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A car company would be insolvent in 24 hours if it were run by a motoring journalist, so I make this next observation cautiously. I think Holden might have imported the wrong model from the Insignia line-up to warm us to the Commodore of the future.
It's not formally confirmed but it's widely expected the next generation Opel Insignia will wear a Holden Commodore badge locally.
That's one of the reasons for Holden's reintroduction of the top-of-the-range Insignia VXR, sold here briefly as an Opel a couple of years ago. It's marketed as a performance model. As we reported last month, the Insignia VXR's turbo V6 doesn't hold a candle to a Commodore V8 for the same or less money.
I think Holden has the wrong one
But having just driven across Germany in one of Opel's cheapest Insignia models, I think Holden has the wrong one. For starters there was the fuel economy: I got a real world average of 8.9L/100km despite much of the driving done in excess of 200km/h on speed-unlimited autobahns.
The engine was more responsive than a Commodore's V6 from low revs, and at high speed the car was as sure-footed and stable as most cars at half that velocity.
But the biggest surprise was the gem of an engine I had under the bonnet — a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder.
On my reckoning, this Insignia, a wagon, would cost about $35,000 in Australia, and be more than a fair rival to Mazda6, Subaru Liberty and Ford Mondeo haulers.
If this is a sign of things to come, can we have this one here early please, Holden? There would be hope for a four-cylinder Commodore yet.
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