Opel/Vauxhall Insignia B Country Tourer

The second generation Opel/Vauxhall Insignia has been setting the standards to the medium-sized car market with its design, interior, performance, and technology, and because having the saloon and wagon is not enough, an SUV variant of the new Insignia, dubbed the Country Tourer, completes the range and this changes everything we want to know about sport utility wagons that was headlined by the likes of Subaru Outback and Volvo's Cross Country range.

2018 Opel Insignia Country Tourer

2018 Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer

With SUVs becoming the dominant breed than any other car in the world, it's no secret why the new-generation Insignia included the sport utility wagon variant known as the Country Tourer to cater the demands of drivers want to get the most out of their lives, from their comfort zone to the outside world. At first glance, the Country Tourer is based on the Sport Tourer but it has been given all-round black protective cladding and silver front and rear skid plates, not to mention the added ground clearance to make it look rugged for some point. On the inside, it was given a manly black and brown color tone to the familiar interior of the range and while it all works just like any other Insignia in the range, you can fill up to 1,665 liters of cargo space with everything to your heart's content, meaning there's plenty of time to fill for your very hectic schedule ahead. Plus, it even comes with a nifty feature that can open the back of the car when your hands are full, just like a Ford, making it one of the most convenient sport utility wagons ever made. A Subaru Outback doesn't have that., you know.

2018 Opel Insignia Country Tourer interior

2018 Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer interior

The new Country Tourer is offered with a choice of 1.5L DI Turbo, 2.0 DI Turbo, and a 2.0L Diesel engine. Depending on the variant, it can be mated with a choice of either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed gearbox. For now, the most powerful version is the 2.0 DI Turbo with the 260PS of power output that can get them from 0-100kph in 7.7 seconds and onwards to 242kph, faster than the Subaru Outback. For those who want efficiency should go for the 2.0L diesel variant with combined fuel efficiency of 5.5L/100km. There's so much to choose from this rugged Insignia.

In front-wheel drive alone, the Insignia wasn't half bad for an estate of this caliber and it feels nicer to drive and easy to live with it, although being exciting is not one of the Country Tourer's agenda. Add a 4x4 on it and the result is a sport utility wagon that can match the driving characteristics of the Subaru Outback and you can take it anytime, anywhere, no matter what today's weather conditions going to be in Mainland Europe. Whether you can take it on the Matterhorn or to a historic spot across Europe, the Country Tourer really gets the job done in a rather amusing way, something that the Outback couldn't done because of its limits.

Because this was based on the Insignia range, the Country Tourer features a wide range of tech and safety features such as the innovative adaptive IntelliLux LED matrix light, head up display, the 360° surround view camera, adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking, Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. It's everything to keep the Country Tourer prepared for the worst case scenarios ahead, although it almost works like a Volvo if you ask them.

The new Country Tourer starts at 34,885 Euros (25,645 GBP) plus on road costs so it maybe more expensive than the Subaru Outback, you can afford one than the Volvo V60 Cross Country, and while it's almost as good as that Volvo I've mentioned, the new Country Tourer can outperform the Outback in terms of driving feel, styling, and practicality. The Country Tourer is set to be a global icon because for the first time, it will be sold in the US as the new Buick Regal TourX and in Australia as the Holden Commodore Tourer.

Photo: Opel/Vauxhall