Car of the Year 2009: Insignia wins by one point

In the very closest of contests, the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia emerged victorious as Car of the Year 2009 with 321 points against the 320 for the Ford Fiesta. The Volkswagen Golf took third place with 223 points.(See the Voting Grid)

OPEL/VAUXHALL INSIGNIA

The Insignia is the first Opel to win in 22 years but General Motors’ European company has been runner-up four times – and in 2007 the Opel Corsa lost by just two points to the Ford S-Max. Ford has won the award five times but this is the second occasion it has lost by one point.

This year’s narrow victory emphasizes the high level of this year’s competition, which has 37 initial candidates and seven finalists. Of the 59 car of the Year jurors representing 23 European countries, 20 gave the Insignia top points, while 19 put the Fiesta in first place.

Opel has defined Insignia design as artistry with German precision: premium values at an affordable price. Many Jury members appreciated the looks and visual quality of this model but the new C/D car from Russelsheim is much more than style. Active and passive safety, comfort and a wide array of efficient engines characterize this model. The richness of equipment can be increased with sophisticated options such as the ‘Opel Eye’, that reads road signals, FlexRide suspension and nine-mode Adaptive Forward Lighting.

Technical data of 2009 car of the year:
Body: 4/5-door saloons, Sports Tourer wagon
Size: 4.83 X 1.86 X 1.50 m.
Front and four wheel drive
Petrol engines: 1.6 to 2.8 V6 Turbo (115 - 280 hp)
Diesel engines: 2.0 Turbo (110 - 190 hp)