GM’s European arm unveiled the Vauxhall and the Opel Insignia in October 2008 at the London Motor Show and dropped the Vectra name in the process.
Like its Vectra predecessor, the Insignia was available in three body shapes: sedan, hatchback, and station wagon. The former two were introduced at the initial event, while the latter was available from 2009.

At the front, the fresh design look and the corner-like daytime running lights placed inside the headlights created a new image for the Insignia. In its hatchback shape, it looked more like a fastback than a regular two-and-a-half vehicle. That shape helped the car achieve an excellent drag coefficient of just 0.27, which almost matched the former 1989 Vauxhall Calibra Cx of just 0.26

GM designed a completely new interior for the Insignia. It installed thicked front bucket seats with softer support for their occupants than in the Vectra. It’s longer wheelbase allowed an increase for the rear passenger’s legroom by 3 cm (1.2”) than the outgoing Vectra. A new infotainment generation included a seven-inch color monitor with a 3-D map view, digital travel guide, and improved scroll and zoom functions. Thanks to its split-bench system, the owner could have increased the trunk size from 530 liters (18.7 cu-ft) up to 1,430 liters (50.1 cu-ft).

The carmaker installed an extensive engine range on the Insignia. Its base version featured a 1.4-liter turbocharged unit, while a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 powered the most potent version. The Insignia was available with either front or all-wheel-drive.