Due to be unveiled at Paris Motor Show (October 4-19), Opel’s new station wagon offers leading technologies wrapped in a sporty, premium body and reflects this in its name: Insignia Sports Tourer.

The Insignia Sports Tourer, available in European markets in spring 2009, boasts the same athletic, powerful and elegant design as its sedan counterparts. “However,” says Mark Adams, Vice President of GM Europe Design, “this is a stand-alone model and not simply a wagon version of the sedan. In fact, all the bodywork aft of the B-pillar is unique to the Sports Tourer. We’ve also ensured that its design combines the sculptural artistry and technical precision found in the notch- and hatchback models.”

Designers gave the rear of the Sports Tourer a unique yet cohesive appearance by pulling the “wraparound” tailgate far into the flanks and accentuating it with large, distinctive, fully integrated tail lights.

This dynamic look encloses an interior that offers ample space for five occupants and a highly competitive luggage compartment. The luggage compartment offers a volume of 540 liters. The Sports Tourer has retained an identical wheelbase of 2.74 meters as the sedan models and added around 80 mm to its length for an overall 4.91 meters.

Two new engines - a downsized gasoline turbo engine and a new turbo diesel - will join the seven engines already available from launch of the sedan models. In addition, an ecoFLEX variant with remarkably low fuel consumption and CO2 emission levels will be added to the range in the near future.

“Along with leading technologies and high safety standards, the elegant Opel Insignia Sports Tourer clearly expresses Opel’s strategy to make innovation and attractive design accessible”, says Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer for GM Europe.

Its newly developed chassis, designed to offer a high level of safety and comfort, can even be enhanced with the innovative, integrated FlexRide mechatronic system which raises stability and provides real time, electronically controlled damping. FlexRide also gives the driver the choice between three driving modes. In addition to the standard adaptive mode, the driver can either opt for a comfort-oriented mode (“Tour”) or a Sport setting. The Sport mode makes the Insignia Sports Tourer driving experience more active, as it changes the set-up of interlinked functions such as the steering, throttle control, damping and even the ambient lighting of the dashboard. Moreover, Insignia customers can even opt for the new, sophisticated Adaptive 4x4 system that proactively distributes torque to ensure superb stability while providing optimal traction and enhancing handling performance on all road conditions.

The introduction of the Sports Tourer benefits from the high levels of technology showcased at the Insignia’s launch, such as the innovative “Opel Eye” camera, which reads and memorizes traffic signs and warns drivers when they unintentionally veer out of their lane. Other innovative features are the new-generation AFL headlamps that adjust to prevailing traffic conditions with nine different lighting functions and the particularly back-friendly, orthopedically-certified ergonomic sport seats.

Like the sedan models, the Insignia Sports Tourer was developed in GM Europe’s Design and Engineering Center in Rüsselsheim. It will also be built in the Rüsselsheim plant, one of the most modern and efficient plants in the world.