 209 horses. In the case of our top-of-the-range model, we have AWD traction and an 8-speed automatic transmission, another step towards the search for maximum comfort for both driver and passengers. The 2-liter is not the most quiet out there, you realize this especially when the engine is cold or idling, but once one the move, the fluidity communicates perfectly with the excellent gearbox, which never needs the driver to act on the small and plastic paddles behind the steering wheel. Torque is also remarkable and indeed represents one of the strengths of the Insignia CT, with as many as 480 Nm already delivered at the threshold of 1,500 rpm, making the 5 meters and almost 1,700 kg of this transatlantic agile on dirt roads as well as on secondary roads, or even on motorway’s trips.

It is certain that the characterization of the Country Tourer foresees a use more inclined to outdoor activities, but it must always be kept in mind we are dealing with a car that has to offer drivability and practicality in any context, even in the city. In the latter case, especially when parking, the generous dimensions are felt, but thankfully you can rely on rear view cameras, enough to look for an adequate parking space. Our test with this special Insignia that winks at families with two and four-legged children has given way to see the multi-faceted qualities offered by the FlexRide electronic control system (as standard) which allows you to select your preferred driving mode between Standard, Tour and Sport. Immense load compartment that measures 560/1.665 liters, an aspect that for us is never of fundamental importance, but that certainly is for the customer who approaches this kind of car.

The Country Tourer, to the detriment of what one might think by approaching a segment more devoted to practicality than to pure fun, is actually a car that knows how to touch the right strings, even of a more pretentious driver. Starting from the excellent sat-navigation system, passing through the impeccable seating position that does not tire even after hours spent behind the wheel, we brought the CT into its natural habitat, leaving paved roads swallowed up without the slightest effort and taking dirt paths immersed in a vegetation made increasingly bare by the approaching of the winter season. Its ground clearance plays a fundamental role and even if the tires fit large 18-inch wheels, the tread shoulder is the right compromise between style and usability on uneven surfaces. The Insignia Country Tourer has impressed me with a lot from start to finish and is able to point at the premium segment it aims with a very mature product, an incisive way to justify a price that for a specimen like the one of our test, featuring all wheel drive, automatic transmission and 209 horses starts at € 44.850. The first step in the Country Tourer world requires at least € 41.350, which – analyzing the differences with the top of the range model – suggests the best choice of the lot is the one you see here on these pages. At that point you know you have everything you need.