Vauxhall releases new Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer with under 140 g/km CO₂

Vauxhall, GM's UK-based division, has just announced that the latest addition to its fuel-saving and emissions reducing ecoFLEX line will take the form of the Insignia Sports Tourer. Included in the car's transformation are a raft of aerodynamic tweaks that include modified front air inlets and twin underbody spoilers along with revised gearing with a higher final drive ratio. Ride height has been reduced by three millimeters and low-resistance tires have been fitted.

The new wagon joins the previous hatchback and sedan bodystyles and uses the same 160-horsepower 2.0-litre CDTi diesel engine, which can propel the wagon to 60 miles per hour in 9.3 seconds and up to a top speed of 134 mph. More importantly, the Insigna ecoFLEX Sports Tourer manages 44.7 miles per gallon (U.S.; a 12.3-percent increase over the standard model) and emits just 139g/km of carbon dioxide.

[Source: Vauxhall]


PRESS RELEASE:

INSIGNIA ECOFLEX SPORTS TOURER BREAKS COVER WITH SUB-140g/KM CO2

Third body-style joins Insignia ecoFLEX line-up
Combined mpg reduced by nearly 13 per cent
Regular Insignia's performance and refinement retained

Luton – Following the success of the Insignia ecoFLEX hatch and saloon, the Insignia Sports Tourer now takes the green-hued limelight with an ecoFLEX version providing company and private buyers with significant reductions in running costs, without sacrificing performance or practicality.

With a combined CO2 figure of just 139g/km, the ecoFLEX Sports Tourer drops four BIK tax bands to 18 per cent for company car drivers, compared with the regular CDTi Sports Tourer. And with a 12.3 per cent improvement in combined fuel consumption (53.7mpg vs 47.1 for the regular model) drivers can enjoy a filling station-free range of up to 826 miles.

But as with all Insignia ecoFLEX models, parsimony has not affected its performance and driveability. Retaining the 160hp, 2.0-litre CDTi diesel seen elsewhere in the range, the ecoFLEX Sports Tourer still achieves a top speed of 134mph and will sprint from 0-60mph in just 9.3 seconds. A healthy slug of torque (up to 380Nm with overboost, to be precise) also allows it to pull slightly higher gearing, thanks to a revised final drive ratio.

A raft of aerodynamic changes is responsible for the ecoFLEX Sports Tourer's enhanced efficiency. Modified front air inlets feature, as do two under-body spoilers which direct air over the rear axle, reducing drag and lift. The upper front grille has also been closed, while the ride height has been reduced by 3mm at the front and 14mm at the rear. Specially developed low-resistance tyres and aero fins fitted to the rear screen complete the package.

None of this has dented the ecoFLEX Sports Tourer's practicality, of course. A capacious, 540-litre luggage area (rear seats up) matches the best in class, and is complemented by 40:60 split rear seats incorporating a ski-hatch, which fold to liberate a maximum capacity of 1530-litres.

ecoFLEX Sports Tourer prices start at £21,515 for the generously equipped Exclusiv model, and extend through S and SE trims to the Elite Nav at £27,750.