2018 Opel Insignia Country Tourer Is The SUV Antidote

Following the U.S. debut of the 2018 Buick Regal TourX last night, it was only a matter of time before we'd get to see the rugged wagon's international siblings. The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer has arrived and it's being joined by its Aussie counterpart, the Holden Commodore Tourer. According to the Rüsselsheim-based manufacturer, the new member of the family has been blessed with flagship status, although it will likely lose it in the years to come once the sporty OPC will be introduced.

As one would expect from the Country Tourer, it starts off as the regular Sports Tourer and gets a jacked-up suspension setup raising the ground clearance by 20 mm (0.8 inches). The body has been essentially carried over, with the obvious exception of the added black plastic cladding on the wheel arches and side skirts. It has also been applied onto the lower sections of both bumpers, which have been discreetly updated.

Already introduced on the regular Insignia Grand Sport and Sports Tourer models, the newly developed all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring capabilities will come as standard on the Country Tourer. It brings along a new five-link rear suspension and eschews a regular rear differential in favor of two electrically controlled multi-plates clutches.

Bear in mind the previous model was available later in its life cycle in a cheaper version with front-wheel drive, but we'll have to wait and see if Opel will eventually come out with a FWD Insignia Country Tourer.

The other specifications have remained virtually the same, including the more generous cargo capacity of 1,665 liters with the rear seats down, which is a considerable 130 liters more than its predecessor. If you need to carry even more items, the roof can hold loads of up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds). Inside, the 92-mm wheelbase stretch over the old model brings more legroom for passengers sitting in the back on the optionally heated seats, while up front there are AGR-certified seats.

On the tech side, the 2018 Opel Insignia Country Tourer gets optional LED matrix headlights with a set of 16 light-emitting diodes in each cluster capable of illuminating the road up ahead by as much as 400 meters. Other goodies include a 360-degree surround view camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, along with safety systems like adaptive cruise control (ACC) with automatic emergency braking, Lane Keep Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The Opel- and Vauxhall-badged versions are going to celebrate their public debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale shortly thereafter. As for the equivalent Holden model, it will be launched in Australia next year.