Opel Insignia production will end this year

The car once wore one of Australia’s most famous nameplates, Holden Commodorewill soon stop production.

Last weekend, a Stellantis spokesperson told Car Rüsselsheim factory in Germany will stop production Opel Insignia by the end of 2022.

The plant just outside Frankfurt also produces the Opel Astra and DS 4. According to the spokesperson, the facility is currently operating at full capacity, so cutting Insignia’s lifecycle short will allow Opel to “move ahead faster. ” for Astra.

The second generation Insignia was launched in 2017 and is expected to remain in production until 2024 as Opel has previously stated that each of its models will have a plug-in hybrid or EV variant. in 2024.

The Insignia is the last car in Opel’s range developed during GM ownership, and its E2XX platform doesn’t support PHEV and EV powertrains without significant work.

An earlier report in Auto Express says Insignia will be replaced in 2024 with an EV with an Outback-style forklift body as part of Opel’s plans to become an all-electric brand in Europe by 2028.

Available in Europe as a forklift or 5-door wagon, Insignia sales are on the decline. Indeed, all traditional D-segment models, such as Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo, have been struggling for more than a decade.

Once a common sight on European roads, these cars were first attacked by luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which have moved down the market with models priced at similar but smaller. However, the knock-out is the resurgence of the crossover, which generally offers similar interior space in a more compact size.

The first generation Insignia was launched in 2008, and was sold as a sedan or wagon in Australia in 2012 and 2013 as part of Opel’s Down Under short-term test.

Holden then brought the Insignia back in 2015 and 2016, albeit only in VXR trim with a 239kW/435kW 2.8-litre V6 turbocharger and all-wheel drive.

After Holden closed its manufacturing facilities in mid-2017, Insignias began visiting local showrooms again in 2018, but this time wearing a premium Commodore badge.

While Holden hopes the Commodore name will help long-term fans and previous buyers stick with the brand, the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive ZB forklift and wagon are incomparable. with sales of VF models that have already launched or are dominating the segment Toyota Camry.

In late 2019, Holden confirmed it was curtains for Commodore. A few months later, GM decided to discontinue the production of mainstream right-hand drive vehicles, marking the end of the Holden brand.

With the introduction of the Insignia imminent, Commodore’s last relationship was the Buick Regal, still produced exclusively in China as a four-door sedan.