Stylish motoring in rugged Opel Insignia Country Tourer

The Opel Insignia Country Tourer sits higher off the ground than its Insignia saloon counterpart

Car manufacturers are really upping their game when it comes to estate models and the Opel Insignia Country Tourer will give any of them a run for their money.

And in wintry ice and snow conditions, its 4×4 capabilities will give you peace of mind.

Long and rugged-looking, the Country Tourer is higher off the ground than the regular Insignia counterpart. It also features a very unusual looking boot lip.

Inside, the mid-level SE trim test car was very plush, with a leather interior featuring loads of soft touch materials.

The electric front seats are very comfortable and the lovely cabin border, which spans from the doors to the dash really gives the cabin a finished look. The centre console also extends to compartmentalise the front seats.

The Opel Insignia Country Tourer has a spacious and comfortable cabin

The test car also had a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Much like Bluetooth, these are luxuries you don’t really realise how much you need until you have them – especially for winter driving.

Infotainment-wise, the Opel Insignia Country Tourer comes with the excellent touch screen Intellilink unit. Sound quality was good, I liked the easy to use Sat Nav and it’s among the easiest phone pairing systems I’ve ever used. There’s also a finger trackpad in the centre console as part of this set up, but it’s not essential and I didn’t use it beyond the initial investigation.

There’s good legroom back and front, and two adult passengers would be comfortable in the back – separated by a pull down armrest for added relaxation.

The boot operation in this car is very swish – controlled by a button in the cabin, it can be opened to three-quarters if you’re in a tight space. The cargo area itself is huge, and the rear seats lie flat to give even more cargo space.

The boot in the Opel Insignia Country Tourer is a very decent size

The Opel Insignia Country Tourer is also great to drive. Our six-speed manual diesel had three drive modes – Normal, Sport and Tour. It feels quite heavy in normal mode but it’s very planted on the road and handles well. Higher gears are smoother than lower ones.

However, switch over to Sport mode and it attains a lightness. Fast and responsive, it almost feels like little grips are extending from the wheels for extra traction.

The test car also had an optional tow bar, which pops out from under the boot and neatly folds back under when it’s not needed.

Overall, I found the Opel Insignia Country Tourer to be a beautiful car – plush, practical, stylish and good to drive.

The Opel Insignia is available now, with prices starting from €36,295 for the front wheel drive manual model. The top of the range 4×4 model I was driving starts from €38,795.

Tech spec
Engine: 2.0CDTi 163PS diesel
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 10.9seconds
Maximum Speed: 205kph
CO2 emissions: 147g/km
Combined fuel economy: 5.6l/100km
Annual road tax: €390

Visit the Opel Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.