Big sedans have been missing from South African streets ever since the rudimentary Rekord made an exit in the early 'nineties.
Which means we've missed out on generations of large and mid-sized Opels and even the recent Insignia, which replaced both the Vectra and Omega.
Now Opel's announced a significantly updated Insignia in Germany and the changes are far more than skin deep.
Currently, the Insignia is not under consideration for South Africa, although it would surely give GM a rather neat flagship sedan, given that the Lumina is being dropped from the local line-up?
The new Insignia takes no dramatic strides on the style front, although technically the front and rear ends have been redesigned.
3.7 L/100KM DIESEL
It's under the bonnet where the most radical changes take place, a highlight being a new diesel variant that's almost as 'clean' as a Toyota Prius. This 2-litre turbodiesel is available in 88kW and 103kW guises and boasts an official (unrealistic) combined consumption figure of just 3.7 litres per 100km, equating to CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.
There's also a meatier bi-turbo oil-burner with 143kW and 400Nm on offer, while the petrol range includes a new 125kW/260Nm 1.6-litre and 184kW/400Nm 2-litre. Both engines feature direct injection and turbocharging, and the 2-litre can also be ordered with all-wheel drive.
On that note, engineers have tinkered with the suspension to ensure greater "agility and comfort."
Moving inside, the big draw card is a completely new eight-inch touch-screen infotainment system that mingles with many smartphone functions.
The new Insignia goes on sale in Germany later this month, with a starting price of 24 325 euro (R325 000).
Should GM bring this one here?