2013 Audi A3

GM considered Opel’s Insignia for Cadillac

 
7 2,156 views Mar 12, 2009
Follow Viknesh

2009 gm insignia interior motorauthority 001

The Insignia has already proved a hit with the European press, and no one can deny its dashing looks

The Insignia has already proved a hit with the European press, and no one can deny its dashing looks

Enlarge Photo
Earlier this week a report emerged naming Buick the new gateway for Opel’s European models into the U.S. now that the future of Saturn is looking grim. The star in Opel’s crown, the 2009 Insignia sedan, is already on sale in Chinese markets as the Buick Regal but an insider at General Motors recently said the Insignia would also be sold in the U.S.

The car was already confirmed to replace the Saturn Aura later this year, making its import as a Buick Regal completely plausible, however, there is one major stumbling block. The Insignia is based on the same FWD ‘Epsilon II’ platform that will underpin the upcoming 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

This means both the Insignia and LaCrosse will share much of their drivetrains, suspension architecture, and even the same basic proportions. GM would be wary of returning to Buick’s old days when it was overloaded with midsize sedans, and this has led to speculation that the Insignia could instead be rebadged as a Cadillac.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Detroit Free Press reports that GM has considered offering the Insignia as a Cadillac. The FWD layout of the car would be safer to drive on icy-roads than the current fleet of RWD Cadillac saloons, and many of the features offered on the Insignia in Europe, such as AWD, adaptive headlights and a lane-departure warning, could also be offered in the U.S., improving the potential mid-sized Cadillac's feature set and profitability.
GM Insignia official interior reveal
2010 Buick LaCrosse sedan

HI-RES GALLERY: 2009 gm insignia interior motorauthority 001

HI-RES GALLERY: 2010 buick lacrosse sedan 013




Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (7)

  1. ma_Vinzer avatar Vinzer Posted: 3/12/2009 9:58am PDT

    So, you mean to say GM is willing to compromise Cadillac's new-found "Art and Science" design philosophy and add the Insignia to Cadillac's line-up as a black sheep? Despite how good it looks, Cadillac has an image to hold, and no matter how good the Insignia looks, it still doesn't matter. You can't compromise a design theme among a line of cars like this. It's like trying to stick a single BMW with a line of Mercedes or Audi's and trying to pass it off as one of the latter. For the most part, they all look good, but you can't mix and match. If they can increase Buick's line-up to include several other GOOD models, than having both the Insignia and the Lacrosse under Buick's line-up might work. The Lexus GS and the Lexus ES are both mid-size , but Lexus still succeeds in selling both successfully. And didn't they say that Buick wanted to be America's new Lexus-fighter?
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. ma_Talleyrand avatar Talleyrand Posted: 3/12/2009 10:26am PDT

    I have the same concerns, Vinzer .

    My guess (or hope) is that this would be a replacement for the DTS. A Caddy for the elder buyers. If it was done right, it might reduce the cost of developing an entirely new car for that market.

    This would allow Cadillac to focus funds on the upcoming Coupe,Sport Wagon,and,with luck, a production Converj. So,seen in that light, it's not so bad.
    Of course, if they just slap a wreath and crest on the thing, your worst nightmares (and mine) will have come true.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. ma_NoNameDenton avatar NoNameDenton Posted: 3/12/2009 10:37am PDT

    Why not just offer more awd as an option for Caddy's rwd offerings, like in bigger and smaller new cars, like a replacment for the DTS/STS and the Alpha based car.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. ma_Talleyrand avatar Talleyrand Posted: 3/12/2009 10:59am PDT

    Why not,indeed, NoName. Thats a good idea,too.

    It all comes down to what they have to spend vs. what they think they can get back.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. sidraja avatar Siddarth Raja Posted: 3/12/2009 12:24pm PDT

    Vinzer, they could quite easily change the outward appearance of the Insignia to match the Caddy design theme. Just depends on how much they are willing to invest in it.

    The Insignia could be good if they can keep it cheap.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. ma_adamk avatar adamk Posted: 3/12/2009 12:52pm PDT

    A re-badged Opel sedan as a Cadillac? Sounds like the Catera all over again.

    This competent car would be better elsewhere in the rapidly shrinking GM stable.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  7. ma_NaBUru38 avatar NaBUru38 Posted: 3/13/2009 8:24am PDT

    A Caddy-skinned Insignia would be as bad (or good) as a Buick-skinned or a Saturn-skinned Insignia. Now, a cheap rebadged Insignia would be yet another GM cloning disaster, unless it becomes a Saturn.

    However, there's no need for an American-market Insignia since all three mentioned brands already have a mid-size sedan: the CTS, LaCrosse and Aura. The Aura might look old but it was released less than three years ago.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Connect with Facebook

Motor Authority. Now with your friends.

Discover stories your friends read.
Share stories more easily.
You control what you share.
Learn more

Research New Cars

Go!

More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.